Content Warning: This article contains mentions of violence, including sexual violence.
True crime is a genre that many people have seen at one point in time. Although the backstories and content are sometimes hard to listen to or watch, the mystery behind what happened is something many people want to get to the bottom of. For years, the podcast and TV industry has produced some of the best sports documentaries and those concerning various topics like climate change, but the true-crime subject has increased in popularity in recent years. In fact, some of the best horror movies are based on real true crime events.
Streaming platforms like Amazon Prime Video have picked up on this and are now releasing documentaries or docu-series that center on a particular crime and the people involved from the very start. Those looking for the best true crime on Amazon Prime have plenty to choose from.
Updated on October 27th, 2021, by Jake Koran: True crime documentaries remain a topic of fascination with a large number of people. With the demand for this kind of media, streaming services like Amazon Prime Video add titles and drop others, cycling through films and series as time goes on. Many of the true-crime documentaries featured are eye-opening while others simply offer insight into some lesser-known crimes. In any case, the best crime documentaries on Amazon Prime are all worth a watch.
The Making Of The Mob (2015–2016) - 7.9
Presented in two seasons, The Making of the Mob centers on infamous figures from the American Mafia from the early to mid-twentieth century. The first season focuses on the mob's presence in New York, and it heavily features Charles "Lucky" Luciano, as well as those around him. The second season focuses on Chicago and the influence of Al Capone.
The docuseries uses dramatic reenactments and interviews to tell stories, and fans of the best gangster movies ever made will surely enjoy this entertaining look into some notorious figures in organized crime from the 1900s.
Cold Case Files (2017– ) - 7.9
This version of Cold Case Files is a reboot of a series of the same name, which ran from 1999 to 2006. In this series, viewers are taken through the details of a crime and how the investigation eventually went quiet. After years, these cases are revisited, partly because of the development of technology.
The show has been praised for its investigative techniques, and it concisely presents the information. Several episodes also feature the voice of Danny Glover as the narrator, so if fans of the genre needed another reason to watch, that is it.
Unsolved Mysteries (1987–2010) - 8.2
For twenty-seven years, Unsolved Mysteries showed audiences evidence from a variety of cases, ranging from true crime to potentially supernatural events. This format proved effective, and the show has remained a favorite among fans of the genre for years.
The series ran so long that it also featured updates on previous cases it covered. While it is an exceptional choice for Amazon Prime Video users, it is also one of the best true-crime documentaries on Peacock, showing that it is still considered relevant by many today.
Dear Zachary: A Letter To A Son About His Father (2008) - 8.5
In the early 2000s, a medical student named Andrew Bagby was suddenly murdered without rhyme or reason. Andrew was a loving and upstanding man who did not deserve his fate. When his close friend, Kurt Kuenne, decided to put together a documentary about his life for his unborn child, Dear Zachary was born.
Dear Zachary is raw, truthful and really showcases Andrew's loving parents and his family friends, who adored him. The documentary follows his parents' trauma and their move to Canada to be closer to their grandchild, Zachary. If true crime fans are looking for a heartbreaking yet endearing story, Dear Zachary is one of the most gripping true crime documentaries available on Amazon Prime Video.
The Last Narc (2020) - 8.6
The Last Narc chronicles the murder of DEA Agent Enrique Camarena in February 1985 and events that occurred after the crime. The film suggests there is more to the story than most people know, and it features interviews with family, as well as with former members of cartels.
Presented in four parts, The Last Narc offers a terrifying dive into the investigation of Enrique Camarena's death. Content surrounding cartels is a popular choice among viewers, and The Last Narc gives horrifying accounts of events that took place.
Air Crash Investigation (2003– ) - 8.8
Also known as Mayday, Air Emergency, Air Disasters, and Mayday: Air Disasters, this documentary recreates dangerous events that happened in aircraft. Featuring interviews with aviation experts, Air Crash Investigation shows what went wrong in a flight and what could have kept it from happening.
The series also uses computer graphics to show the damage the aircraft sustained. Air Crash Investigation is frightening and heartbreaking at times, but it partly functions as an educational tool, which hopefully keeps situations like these from happening again.
Buzzfeed Unsolved: True Crime (2016–2021) - 8.9
Buzzfeed Unsolved is a documentary web series that is in its fifteenth and final season. The series is split up into two themes, True Crime, and Supernatural. While both are filled with great made-for-TV moments, and some of the scariest Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural episodes are sure to give some viewers nightmares, True Crime is the best true crime-inspired docu-series on Amazon Prime Video.
While the topics are often morbid, the creators make sure to intertwine hilarious bits for comedic relief. Some True Crime moments are impossibly scary, while others stand to educate and enlighten viewers on the realness of horrific crimes.