23 Best True Crime Documentaries on Netflix Right Now (April 2026): ‘Homicide’ and More

From Law & Order creator Dick Wolf comes this riveting true-crime series that lets detectives and prosecutors look back on their most challenging cases with each episode. The eleven-episode season 1 follows New York City cases like the Carnegie Deli Massacre, the East Harlem Serial Killer and the Midtown Slasher. Season 2 brings five new harrowing real-life stories told from the perspectives of those intimately involved, which include an Upper East Side party that goes horribly wrong and a fashion designer found dead in a SoHo bathhouse.

True crime fans shouldn’t skip out on this great series, which offers a sobering look at not just the grisly details of shocking crimes but the tragic effects on the victims and their family members. Homicide is incredibly well-made and well-produced, keeping focus on the grounded facts of the cases and never becoming sensationalized. Homicide is a true crime done all the right ways.

When a small Danish community is rocked by a series of tragic crimes, the hurt only becomes deepened by the crimes going unsolved for years. Then, finally, the killer is caught, and the victims’ families finally gain a sense of closure. But for a group of friends, the nightmare is only just beginning, as they are forced to reckon with the reality that a person they thought they knew is a violent killer of three innocent girls.

My Friend, a Murderer features interviews with the perpetrator’s three former friends in addition to a local priest, a journalist, a volunteer search coordinator and the founder of a Facebook group for missing people in Denmark. The gripping true story takes place across three episodes, examining the distressing case and its lingering effects on the community. The series filters the events through the eyes of people who knew the killer, and is never exploitative or indulgent. My Friend, a Murderer is a high-quality true crime series about the evil that hides among the seemingly ordinary.

On June 5, 2002, fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Smart was taken from her bedroom in her Utah family home by a man named Brian David Mitchell. She lived in captivity for nine months in the mountains just beyond Salt Lake City with Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee, before being rescued. Over the past two decades, Elizabeth’s story has been told and retold countless times — but in Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, she finally gets to tell her own narrative. 

In this gripping documentary, the now-mother of three gives unprecedented access to details about her abduction, including unfiltered interviews and never-before-seen archival footage, in addition to interviews with family members and law enforcement officials who were assigned to her case. Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart allows Elizabeth to take control of her narrative; hers is a challenging story to listen to, but she is more than a victim, and the documentary showcases her strength as well as her trauma.

Operating as something of a companion piece to Hulu’s Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke, Netflix’s Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrant Story focuses on the titular family guru who was just as complicit in the Franke family abuse as the matriarch, Ruby. Jodi Hildebrant was Franke’s “live-in spiritual guru,” but in reality, she simply aided and encouraged the abuse of Franke’s children. Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrant Story highlights the unimaginable cruelty hidden by social media and YouTube, encouraged by Hildebrant’s skilled manipulation.

Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrant Story is ultimately a difficult but very necessary watch, highlighting not only the cruelty that can be hidden in plain sight under the facade of social media perfection, but the ways in which unchecked power can so insidiously metastasize under the semblance of religion and family values. Fascinating, disturbing and heartbreaking, this documentary will infuriate you as much as it makes your toes curl. 

In the 1990s, Edmond Safra was one of the richest men in the world, a billionaire who had made his fortune as a private banker for the elite. One night, a fire breaks out in Safra’s Monaco residence, and he dies from smoke inhalation while in his panic room. It turns out everything was staged by one of Safra’s nurses, who staged a robbery and then attempted ot save Safra to be a hero. But conspiracies abound in this too-absurd-to-be-true story.

Murder in Monaco is so good because the story at its center is entertaining on its own, but it also delves into various conspiracy theories, interviews the eccentric people involved (including the perpetrator himself), and features brand-new developments in the case that bring it all the way up to the present day. If you love the kind of true crime that’s so out there it could be fiction, you’ll love Murder in Monaco.

For decades, Sean “Diddy” Combs had been a ubiquitous name in popular culture since first getting his start during the ’90s golden age of hip-hop. But in 2024, Diddy was arrested for a slew of crimes: racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation for purposes of prostitution — and that didn’t even include the lawsuits of sexual assault lobbied against him. Sean Combs: The Reckoning attempts to chart Diddy’s rise and fall through the creation of his Bad Boy media empire and his cult of personality.

The four-part documentary is a sobering look at how the disgraced rapper committed his crimes, exploring the dynamics of his abusive relationships and exposing how he used and controlled people to get what he wanted. The Reckoning provides a full picture of Diddy’s behavior through shocking archival footage and interviews with insider perspectives, and it is both a difficult but necessary watch.

Between 1989 and 1990, sex worker Aileen Wuornos killed seven men, and to this day, she remains the most famous female serial killer. Convicted for only one of the murders and sentenced to death row, Wuornos was killed by lethal injection in 2002, with her motives still vague and her perspective considered unreliable. Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers traces Wuornos’ life and her crimes, featuring rare first-person footage of Wuornos speaking for herself in 1997.

While Aileen Wuornos’ story is one that’s been told before (notably, in the award-winning film Monster starring Charlize Theron), Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers offers a new angle by recontextualizing Wuornos’ murders amidst a then-burgeoning landscape of macabre true-crime interest in the late ’90s.

In 2020, teenager Fernando Báez Sosa was beaten to death by a group of attackers in Argentina, all of which was shockingly caught on film. This documentary explores what happened to Sosa as well as the aftermath of the horrific crime, and how one night out with friends in a tourist destination caused Sosa to lose his life.

50 Seconds: The Fernando Báez Sosa Case is an illuminating and tragic look at a life taken too soon. The documentary series combines family testimony with material from the trial as well as perspectives from both sides of the legal battle, establishing context for the victim and the perpetrators. 50 Seconds does a good job of reminding audiences of the real life that was taken amidst the tabloid headlines.

Mother of four, Ajike “AJ” Owens, was shot and killed by her neighbor, Susan Lorincz, in June of 2023. Before that, Lorincz had made dozens of phone calls to local police to complain about local kids, including Owens’, playing around in the neighborhood — most of whom were Black. Director Geeta Gandbhir uses two years of police body cam footage leading up to the incident to paint a portrait of an increasing, racially motivated situation that led to Loincz fatally shooting Owens.

The powerful documentary exists as a damning indictment of America’s “Stand Your Ground” laws, which are easily exploited and used as fodder against those who aren’t necessarily posing a threat. Winner of the Directing Award for U.S. Documentary at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, The Perfect Neighbor is a heartbreaking wake-up call to violence and abuses of justice, but it also depicts the loving community that existed before an aggressor with a gun showed up.

Between 1974 and 1991, Dennis Rader killed at least ten people in the Wichita, Kansas area before he was finally arrested and convicted to serve ten life sentences. He received the moniker “the BTK Killer” for using the term “bind, torture, kill” in letters he sent to local police. His daughter, Kerri Rawson, believed her father to be a loving family man. Then, in 2005, authorities showed up at Rawson’s door, asking if she knew that her dad was the BTK Killer.

This fascinating documentary takes a look at Rawson’s upbringing with her father, who, unbeknownst to her, was enacting a reign of terror, and her current life helping the police search for more of her father’s possible victims as well as advocating for sufferers of crime and trauma. Not many famous serial killers have children, and this is a gripping, poignant look at someone who lived almost their whole life closer to them than his victims.

Catfishing on dating apps is often seen as a punchline rather than a serious crime, but as the Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler proved, being deceived via online dating can have devastating consequences. Cecilie Fjellhøy, a victim of the aforementioned swindler, is shedding light on that subject with a new true crime investigative series, Love Con Revenge. 

In each episode of Love Con Revenge, Fjellhøy partners with private investigator Brianne Joseph to investigate cases of romantic fraud, doing all they can to track down the parties involved and hold them responsible. One of the investigations has already led to an arrest. The show is empowering and offers valuable insight on how to avoid scammers.

If you watched the 2011 film The Bling Ring starring Emma Watson, you may think you know the story of the Beverly Hills teenagers who broke into the homes of celebrities like Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, Rachel Bilson and Lindsay Lohan to steal millions in cash, clothes and jewelry. But this documentary series gets to the heart of the true story, featuring exclusive interviews with the thieves themselves.

The series provides an intriguing firsthand perspective on the motivations and consequences of their high-profile crimes, as well as taking a deep dive into the celebrity culture of the early 2000s, focusing on fame, celebrity obsession and materialism.

The murder of Gabby Petito by her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, was a national obsession, particularly due to the disturbing nature of the crime. Petito and Laundrie were lifestyle vloggers traveling cross-country, making #vanlife videos. Nothing about their carefree existence ever made it seem like there was danger ahead.

But this three-episode documentary series reveals how far Laundrie went to try to cover up Petito’s murder. Perhaps he realized these attempts would be unsuccessful, as he ultimately wrote a letter admitting he killed Petito, which was discovered alongside his body. Interviews with Petito’s friends and family make this gripping series an emotional experience. 

This three-part docuseries explores the infamous serial killer David Berkowitz‘s impact on 1970s New York. Mixing present-day interviews with previously unheard recordings, Conversations with a Killer attempts to understand the psychology of the murderer, who killed six people in New York City and wounded 11 others with a revolver.

From the brazen letters he wrote to the police to his (admittedly false) claims that he was following orders from a demonic dog, the “Son of Sam” story is darkly fascinating and will prove addicting to true crime fans.

This new Netflix series examines a cold case from 1998 — that of Amy Bradley, a young woman who boarded a cruise ship with her family and then disappeared. 27 years later, Netflix investigates Amy’s story through interviews with her family members, friends and witnesses who claim to have interacted with her over the years.

It’s a tragic story, but there’s something inspirational about the way that Amy’s family has never given up on her. Their loyalty and commitment to the search tie the three-part docuseries together in a moving tribute.

An Irish widower hires a nanny to help him raise his two children. They fall in love and get married, then move to America as one big, happy family. Sounds like a modern-day fairy tale, right? But this story ended in Jason Corbett’s violent death at the hands of his second wife, Molly Martens, and her father, Tom Martens. 

The father and daughter allege that Molly was defending herself from Jason, who was abusing her. But in this docuseries, the filmmakers investigate these claims in hopes of figuring out what really happened on that bloody night. A Deadly American Marriage features interviews with Jason’s children as well as the professionals involved with the case.

Journey into the disturbing world of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), a sect that gained national attention for its controversial leader, Warren Jeffs. Directed by Rachel Dretzin, the documentary provides a detailed examination of Jeffs’ rise to power and the shocking abuses that occurred under his leadership. Through interviews with former members, law enforcement and archival footage, the series portrays the psychological manipulation, polygamy and patriarchal control prevalent in the FLDS community. Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey not only highlights the personal stories of those who escaped the sect but also unravels the legal and moral dilemmas surrounding the prosecution of its leaders.

Keep Sweet does a remarkable job of sensitively portraying the experience of the abuse survivors, allowing their voices to be heard without exploiting them. It also shines a light on the courage and resilience of the survivors.

Ever felt fed up with your roommates? Well, you might thank your lucky stars for them after watching this documentary series. Every episode delves into the unsettling stories of seemingly ordinary roommates who turned out to have sinister and sometimes deadly motives. 

These roommates’ faux pas go far beyond leaving dishes in the sink all night. Worst Roommate Ever showcases stories of manipulation, deception and, in some instances, violence that led to shocking outcomes. The series combines interviews, dramatizations and archival footage to provide a comprehensive and chilling look at the unnerving world of dangerous cohabitants. Worst Roommate Ever highlights the importance of vigilance and awareness when choosing who you live with. By blending firsthand accounts with structured narrative arcs, it creates a captivating viewing experience. 

Novelist Michael Peterson seemed like any other concerned husband when he called emergency services to report that his wife Kathleen had fallen down the stairs. But after finding her dead, authorities began to suspect that Michael had bludgeoned his wife to death and pushed her down the stairs to make it look like an accident.  

This twist-filled docuseries will have you second-guessing every instinct as you learn more about a deeply complicated marriage. The series was originally released on French streamer Canal+ in 2004, but received an update in 2013 as the case was reopened with new evidence. It won a Peabody award, received widespread critical acclaim and was later adapted into a limited HBO series starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette.

If you thought Hollywood was sleazy before watching this true crime documentary, you’ll be glad you weren’t there between 1984 and 1985. 

Night Stalker tells the story of Richard Ramirez, a serial killer and sex offender who killed at least 14 people during a series of break-ins in L.A. and San Francisco. The four-part miniseries has a 71% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

What if what happened to you was so horrible, no one could believe it? Denise Huskins was labeled “the real life Gone Girl” when she was kidnapped from the California home she shared with her boyfriend, then reappeared unharmed. 

Police assumed the kidnapping had been staged because the circumstances surrounding it were so bizarre, but this three-part documentary shows the incredible proof that the couple was telling the truth all along.

There’s something deeply heart-wrenching about a mother giving up her daughter for adoption in hopes that she’ll have a better life. But what if that mother learned that her daughter’s life turned out much, much worse than she could ever have imagined? 

Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter follows Cathy Terkanian as she tries to discover what happened to her birth daughter, Aundria Bowman, after she went missing in 1989. Cathy’s determination will inspire you, but the conclusion will chill you to the bone.