Best True Crime Documentaries
by GouramiWatcher | created - 19 Apr 2020 | updated - 2 days ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Forensic Files (1996–2011)
TV-14 | 30 min | Documentary, Crime
A series featuring detailed accounts on how notable crimes and diseases were solved through forensic science.
Stars: Peter Thomas, Tom Bevel, Skip Palenik, Lowell Levine
Votes: 7,282
2. Cold Case Files (2017– )
TV-14 | 43 min | Documentary, Crime
Tense new series exploring cold cases from victims death to criminal conviction. Expertly narrated by a foreboding Danny Glover.
Stars: Bill Kurtis, Danny Glover, Laurent Andruet, Bradford Eckhart
Votes: 1,706
3. Cold Case Files (1999– )
TV-MA | 44 min | Documentary, Crime
Cold Case Files shows how timing, persistence and high-tech police work combine to catch people who have slipped through the cracks for decades.
Stars: Bill Kurtis, Dave Reichert, Kathy Mills, Melvyn Foster
Votes: 1,913
4. The Confession Killer (2019)
TV-14 | 48 min | Documentary, Crime
Henry Lee Lucas was known as America's most prolific serial killer, admitting to hundreds of murders, but, as DNA results contradict his confessions, will they expose the biggest criminal justice hoax in U.S. history?
Stars: Bob Prince, Nan Cuba, Hugh Aynesworth, Phil Ryan
Votes: 10,320
5. Who Killed Jane Doe? (2016–2018)
Documentary, Crime
Behind the discovery of every "Jane Doe" lie two stories: the story of the detectives puzzling together her identity, and the story of her family that has now lost her forever. This series ... See full summary »
Stars: Kevin Conway, Simone Policano, Chaz Riddle, Alexander Barnett
Votes: 108
6. Making a Murderer (2015–2018)
TV-14 | 60 min | Documentary, Crime
Filmed over a 10-year period, Steven Avery, a DNA exoneree who, while in the midst of exposing corruption in local law enforcement, finds himself the prime suspect in a grisly new crime.
Stars: Steven Avery, Dolores Avery, Laura Nirider, Allan Avery
Votes: 102,902
7. The Confession Tapes (2017– )
TV-MA | 46 min | Documentary, Crime
A critical look into some true crime cases where American law enforcement made up for lack of actual physical evidence by using devious psychological tactics during interrogation in order to extract confessions from naive suspects.
Stars: David Burns, Brian Hutchinson, James Konat, Loretta Fisher
Votes: 5,709
8. Unsolved Mysteries (1987–2010)
TV-PG | 60 min | Documentary, Crime, Drama
Combines dramatic re-enactments, interviews and updates, to tell stories of real mysteries, from human to the supernatural.
Stars: Robert Stack, Dennis Farina, Keely Shaye Brosnan, William Roll
Votes: 6,643
9. America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back (1988–2013)
TV-PG | 60 min | Documentary, Crime
True crimes are dramatized in hopes that viewers can give information leading to the capture of the criminals.
Stars: John Walsh, Daniel David Sim, Don LaFontaine, Jon Leiberman
Votes: 2,268
10. The Hunt with John Walsh (2014–2017)
TV-14 | 42 min | Crime
They are among the thousands of fugitives who avoid criminal prosecution in the United States every year. Find out more about these fugitives and join John Walsh in his quest to track them down and bring them to justice on "The Hunt."
Stars: John Walsh, Manuel Perez, Marcos A. Gonzalez, Gilbrando Acevedo
Votes: 298
11. The New Detectives: Case Studies in Forensic Science (1996–2005)
TV-PG | 60 min | Documentary, Crime
True stories of crime investigations using forensic science.
Stars: Gene Galusha, Frank McCaffrey, John Miller, Nick Pizzillo
Votes: 601
12. The F.B.I. Files (1998–2009)
TV-PG | 60 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Real FBI cases are recounted through reenactments and interviews with law enforcement and forensic scientists.
Stars: James Kallstrom, Anthony D. Call, Bob Featherer, Susan Rae
Votes: 1,338
13. The Keepers (II) (2017)
TV-MA | 62 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
A seven-part docuseries about the unsolved murder of a nun and the horrific secrets and pain that linger nearly five decades after her death.
Stars: Gemma Hoskins, Abbie Schaub, Virginia Anzengruber, Jean Hargadon Wehner
Votes: 25,077
14. Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes (2019)
TV-MA | 59 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A look inside the mind of serial killer Ted Bundy, featuring interviews with him on death row.
Stars: Stephen Michaud, Bob Keppel, Kathleen McChesney, Ward Lucas
Votes: 32,943
15. Killer Legends (2014)
TV-MA | 86 min | Documentary, Crime, History
Delving into our collective nightmares, this horror-documentary investigates the origins of our most terrifying urban legends and the true stories that may have inspired them.
Director: Joshua Zeman | Stars: Rachel Mills, Joshua Zeman, Stephen Winick, James Presley
Votes: 3,534
16. The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (2015–2024)
TV-14 | 45 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Filmmaker Andrew Jarecki examines the complicated life of reclusive real estate icon Robert Durst, the key suspect in a series of unsolved crimes.
Stars: Robert Durst, Andrew Jarecki, J. Patrick Burns, Dick DeGuerin
Votes: 51,771
17. North Mission Road (2003– )
30 min | Drama, Crime, Mystery
Documentary style show that details "unique and compelling" cases of the Los Angeles County Coroner Department. The name of the show is based on the road on which the office of the Los Angeles County Coroner is located.
Stars: J. Woodward Palmer, Kia Fisher, Jason Vaughn, Zondra Wilson
Votes: 65
18. The Investigators (2000– )
Documentary, Crime, Drama
This riveting documentary series unravels the complex nature of justice -- both how it is denied and how it is achieved. Created by a team of award-winning producers, each show presents a ... See full summary »
Stars: Gene Galusha, Les Marshak, Jerry Palace, Reggie Britt
Votes: 79
19. Unsolved Mysteries (2020– )
TV-MA | 45 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
Immersive, character-driven stories are rooted in the experiences of ordinary people who have lived the unthinkable. Families, detectives and journalists hope viewers hold the clues to solving these mysteries.
Stars: Thom Reed, Allison Rivera, Anne-Sophie Martin, Mary Murphy
Votes: 12,465
Seasons 1-2
20. John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise (2021)
TV-14 | 51 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
The chilling story of one of the world's most notorious serial killers told through the words of Gacy himself, those who were forever changed by his unspeakable deeds and those who believe that the full truth remains concealed to this day.
Stars: Terry Sullivan, Philip Hersh, Jay Levine, Lawrence Finder
Votes: 2,099
21. The Staircase (2004–2018)
TV-MA | 629 min | Documentary, Crime, Drama
The high-profile murder trial of American novelist Michael Peterson following the death of his wife Kathleen Peterson in 2001.
Stars: Michael Peterson, David Rudolf, Ron Guerette, Martha Ratliff
Votes: 27,235
22. World's Most Evil Killers (2017– )
60 min | Documentary, Crime
An in-depth look at the lives and crimes of some of the World's most evil killers including Jeffrey Dahmer, Richard Ramirez, Cary Stayner, Leonard Lake, Dorothea Puente and more.
Stars: Elizabeth Yardley, Fred Dinenage, Geoffrey Wansell, Stuart Hamilton
Votes: 310
23. Britain's Most Evil Killers (2017–2023)
60 min | Documentary, Crime
Brand new and exclusive to Pick, Britain's Most Evil Killers explores the crimes of Britain's 12 most brutal killers.
Stars: Elizabeth Yardley, Geoffrey Wansell, Fred Dinenage, Stuart Hamilton
Votes: 180
24. Bloodline Detectives (2020– )
45 min | Documentary
Explores the power of genealogy and the latest forensic technology used by law enforcement bring justice to unsolved homicides and sex crimes.
Stars: Piers Gibbon, Nancy Grace, Derek Wall, Mark Connolly
Votes: 101
25. Monster in My Family (2015– )
TV-14 | Documentary, Crime
Family's who have serial killers in their family reach out to the victims families to express their deepest sympathies.
Stars: Melissa G. Moore, Abraham Luna, Lisa McVey Noland, Karen Kuzma
Votes: 96
26. Forensic Investigators (2004–2006)
60 min | Documentary, Crime
Forensic Investigators hosted by Lisa McCune, revisits the way in which infamous murders were performed and solved by police.
Stars: Lisa McCune, Rick Cosnett, Amanda Orr, Greg Jones
Votes: 153
27. I Lived with a Killer (2019–2020)
45 min | Documentary
The series follows the stories of the families of notorious serial killers throughout the United States, and how their lives have been affected by those terrible events.
Stars: Bill Hunt, Michael Fleeman, Jodie Riley, Robert Mladinich
Votes: 53
28. The Killing Season (2016)
TV-14 | 43 min | Documentary, Crime
The Killing Season is an immersive series that follows documentarians Joshua Zeman and Rachel Mills as they investigate one of the most bizarre unsolved serial killer cases of our time.
Stars: Joshua Zeman, Rachel Mills, Peter Brendt, Thomas Hargrove
Votes: 1,566
29. Girl in the Picture (2022)
TV-MA | 101 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
A young mother's mysterious death and her son's subsequent kidnapping blow open a decades-long mystery about the woman's true identity and the murderous federal fugitive at the center of it all.
Director: Skye Borgman | Stars: Karen Parsley, Charles Engles, Merle Bean, Ernest Bean
Votes: 21,703
30. How I Caught My Killer (2023)
TV-MA | Documentary, Crime
The real-life stories behind unique homicide cases with in-depth interviews, authentic archival material and cinematic recreations all packaged together into a fresh spin in the genre.
Stars: Anthony Martino, Samantha Holland, Terrence Mombrun, Nikolis Lyons
Votes: 428
31. 48 Hours (1988– )
TV-14 | 60 min | Documentary, Crime
One of television's most popular true-crime series, investigating shocking cases and compelling real-life dramas with journalistic integrity and cutting-edge style.
Stars: Peter Van Sant, Erin Moriarty, Maureen Maher, Richard Schlesinger
Votes: 2,349
32. American Justice (1992– )
TV-PG | 60 min | Documentary, Crime, History
Bill Kurtis hosts this documentary series that profiles criminal cases involving high profile murders, serial killers, and organized crime. Each episode culminating with the justice dispensed by the American legal system in each case.
Stars: Bill Kurtis, Dennis Haysbert, Johnnie L. Cochran Jr., Sonny Vellozzi
Votes: 845
33. Cold Case Files: DNA Speaks (2023– )
TV-14 | 45 min | Documentary, Crime
Examines cold cases that are solved through advancements in DNA, along with help from victims' families, law enforcement and the public.
Stars: Vincent Velazquez, Scott DeMeester, Wes Adams, Shannon Yandell Jones
Votes: 70
34. Crimes That Shook Australia (2013–2018)
Documentary, Biography, Crime
Hosted by Matt Doran (Season 3) and Stan Grant (Seasons 1&2), this series investigates Australian crimes that upset and stunned the nation. Using gripping interviews with people at the ... See full summary »
Stars: Stan Grant, Matt Doran, Nig Richards, Claryn Scott
Votes: 104
35. Wild Crime (2021– )
Not Rated | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
Follows the uniquely qualified team of special agents that are responsible for investigating crimes that occur in the National Park System, as they tackle cases and bring law and order to this public land.
Stars: Jon Dyer, Randall Klitz, David Wenzel, Josephine Cooper
Votes: 1,160
36. Secrets of the Morgue (2018– )
42 min | Documentary, Crime
"Secrets of the Morgue" explores high-profile murder cases from the perspective of the medical examiner, as they work alongside homicide detectives to bring justice to murder victims and ... See full summary »
Stars: Rory O'Shea, Mark Mendelson, Jooyoung Lee, Jane Turner
Votes: 138
37. Web of Death (2023)
Not Rated | Documentary, Crime
Online bloodhounds use their fingerprints, DNA databases and the awesome power of social media to solve the most gruesome, mysterious and bizarre murders.
Votes: 367
38. Deadly Legacy (2018)
Reality-TV
40 years after the capture of "Killer Clown" John Wayne Gacy, Cook county cold case detective Jason Moran reopens the case of one of America's most notorious serial killers to finally ... See full summary »
Star: Brian Quintero
Votes: 44
39. Murder She Solved: True Crime (2010– )
Documentary, Crime
Murder She Solved: True Crime, an eight-episode, one hour documentary series, tells the true stories of female crime solvers who, against all odds, have solved some of the most daunting ... See full summary »
Stars: Mark Young, Grady Judd, Susan Goreck, Duane Dubberly
Votes: 61
40. 20/20 (1978– )
TV-14 | 60 min | Documentary, News
ABC's original hour-long news magazine.
Stars: David Muir, Amy Robach, Elizabeth Vargas, Deborah Roberts
Votes: 2,739
41. Butchers of the Bayou (2022)
TV-14 | Documentary, Crime
Two serial killers, Sean Vincent Gillis and Derrick Todd Lee, operating separately from each other, terrorize Baton Rouge, Louisiana and its surrounding area over the span of a decade.
Votes: 163
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