20 totally engrossing true crime documentaries to stream right now

A film that really lives up to its name, “Long Shot” is a documentary that, improbably, connects a Los Angeles Dodgers game, an episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and the exoneration of a man named Juan Catalan. Available to stream on Netflix, it’s one of only a few true crime documentaries that actually has a happy ending.

In this HBO documentary about real estate heir Robert Durst, director Andrew Jarecki captures what may be the explosive interview in the true crime genre. No spoilers, but suffice it to say that Durst’s explanation of the two murders that he is accused of doesn’t exactly add up. Stream all episodes of the miniseries on HBO Max.

“Allen v. Farrow” is a deep dive into the accusations of child molestation that have been levied against film director Woody Allen by his daughter, Dylan Farrow, for decades. It features interviews with Dylan Farrow, her mother and Allen’s ex-partner Mia Farrow, and relatives and family friends that paint a truly damning narrative amid Allen's denials of the allegations. Stream all episodes on HBO Max.

Developed by French director Jean-Xavier de LeStrade and released on Netflix, “The Staircase” provides a look inside the killing of Kathleen Peterson at the hands of her husband, Michael. Packed with twists and turns, the documentary will soon be turned into a scripted series starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette. Stream all episodes on Netflix. 

The pandemic-era phenomenon that got the whole world talking, “Tiger King” explores the wild and criminal world of Joe Exotic, a former big cat park owner in Oklahoma. It’s a must for anyone who can’t resist a plot involving an attempted murder-for-hire, a bitter feud between rival big cat enthusiasts, and a seriously unbelievable storyline. Stream all episodes on Netflix. 

This Netflix series that follows a group of online sleuths in pursuit of an accused murderer and animal torturer is almost too shocking to believe. Be forewarned, the gruesome subject matter in “Don’t @#$%&! With Cats” isn’t for the faint of heart, but there’s arguably no wilder story in the world of true crime. Stream all episodes on Netflix. 

Released in 2019, “The Confession Killer” tells the story of Henry Lee Lucas, a convicted murderer who admitted to killing more than 200 people. The truth is decidedly more complicated than that, but you’ll have to watch for yourself to find out exactly why Lucas’s life was nothing short of unbelievable. Stream all five episodes on Netflix. 

This 2019 film explores the influence of Elizabeth Carter on her boyfriend Conrad Roy, who took his own life after receiving text messages from Carter encouraging him to end his life. “I Love You, Now Die” provides a look inside Carter’s trial, and why a jury convicted her of involuntary manslaughter based on one fateful phone call. Stream parts one and two on HBO Max. 

You may think you have an idea of the story surrounding Lorena Bobbitt, who made headlines after mutilating her allegedly abusive husband in 1989. Outside of the late-night TV tropes and off-color jokes, “Lorena” offers an in-depth, humanizing look at one of the most infamous pop culture figures of the last century. Stream the film on Amazon Video. 

Released in 2015, “Making A Murderer” was one of Netflix’s first major true crime coups. It examines the case of Steven Avery, and his nephew Brendan Dassey, both of whom were convicted of murdering Teresa Halbach in 2007. The documentary argues that Avery and Dassey were convicted on shoddy evidence, but still leaves plenty of room for viewers to decide how they feel about the duo’s guilt. Stream both seasons in full on Netflix. 

This shocking documentary pulls the curtain back on NXIVM, a cult that attracted CEOs and celebrity followers alike after its founding in 1998, and later saw its founder convicted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges. Packed with footage of the cult’s inner workings and interviews with people who escaped its grasp, “The Vow” is currently streaming on HBO Max. 

It’s almost too unbelievable to be real, but “Evil Genius” provides a look back at the 2003 death of Brian Wells, a man who was outfitted with a collar bomb and sent in by his co-conspirators to rob a bank. Stream all episodes of the binge-worthy series on Netflix. 

A heartbreaking look into the failures of the child welfare system on all levels, “The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez'' is a devastating watch. Fernandez was abused and beaten to death by his mother and her boyfriend, after years of neglect and slipping through the cracks in Los Angeles’s child welfare system, and his case attracted national attention. Stream all episodes on Netflix. 

Following the first season of PBS podcast “Serial,” this HBO documentary provides an in-depth look at the case of Adnan Syed, who was convicted of murdering his high school girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999. There are entire Reddit forums and groups of people who believe in Syed’s innocence, and this documentary explores why. Stream on HBO Max. 

This 2020 documentary from director Erin Lee Carr explores what happens when the people in charge of processing crucial evidence in cases are committing crimes themselves. The story, which involves the falsification of crime lab results in more than 34,000 cases, is the definition of shocking. Stream all episodes on Netflix now. 

This documentary takes a close look at the lengths that one man, Richard Scott Smith, went to defraud dozens of women who believed that they’d found Prince Charming. The depth and breadth of Smith’s con are almost impressive and will produce at least one jaw drop per episode. Stream all episodes on Showtime.

True-crime writer Michelle McNamara died in 2016, but her crucial work in catching the infamous Golden State Killer eventually led to a conviction. “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” is an intimate and chilling look at the case, and the tireless, obsessive work that McNamara and her fellow sleuths did to unravel the Golden State Killer’s identity. Stream all episodes on HBO Max. 

Following the criminal trial of Robert Kelly, better known as R&B singer R. Kelly, “Surviving R. Kelly” tells the story of the women that allege that Kelly abused and assaulted them over a period of several years. Kelly is currently facing more than 22 federal counts related to the allegations and has vehemently denied all charges. Viewers can make up their own minds, though, by streaming all episodes on Netflix. 

In the early 1970s, entrepreneur Elizabeth Carmichael promised to revolutionize the auto industry with the Dale, a very weird-looking three-wheeled car. That obviously didn’t happen, and this documentary explains why. Stream all episodes on Netflix now. 

Arguably one of the finest among all true crime documentaries that don’t lean into unnecessary salaciousness, Werner Herzog’s classic “Into the Abyss” follows the run-up to the execution of Michael Perry, who was convicted of murdering a Texas woman named Sandra Stotler in 2002. Stream the documentary on Amazon Video now.