8 most disturbing true crime documentaries to watch on Netflix right now

True crime documentaries are a popular genre, and people are drawn to them for various reasons. When looking for some of the best true crime documentaries, you should definitely head on over to Netflix. The streamer carries many true crime docs on its platform that can be quite compelling to true crime buffs.

In fact, we've watched our fair share of true crime docs on Netflix and decided to share a list below of some of the most disturbing ones currently streaming on the platform. Who knows? Maybe you haven't watched the ones we're about to list. And if so, we recommend adding them to your watchlist!

Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal (2023)

Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal is a true crime docuseries exploring the tragic events surrounding one of South Carolina’s most prominent families, the Murdaugh family. The documentary covers several suspicious deaths connected to the family, including a drunken boating accident that ended in the death of a teenage girl and the double homicide of the matriarch of the family and one of the sons.

Also included in this documentary are in-depth interviews with some of the witnesses from the night of the fatal boating accident, as well as former friends of the Murdaugh family.

American Murder: The Family Next Door (2020)

This true crime doc uses real-life footage to recount the tragic and shocking case of the 2018 Watts family murders, which took place in Frederick, Colorado. In August 2018, Shanann Watts and her two young daughters were reported missing, only to discover later that the person behind their disappearance and murders was Shanann's husband, Chris Watts.

Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer (2021)

Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer is a four-part true crime docuseries about the infamous serial killer Richard Ramirez, aka the Night Stalker, and how Los Angeles Sheriff’s detectives Frank Salerno and Gil Carrillo brought him to justice.

Our Father (2022)

Our Father tells the disturbing story of Donald Cline, a former fertility doctor in Indianapolis, who secretly inseminated dozens of women with his own sperm without their consent, resulting in his paternity of at least 50 kids. The documentary includes footage and statements from Cline as well as interviews with the affected individuals.

What Jennifer Did (2024)

What Jennifer Did is a true crime documentary recounting the twisted story of a young Canadian woman named Jennifer Pan who hired hitmen to kill her parents and then tried to set it up as if it was a robbery gone wrong.

Girl in the Picture (2022)

Girl in the Picture is a chilling true crime documentary based on the books A Beautiful Child and Finding Sharon by Matt Birkbeck. It explores the tragic life of a young woman whose real identity was a mystery to everyone, including herself.

Here's the official logline via Netflix Media Center:

"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."

Sins of Our Mother (2022)

Sins of Our Mother recounts the shocking and tragic story of Tylee Ryan and J.J. Vallow’s disappearance and murders by their mother Lori Vallow and their stepfather Chad Daybell in 2019. It also features interviews with Vallow’s son, Colby Ryan, her mother, Janis Cox, her former sister-in-law, Annie Cushin, her former friend, April Raymond, and others.

Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel (2021)

Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel explores the mysterious disappearance and death of Elisa Lam, a 21-year-old Canadian college student, at the notorious Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles. In February 2013, Lam's body was found in one of the hotel's rooftop water tanks, and her death was later ruled an accidental drowning.

However, her death led to numerous theories and speculations about how she ended up in a water tank, with many people questioning if she really did drown or if there was foul play.

Will you be watching any of these disturbing true crime documentaries on Netflix?

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