Summary

• Hulu offers a wide selection of gripping true crime documentaries, covering various types of criminal cases, from serial killers to theft and conspiracy.
• These documentaries provide multiple perspectives, including those of the criminals themselves, detectives, and friends and family members, giving viewers an unbiased look at notorious criminals and their crimes.
• The true crime documentaries on Hulu delve into high-profile cases such as the Fyre Festival controversy, the Sandra Bland arrest and death, and the Menendez Brothers murder case, offering viewers intriguing and layered stories with social commentary.

The best true crime documentaries on Hulu offer subscribers a chilling look into some of the most gruesome murders, chilling unsolved disappearances, and masterfully-planned heists of all time. Over the last decade especially, the true crime genre has become one of the most popular types of documentary. Hulu offers many documentaries across its 1200+ movies and 1300+ TV shows, including plenty of gripping true-crime titles. The best true crime on Hulu has enough to keep subscribers invested in the genre entertained for hours.

Hulu has a wealth of solid crime-related shows and movies that include true-crime documentaries on a variety of different types of criminal cases. Whether subscribers want to learn more about serial killers or a less-grizzly theft or criminal conspiracy, Hulu can offer some great documentaries. From the story behind the Fyre Festival and the fall of the Falwell family in the public eye, to the murders involving names like Casey Anthony, Laci Peterson, and the Slenderman, there is something for every subscriber seeking true crime on Hulu.

10 The Jewel Thief (2023)

The Story Of Gerald Blanchard

The Jewel Thief is a documentary about Gerald Blanchard, at one time known as the world's most ingenious thief. What this Hulu documentary does is go into detail about his work behind the scenes, as well as a look at the detectives who finally stopped him. Blanchard himself appears in the documentary, and he seems pretty proud of his criminal past because of what he accomplished.

The documentary doesn't just talk to Blanchard, though, as it reveals that he is a very unreliable narrator. Included in this documentary are his mother, former teachers and friends, and the police detectives who tracked him down and brought him in. This true-crime documentary gives an unrivaled look at one of the world's most notorious jewel thieves from multiple angles, including his own, making for a uniquely unbiased perspective.

9 Demons & Saviors (2023)

The Story Of Christina Boyer

The Hulu true-crime documentary Demons & Saviors tells the difficult story of a woman imprisoned for the murder of her daughter, a crime for which she still proclaims her innocence years later. Demons & Saviors focuses on convicted killer Christina Boyer, a woman who was called a psychic as a young child. Her parents tried to have an exorcism performed on her, and she finally left, always maintaining they were abusive.

When Christina Boyer was 22, her three-year-old daughter was found dead. Christina cut a plea bargain to avoid the death penalty. However, she proclaims her innocence 31 years later. From her childhood tragedies to the death of her daughter, this Hulu true-crime documentary allows the viewers to determine who they choose to believe.

8 God Forbid: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down A Dynasty (2022)

The Falwell Sex Scandal

God Forbid: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty is a Hulu true-crime documentary that focuses on the 2020 scandal that mired the name of Jerry Falwell. The documentary pieces together the events from the point of view of Giancarlo Granda, who was dubbed in the media as the "pool boy" when the Falwell sex scandal hit.

As was eventually revealed, Granda met the Falwells while giving them drink service at a Miami hotel and was swept up in their lifestyle. He claims he kept Becki Falwell sexually happy and was promised big things by her husband. It all went badly when Falwell, an evangelical leader, finally had to admit to his wife's affair — all while denying his involvement. The documentary lets Granda tell his side of this story, and uncovered several more shocking truths behind one of the most shocking scandals of the decade so far.

7 Fyre Fraud (2019)

The Fyre Fest Controversy

There have been multiple documentaries about the failed Fyre Festival. Hulu's documentary covers the events and details leading up to and during the 2017 festival. Fyre Festival claimed to be a VIP event with attendees paying thousands of dollars to attend. However, once they arrived, all they found were housing tents and some sandwiches. The documentary reveals several surprising details about the festival, including the marketing behind the event, the people involved in both putting together the festival and attending the festival, and interviews with the face of the fraud, Billy McFarland.

Billy McFarland spent four years in prison following his conviction for fraud after Fyre Festival.

6 Say Her Name: The Life And Death Of Sandra Bland (2018)

The Story Of Sandra Bland

This HBO documentary, which is available to stream on Hulu, documents the odd events surrounding Sandra Bland's arrest and death. Sandra Bland was a well-known civil rights activist in Chicago, Illinois who was involved in the Black Lives Matter movement. She was arrested after a routine traffic stop in Texas and found hanging in her jail cell a few days later.

Her death was ruled a suicide, but many have wondered what the exact details of this case were and if this is the truth. This true-crime documentary on Hulu examines many layers of possible conspiracy as well as social commentary, giving it a little more depth than the usual documentary focused on a single murder, death, or disappearance.

5 Beware The Slenderman (2016)

The Slenderman Murders

Beware the Slenderman presents the urban legend of the Slenderman and looks at its bizarre cultural impact — and the shocking crimes it led to. This true-crime documentary on Hulu details the creation of the Slenderman story and the real-life crimes it inspired. Slenderman was a fictional story known as a "creepypasta" created on the Internet. Creepypastas are essentially the internet equivalent of campfire tales, fictitious spooky stories designed to entertain.

However, two teenage girls, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, took the legend seriously. In 2014 they lured their friend Payton Leutner into the woods and murdered her, telling police they committed this crime in an attempt to summon Slenderman. The documentary uses a log of YouTube videos and creepypasta to illustrate how the urban legend turned into a real-life tragedy.

4 Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery (2017)

The Casey Anthony Murder Case

The court case of Casey Anthony, who was on trial for the murder of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, was one of the most shocking of recent years. It was the focus of media attention throughout its duration. The 2017 Hulu true-crime documentary Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery shows the case from start to finish and features phone calls made by Anthony's mother, Cindy.

Also featured in the documentary are the judge who oversaw the trial, a former friend of Anthony, and two well-known crime journalists. While the documentary doesn't seek to change the minds of those who think Anthony is guilty or innocent, it offers more context to the events surrounding Caylee's disappearance and death.

3 The Menendez Brothers: Erik Tells All (2017)

The Menendez Brothers Murder Case

This true-crime miniseries on Hulu The Menendez Brothers: Erik Tells All features commentary from Erik Menendez, one-half of the infamous duo that was found guilty of murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty, in 1989. The trial of the brothers was one of the most highly publicized trials of the early nineties.

The prosecution painted the brothers as entitled rich kids who were mad at their overbearing father and eccentric mother, while the defense stated that years of abuse at the hands of Jose led the brothers to commit patricide. The Hulu documentary features some of the most in-depth commentaries Erik has ever provided, and it offers viewers a glimpse at the life of the Menendez family.

2 The Most Dangerous Animal Of All (2020)

Based On The Book By Gary L. Stewart

One of the most recent additions to Hulu's true-crime stable, The Most Dangerous Animal Of All follows Gary Stewart, who is adamant that his father, Earl Van Best Jr., was the infamous Zodiac killer. Stewart wrote his theories in a book in 2014, which was then adapted into the documentary of the same name, The Most Dangerous Animal Of All, in 2020. The intense crime documentary series follows Stewart's story, beginning with his mother, who was just a teenager when she was stalked, kidnapped, abused, and impregnated by Best.

Stewart then begins to piece his theory together, noting the similarities between his father and the police sketch of the Zodiac, the cipher the Zodiac sent to the police which may have included Best's name, and more evidence that will leave fans wondering who the real Zodiac was. The Most Dangerous Animal Of All is one of the best true-crime documentaries on Hulu but also one of the most interesting available anywhere about the Zodiac.

1 The Murder Of Laci Peterson (2017)

Mysterious Disappearance From The Early 00s

The Murder of Laci Peterson tells the story of 27-year-old Peterson, who disappeared on Christmas Eve in 2002. The case surrounding her disappearance focused largely on her husband, Scott, whose strange behavior in the weeks after his wife disappeared made many suspect that he was to blame for the death of both his wife and their unborn child, Conner. He was eventually convicted for both of their murders, though there are many strange circumstances in the case.

In addition to interviews with the family, the police who investigated the crime, and several journalists, this Hulu documentary also included an interview with a woman named Amber Frey, who had an affair with Scott and provided key information about Scott's mindset before Laci's disappearance. It is a mysterious and thrilling case since Scott Peterson has always maintained his innocence. He was originally sentenced to death for her murdered, but this was reduced to life without parole in 2021.