Paramount+ might not produce as many true crime documentaries as other streaming services, but that doesn’t mean there are none. Between Paramount+ originals and Showtime originals, both available on the streaming platform, there are several particularly compelling true-crime documentaries that you can watch right now. What Paramount+ lacks in variety, it makes up for in quality.
The Showtime documentaries streaming on Paramount+ are thoughtful and thorough additions to the true-crime genre. The network released quite a few documentaries in the early 2020s, as is reflected in the titles listed below. One thing that all of these programs share is that they have something important to say about the subject. They ask critical questions that make for engaging and essential viewing.
Here are 7 of the best true crime documentaries streaming on Paramount+ right now.
‘Spector’ (2022)
Phil Spector was an American music producer and songwriter in the 1960s. He had a huge influence on the industry and worked with a number of popular artists. However, his story took a dark turn when actress Lana Clarkson (The Haunting of Morella) was found dead in his California mansion in 2003. The investigation revealed that Spector had a history of violence against women. He was arrested and tried for Clarkson’s murder in 2007.
Remembering Lana Clarkson
Spector is a four-part Showtime limited series made by The Bond directing team Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce. The series examines Spector’s increasingly sinister behavior over the years as well as his relationship with Clarkson. Friends and members of the media offer their insight. Spector’s daughter, Nicole Spector, and Clarkson’s mother, Donna Larkson, are interviewed. The documentary “walks the tightrope between sensitive and salacious,” wrote Leila Latif in The Guardian, “and refuses to diminish the importance of Lana Clarkson.”
‘The Fire That Took Her’ (2022)
Judy Malinowski was a 33-year-old mother of two in Ohio who had struggled with opiate use in the past. When she started dating Michael Slager, her drug use resumed. Slager even supplied her with drugs as a way of controlling her. The relationship grew untenable, and they fought regularly. In 2015, Michael Slager covered Judy in gasoline during a fight at a gas station and set her on fire. Judy survived the attack and went on to be the first person in history to testify in her own murder trial.
Judy Malinowski’s Life and Legacy
Tragically, Judy suffered severe burns on over 90% of her body. She passed away in 2017. In The Fire That Took Her, director Patricia E. Gillespie (The Called Him Mostly Harmess) traces the volatile relationship between Slager and Judy as well as the trial. She also uses footage from Judy’s time at the hospital and footage of Judy’s daughters in the aftermath to paint what The New York Times called “an unflinching portrait of pain.” The Fire That Took Her won a Gracie Award for Director Patricia E. Gillespie and a News & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Crime and Justice Documentary.
‘We Need to Talk About Cosby’ (2022)
From 1984 to 1992, comedian Bill Cosby starred in the hit NBC sitcom The Cosby Show and served as one of the show’s creators. Cosby was a household name and his character on the show, Cliff Huxtable, was one of television’s most beloved father figures. What many did not know was that Cosby was also a sexual predator, with accusations dating back to the 1960s. In 2015, The Cut published a piece that provided a platform for 35 women who accused Cosby of assault. He was charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault that same year.
Exposing a Predator
We Need to Talk About Cosby is a four-part limited series produced and directed by CNN’s United Shades of America host W. Kamau Bell. The series takes a look at Cosby’s career and the sexual assault cases. There are interviews with survivors as well as comedians and journalists. The series won a Peabody Award in the Documentary category. It was also nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards and won Best Multi-Part Documentary at the International Documentary Association Awards. We Need to Talk About Cosby is certified fresh with a 99% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
‘Murder in the Bayou’ (2019)
Between 2005 and 2009, eight women were murdered in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana. Rumors began that these killings are all connected, leading people to refer to the victims as the Jeff Davis 8. A book came out in 2016 by Ethan Brown called Murder in the Bayou: Who Killed the Women Known as the Jeff Davis 8, which chronicles the investigation into these murders. The documentary Murder in the Bayou is based on the book’s findings. Directed by Matthew Galkin (One Night in Idaho: The College Murders), this five-part Showtime series interviews friends and family of the victims as well as journalists and law enforcement officials — some of whom had been on the case for ten years by the time this documentary was made.
Inside Jefferson Davis Parish
The series pulls back the layers of the case, affording viewers a dark glimpse into a complicated and oft-overlooked investigation. Daniel Fienberg at The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the series “might be set up for guilty pleasure viewing except for the effort it puts into establishing the context of the community and the crimes and the empathy behind the camera…the opportunity to get these voices out in the world has value.” This is the kind of documentary that really goes into the community, and the investigative aspect is incredibly compelling.
‘The 12th Victim’ (2023)
14-year-old Caril Ann Fugate was living with her family in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1958 when her boyfriend, 19-year-old Charles Starkweather, murdered Caril’s mother, stepfather, and two-year-old sister. He’d already murdered a gas station attendant the year prior. What ensued was a manhunt and cross-state crime spree that resulted in the murder of seven more people. While investigators were initially unsure if Fugate was a hostage or an accomplice, the pair were arrested, and Fugate was ultimately convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. The case loosely inspired the 1973 Terrence Malick film Badlands.
Accomplice or Victim?
The 12th Victim is a four-part Showtime documentary series directed by Nicola Marsh (Child Star). The title refers to the idea that Fugate, who was only 13 years old when her relationship with Starkweather began, was really Starkweather’s twelfth victim. Through interviews and reenactments, this series takes a closer look at Fugate’s involvement in the events. What if she had not been a willing accomplice, but instead another victim of Starkweather’s violence and manipulation? “It’s about more than just a crime,” Marsh told The Guardian. “It’s about acquiescence and culpability.”
‘Murder in Big Horn’ (2023)
For almost 200 years, Native and Indigenous women have been victims of unprecedented and unsolved violence. “The alarming reports of abduction and murder of Native women highlight one of the most devastating issues facing Tribal communities,” states the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center. “On some reservations, Native women face murder rates more than ten times the national average.”
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
Murder in Big Horn is a three-part documentary series from Showtime that draws attention to the death of Native American women in rural Montana. The directors are Oglala Lakota/Diné director Razelle Benally and Murder in the Bayou director Matthew Galkin. Murder in Big Horn won a Gracie Award for Limited Documentary Series and a News & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography by Jeff Hutchens. The series also received a nomination for Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series at the Independent Spirit Awards.
‘Attica’ (2021)
In 1971, one of the largest prison riots in American history broke out at Attica Correctional Facility in New York. Prisoners demanded to be treated like human beings, citing abuse at the hands of the guards. Negotiations between those inside the prison and law enforcement lasted for four days. In the end, 43 people were killed. 39 of those fatalities occurred at the hands of law enforcement when the prison was stormed on the last day.
Racism and the Prison System
The Showtime feature film documentary Attica is directed by Traci Curry (Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time) and Stanley Nelson (Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre). The filmmakers explore the events of 1971 through first-hand accounts and shine a light on violence and racism within the prison system. Attica was nominated for a Peabody Award and for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards. It won Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary from the Directors Guild of America Awards. The film is certified fresh with a 100% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.