True crime documentaries have exploded in popularity over the past few years, with hits like Tiger King: Mayhem, Murder, and Madness and The Tinder Swindler racking up millions of views in their first weeks on Netflix.
Though some might be confused by people seeking out the stories of horrendous or unsolved tragedies, fans of the true crime genre are captivated by the story and the people behind the headline. The motivations and madnesses of serial killers, the twists and turns of criminal investigations, as well as the injustices of the legal system in exploring killings, kidnappings, and cults are what captivates the genre's millions of fans.
Some of the very best true crime content has been produced by Netflix in an attempt to sate this growing audience for murder and mystery, from polygamist sex trafficking mormon cults that operated in plain view, or a deep dive into the questionable suicide/murder of a veteran trans rights activist in 1992. If a bit of gritty true crime action seems like your sort of content, we have compiled a list of the five best true crime documentaries that you can watch on Netflix right now.
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Don't F**K with Cats
Both a love letter and a warning sign to would-be true crime sleuths, Dont F**k with Cats tells the story of the online detectives who tracked down the pornographic actor who murdered a series of cats and kittens in a shocking 2010 video.
While on the trail of this cat killer, these sleuths uncover the man behind the murders, and how his taste for feline murder eventually turned to luring a young student to his death and dismemberment.
The Tinder Swindler
One of this year's smash-hit true crime documentaries, Tinder Swindler horrified women worldwide as it revealed how a man pretending to be a diamond magnate had convinced women to give him thousands of dollars, in order to fund the lavish lifestyle that convinced them of his credentials in the first place.
Simon Leviev (real name, Shimon Hayut) is now facing trial, as his victims have banded together since the documentary to bring down the man who ruined their lives.
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey is the story behind a fundamentalist sect of the Mormon church in Utah, which split with the main church when they outlawed having multiple wives. In a story as old as time, and religion, the church's all-powerful prophet uses his position to marry teenage girls to his supporters and keep his grip on the cult's more than 10,000 followers.
The documentary focuses on the testimony of survivors of the depraved cult to tell the decades-long story of a man who was able to traffick children and set up religious compounds across America - policed by men he had picked and given child brides to.
The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson
Using archival interviews with Johnson, as well as new interviews with her friends and family, The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson explores the mysterious 1992 murder/suicide of the gay black drag queen and Stonewall riot veteran.
Johnson, who the police declared died by suicide after her body washed up near the pier where she spent much time, a day or so after her actual death, had been a loud advocate for queer rights her entire life - founding the famous Gay Liberation Front and Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries to fight the discrimination rife in American society during her life.
Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich
There is no lack of documentaries about the decades-long twisted crimes of notorious paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, but unlike many of these sometimes voyeurist true crime series, Filthy Rich keeps a focus on the testimony of two of Epstein's public accusers - the brave Maria Farmer and Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre.
Though much of the information in this documentary has been previously reported, the four-part series is so comprehensive in its detailing of the events and people involved in the Epstein circle that it is a much-watch for many true crime fanatics.
