5 True Crime Documentaries You Should Binge-Watch On Netflix
I like watching true crime documentaries when I’m doing normal things like folding the laundry. I never got into the trend of podcasts. So, I watch true crime documentaries instead. Sometimes, I find them strange and interesting. However, there are times that I find them truly horrifying, especially when I remember that these were true stories from real victims.
5 True Crime Documentaries You Should Binge-Watch On Netflix
Casting JonBenet (2017)
Casting JonBenet is a true crime documentary about a young girl’s murder in a small town in Colorado. Directed and written by Kitty Green, the documentary has a unique format. Instead of the usual route of interviewing witnesses and police involved, the documentary showcased their casting process of reenacting the fateful night of JonBenet Ramsey’s murder. Due to its structure, it felt intriguing and a little heartbreaking to watch each perspective unfold. Casting JonBenet gave a fresh and new face to true crime documentaries.
Made You Look (2020)
When in galleries or museums, have you ever wondered whether or not the artworks you’re looking at are real? If yes, then Made You Look documentary is for you. Directed and written by Barry Avrich, the documentary revolves around the largest fraud that shook the New York art scene. The Knoedler Gallery became the center of the crime which started with the purchase of a Rothko reproduction in 1995. The documentary remained both educational and entertaining. Aside from that, it absolutely astounds me that they got away with the crime for so long. Plus, it’s great to learn fancy art terms. I even dropped the word provenance a few times ever since.
Our Father (2022)
If you ever wanted to get on the train of at-home genetics tests, Our Father will probably give you second thoughts. Directed by Lucie Jourdan, this true crime documentary revolves around an inordinate amount of siblings finding each other because of an unexpected and shocking thread: their parents’ fertility doctor. This scheme is both devastating and dark which left the families involved with trauma. It made me think about the notion of family and the lengths one would go to finally behead a monster.
Keep Sweet, Pray, and Obey (2022)
Initially, I watched Keep Sweet, Pray, and Obey due to curiosity. And, I was promptly both horrified and scared by the entire docu-series. The true-crime documentary revolves around the polygamist group of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The documentary interviews former members and talks about the different kinds of insidious and appalling experiences they had with the group. This four-part series is a lot in one sitting, and I watched it over a week because of its various disturbing themes.
American Murder: The Family Next Door (2020)
American Murder: The Family Next Door was alarming to watch because of its time period as it happened quite recently in 2018. Directed by Jenny Popplewell, the documentary uses social media posts, news reports, and various other media texts to try to piece together the entire timeline of the Watts family murders. It was an absolute jaw-dropping moment when the murderer’s identity was finally revealed. It was an intriguing watch for sure.
