Summary

• True crime documentaries on Netflix provide a safe environment for viewers to confront their deepest fears and anxieties.
• Scary crime documentaries are not always centered around murder or serial killers, but can also explore other types of criminals and systemic flaws.
• Some of these documentaries shed light on real-life cases where the perpetrator may not always be caught, exposing problems with the justice system.

This article contains discussions of true crime, including: kidnapping, animal abuse, torture, murder, sexual assault, rape, child abuse, sex trafficking, necrophilia, and violence.

The true crime genre is one of the most popular on Netflix, and the streaming giant has crafted some scary documentaries. What makes true crime documentaries so popular is that the format allows viewers to work out their deepest anxieties in a safe setting. More often than not, these stories have a definitive ending in which the perpetrator is caught, the mystery is solved, and audiences feel lucky that they watched the horrors of the case unfold on the screen rather than in real life. However, not all crime documentaries see the perpetrator behind bars by the story's end.

The best true crime documentaries on Netflix aren't always about murder, and a serial killer doesn't necessarily have to be involved to make scary crime documentaries. Some perpetrators are con artists, cult leaders, or thieves. In addition, what makes a crime documentary so frightening isn't always linked to the heinousness of the crimes. Rather, sometimes a program is scary because of how easily events could happen to anyone, or it displays glaring flaws in institutional systems that allow criminals to walk free. Other times, it really is the crimes themselves that are so depraved that they stick in audiences' minds.

Catching Killers (2021 - )

Catching Killers Chronicles The Whole Investigative Process

One of the more scary crime documentaries is the Netflix docuseries Catching Killers. Told from the perspective of law enforcement, journalists, and lawyers, Catching Killers is different from most true crime shows for its focus on the victims involved, rather than glorifying the killer. However, what makes Catching Killers so frightening is the realization of how in the dark law enforcement really is during the investigative process.

True crime shows usually come out once the mystery has been solved, and the answers seem obvious to audiences. Catching Killers takes viewers through the entire process from start to finish, causing people to realize that answers aren't so obvious when the information is coming back in real-time.

Amanda Knox (2016)

Amanda Knox Has The Chance To Tell Her Own Story

Few haven't heard the story of Amanda Knox, and she's the subject of one of the more scary crime documentaries on Netflix. Amanda Knox made headlines after being convicted of killing her roommate while in Italy on a student exchange program and spent four years in an Italian prison before being exonerated.

Amanda Knox is so frightening because it's a tragic case of wrong place, wrong time that had resounding consequences. The way the Italian Police handled Knox's case is nothing short of shocking, and when Knox tells her side of the story, viewers can hardly believe that she was able to be convicted and wrongfully imprisoned.

Unsolved Mysteries (2020 - )

Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries Is A Reboot

Although this documentary series is a reboot of the classic series in the 1980s and 1990s, the Netflix version is a little more eerie and one of the scariest crime documentaries. Aside from the eerie paranormal experiences, there are some horrors hidden in this series.

There are unsolved murders, and disappearances that haven't been solved, all of which brought to light what most viewers fear most: losing someone and never finding out the truth. The heartbreak of the loved ones left behind without answers is felt through the screen, making it incredibly difficult to watch. It's haunting and leaves the viewers feeling melancholy after finishing an episode.

The Confession Tapes (2017 - )

The Confession Tapes Questions Whether Killer Confessions Can All Be Trusted

The Confession Tapes has an intriguingly unique premise, but its real-life consequences make it one of the most scary crime documentaries on Netflix. The critically acclaimed docuseries focuses on one subject per episode and sees people making confessions to murders leading ultimately to conviction in court — but they may not all be real.

The Confession Tapes frighteningly explores the idea of false or coerced confessions, which sometimes lead innocent people to jail. The series is the ultimate reminder of why lawyers need to be present in interrogative situations, as no one should ever be coerced into confessing a crime that they didn't commit.

The Confession Killer (2019)

The Confession Killer Examines Henry Lee Lucas

Henry Lee Lucas is one of the most notorious serial killers, confessing to killing over 100 people and the subject of one of the more scary crime documentaries. However, police have only ever been able to link 12 murders to him.

Texas law enforcement were victims of Henry Lee Lucas as well. They fell for his lies and manipulation and believed his confession. The Confession Killer is scary for different reasons than the others, it showcases complicated issues like holes in the justice system and how so many victims never receive the justice they deserve. Henry Lee Lucas may not have killed all of those people — but someone did.

The Ripper (2020)

The Ripper Chronicles The Yorkshire Ripper Case

Several serial killers have been given the moniker "Ripper" over the years, but The Ripper follows the notorious case of the Yorkshire Ripper and is subsequently one of the more scary crime documentaries.

Between 1975 and 1980 Peter Sutcliffe terrorized West Yorkshire and Manchester, responsible for killing 13 women in an appallingly brutal fashion. The Ripper is so frightening because the docuseries makes it clear that leads on the case were so scant that if he hadn't been caught for his car having false plates, it's likely he would've kept his spree going for years and taken many more victims.

Night Stalker: The Hunt For A Serial Killer (2021)

Night Stalker: The Hunt For A Serial Killer Discusses The Crimes Of Richard Ramirez

Richard Ramirez was one of the most prolific serial killers in California in the 1980s and the subject of one of Netflix's scary crime documentaries. He hunted, tortured, and murdered his victims in the most brutal and violent ways. Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer takes the viewer through the Ramirez investigation and pays special attention to his victims.

It doesn't shy away from the atrocities committed by Ramirez, making it a difficult one to sit through. Serial killer documentaries are what Netflix does best, and this one leaves the viewers thoroughly disgusted and in shocked disbelief of his crimes.

Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes (2019)

Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes Provides Real Interview Footage

This documentary was released as a companion to the Zac Efron movie, Extreme Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, and works well to thoroughly disgust the viewer in one of the more scary crime documentaries on Netflix. While Bundy has been covered ad infinitum, the addition of hearing his real interviews makes this program chilling.

The documentary takes the viewers through the personal and intimate details of Bundy's life and uses never heard before interviews with him on death row. Ted Bundy's crimes are known all too well to most true crime fans, but this documentary adds to the never-ending list of the true horrors committed by one man.

Our Father (2022)

Our Father Chronicles The Crimes Of A Fertility Doctor

Our Father contains one of the most shocking stories to ever be seen on television and is subsequently one of the most scary crime documentaries. The documentary focuses on fertility doctor Donald Cline, who used his own biological material to impregnate dozens of unknowing patients, resulting in a whopping total of 94 children.

Told through many of the children themselves who found out through DNA testing, Our Father explores the stuff of nightmares for women seeking help with fertility issues. Doctors are supposed to be people that the public can trust, but that sadly wasn't the case with Donald Cline.

Carmel: Who Killed Maria Marta? (2020)

Carmel: Who Killed Maria Marta? Examines A Case From Argentina

One of the most publicized and controversial cases in Argentina, Carmel: Who Killed Maria Marta? joins the ranks of scary crime documentaries. The docuseries follows the murder case of affluent sociologist María Marta García Belsunce who was found mysteriously dead in her home.

Told primarily through journalists who covered the case, Who Killed Maria Marta? is terrifying because by the end it's still entirely unclear exactly what happened and who was responsible. Many people have been accused over the years, including the Juarez Cartel, her husband, her brother, and now her neighbor. The circumstances are so strange that it has to be seen to be believed.

Memories Of A Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes (2021)

Memories Of A Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes Examines A Scottish Serial Killer

Dennis Nilsen isn't as well-known in the States, but the Scottish serial killer is infamous in the UK and his chilling prison tapes can be heard in one of Netflix's scary crime documentaries. Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes dives deep into the dangerous psyche of a necrophile who committed at least 12 murders and was caught after a plumbing complaint revealed he had been flushing remains down the toilet.

Nilsen's crimes are hard enough to read about, let alone hear in detail from the killer's own mouth. Between his creepy post-mortem rituals and justifications for his crimes, The Nilsen Tapes is a difficult watch at best.

Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich (2020)

Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich Looks At Money And Power's Connection To Crime

Jeffrey Epstein became one of the most infamous figures before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the documentary Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich is a shocking revue of his heinous operation, becoming one of the most truly scary crime documentaries.

Epstein had one of the largest and most involved sex trafficking rings in recent history, and his arrest brought attention to some of the most powerful people in the world that may have partaken. Filthy Rich is harrowing in that it shows just how much money talks and is able to keep people of affluence in power to commit whatever depraved acts they want without ever facing consequences.

Keep Sweet: Pray And Obey (2022)

Keep Sweet: Pray And Obey Examines Warren Jeffs And The FLDS

Documentaries that follow religious groups and cults are often some of the more scary crime documentaries as they reveal the horrors that people in everyday life are capable of. Not only that but cult shows force audiences to debate if they would be susceptible to a charismatic leader's charms.

Warren Jeffs saw himself as the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), an extremist offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. In reality, he manipulated the woman who trusted him into underaged and abusive marriages. In never-before-seen videos, this documentary unearths his lies and the trauma he left in his wake.

Cold Case Files (1999 - 2006; 2017 - )

Cold Case Files Often Waits For Technology To Catch Up

While Cold Case Files is often seen as a triumphant series, depicting cases sometimes solved decades after the crime was committed, this is also what makes the show one of Netflix's scary crime documentaries. Cold Case Files sees a different case every episode that has gone cold years ago but with the advent of forensic technology is able to be solved.

The show plays on audiences' worst nightmares, as the thought of losing a loved one and having to wait years to find out the truth is an awful prospect. The series' longevity proves that this is a problem that isn't infrequent, only adding to viewers' dread.

The Tinder Swindler (2022)

The Tinder Swindler Stole From Women He Met Online

The subject of safety and online dating is brought to the forefront in one of Netflix's scary crime documentaries The Tinder Swindler. The documentary covers the harrowing case of Simon Leviev, a man who has posed as a millionaire on Tinder and managed to steal over $10 million from women all across the globe.

Leviev's tale is haunting for several reasons. His tactics were brilliant and few would've been able to see through his facade. However, the worst of it is that Leviev has destroyed a number of lives and through flaws in the justice system has yet to be caught and charged for his crimes.

American Murder: The Family Next Door (2020)

American Murder: The Family Next Door Focuses On One Family

This true crime case exploded across headlines and cable news before the documentary was even made, and the heartbreaking tale is subsequently one of Netflix's scary crime documentaries. American Murder: The Family Next Door focuses on Chris Watts, who was known to most Americans for killing his family, including his two young daughters and pregnant wife.

What's so chilling is that the documentary reveals how manipulative Watts really was, and how he had planned this murder months in advance. There are no recreations or voiceovers, it's all real footage from the case, which makes it that much more haunting and scary.

Girl In The Picture (2022)

Girl In The Picture Has Many Twists And Turns

The twisty and critically acclaimed documentary Girl in the Picture is arguably one of the more scary crime documentaries. After a young woman is found dead after a hit-and-run accident, investigators learn that she isn't who she said she was. Her husband is much older than her, and her name isn't even her name.

Adapted from books about the same case (Matt Birkbeck’s Finding Sharon and A Beautiful Child), this documentary is beyond terrifying. It reveals the worst-case scenario and a living nightmare that so many fear. It took 20 years for Suzanne Sevakis' true identity to be revealed, and it's 20 years of dead ends for those who want answers.

Don't F**k With Cats: Hunting An Internet Killer (2019)

Don't F**k With Cats: Hunting An Internet Killer Sees Internet Sleuths Get To Work

Facebook is known primarily as a social networking site, however, in a bizarre twist of fate, it helps average Facebook users solve a murder in Don't F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer. This is one of those scary crime documentaries that gets worse, and scarier, with every reveal.

What started as an awful animal-abusing video, turns into something much more sinister. People from all around the world are logging on and trying to catch a killer, someone who is the worst of humanity. It leaves viewers scratching their heads at what they just watched, especially considering Don't F**k With Cats' final message.

Conversations With A Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes (2022)

Conversations With A Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes Hears From The Killer Himself

Netflix decided to release more scary crime documentaries under the Conversations with a Killer umbrella, and this time the subject was Jeffrey Dahmer.

While Evan Peters did a standout job portraying the serial killer in Monster, it can't compare to hearing the real Dahmer speak on tape about the horrific nature of his truly shocking crimes and why he believes he committed them. Like Bundy, Dahmer has been covered many times in the media. However, the Conversations with a Killer series sees Dahmer just after his arrest and contains some truly terrifying footage.

Strong Island (2017)

Strong Island Examines How The Justice System Can Fail Communities

Filmmaker Yance Ford brought one of the most heartbreaking and scary crime documentaries to Netflix with Strong Island. The documentary sees Ford seek answers for the 1992 murder of her own brother, William Ford Jr. William, 24 at the time of his death, was shot by an auto shop employee after an argument, and the shooter was acquitted.

Strong Island is so scary because William Ford Jr. is another example of how the justice system has failed the Black community. Ford's documentary is equally vulnerable as it is disturbing, as a grieving sister attempts to find answers and leaves audiences feeling that justice was never truly served.