For those seeking a chilling weekend watch, true crime documentaries provide a compelling and often harrowing look into some of history's most shocking cases. These films offer unique access to unseen evidence, explore the profound impact on victims' families, and delve into the complex motives behind the crimes. Netflix hosts a wealth of such content, and we've selected five of the best true crime documentaries available to stream right now.
Unravelling Twisted Marriages and Murder
The documentary A Deadly American Marriage investigates a case that began as a seemingly perfect love story. A widower hired an au pair to care for his two young children, and the pair eventually married. Four years later, however, the man was brutally killed by his wife and her father, who claimed self-defence. The film features gripping interviews with all involved parties, presenting their conflicting versions of the truth and leaving viewers to piece together the reality.
Britain's Most Notorious Serial Killers
Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story delves into the atrocities committed by Britain's most infamous married serial killers. The documentary utilises previously unseen police video and audio recordings that reveal how the pair were eventually caught. In a particularly moving segment, family members of some of the 12 victims speak publicly for the first time, detailing how the horrific murders devastated their lives.
The Enduring Mystery of Long Island
Told from the perspective of the victims' families who fought tirelessly for justice, Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer examines the ongoing search for a suspect in the Gilgo Beach killings. The case unfolded in Long Island, New York, after the remains of four victims were discovered near the beach. A subsequent police hunt uncovered the bodies of several more individuals, turning it into one of America's most perplexing unsolved serial killer cases.
Another harrowing American case is explored in American Nightmare. In 2015, Denise Huskins was kidnapped from the California home she shared with her boyfriend, Aaron Quinn. The film reveals how the trauma of the crime was compounded when both the police and the media shockingly accused the couple of staging the entire kidnapping themselves.
A Two-Decade Identity Puzzle
The final pick, Girl in the Picture, centres on a mysterious hit-and-run that left a woman dead, a young son motherless, and a much older husband widowed. The case took a bizarre turn years later when the husband was spotted in an old photograph with his wife when she was just a child. The documentary meticulously traces the investigation that took over 20 years to finally uncover their real, and deeply disturbing, identities.
Each of these five documentaries offers a stark, fascinating, and sobering deep dive into criminal cases that have captivated and horrified the public. They serve as powerful reminders of the human stories behind the headlines and the long, arduous pursuit of truth and justice.
