The best crime documentaries to watch on Netflix right now — from Aaron Hernandez to 'Evil Genius'
So you finished watching “Tiger King.” Then you finished your “Tiger King” rewatch. Then you finished live-reacting to “Tiger King” while on a Zoom call with your best friends.
The question is: What do you do now? If Netflix’s hit documentary has you thirsting for true crime, don’t worry.
Whether you’re into cults, serial killers, football players or nuns, there are countless options available on the streaming service. And the best part? You probably have nothing but time to watch them all.
Here are In The Know’s picks for the best true crime documentaries to stream on Netflix right now.
‘The Keepers’
Sister Cathy Cesnik, a teacher and nun living in Baltimore, disappeared in 1969. Her body wasn’t found until years later, and her case remained unsolved for decades.
Netflix’s seven-part documentary, released in 2017, tells her story. The cold case wraps in old students, government officials and the Catholic church’s sexual abuse scandals into a wild true-crime series.
‘Evil Genius’
In 2003, Brian Wells was just a pizza delivery man when he robbed a bank with a bomb strapped around his neck. The heist, which ended in Wells’ death, was immediately called into question — with investigators finding evidence that he may have been partially tricked into the crime.
How much Wells knew and why he died still remains somewhat of a mystery — and “Evil Genius” explores all of those questions.
‘The Confession Killer’
Released in 2019, “The Confession Killer” tells the story of Henry Lee Lucas, who confessed to more than 100 murders after being arrested in 1983. Lucas became a household name, but it was never about how many people he actually killed. That mystery, and its “horrifying consequences,” are what this docuseries sets out to uncover.
‘Sour Grapes’
Expensive wine, millionaires, corruption and counterfeiting — “Sour Grapes” truly has everything. The 85-minute documentary, released in 2016, tells the wild story of the fraudster at the center of it all.
‘Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez’
The arrest, conviction and ultimate death of Aaron Hernandez is likely still fresh on many people’s minds, but Netlifx’s 2019 documentary goes deeper. The three-part series gives an unprecedented look into Hernandez’s life, upbringing and attempts to explain the crime that rocked the sports world in 2013.
‘The Staircase’
Documentaries don’t usually get sequels, but the death of Kathleen Peterson was so complicated that it insisted on one. The original miniseries, which aired in 2004, followed the trial of Michael Peterson, who was convicted of murdering his wife after telling police she fell down a set of stairs.
In 2018, Netflix re-released the documentary with hours of new footage — and an attempt to dig deeper into the complex mystery that led to Michael’s trial.
‘Icarus’
This investigation into a global sports conspiracy won Netflix an Academy Award in 2018. It’s easy to see why — “Icarus,” which began as a look into doping among amateur cyclists, quickly turns into a wide-spanning exposure of Olympic athletes and national governments.
If you liked this story, check out In The Know’s update on the movies that have had their release dates pushed back this year.
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The post Here are the best crime documentaries on Netflix right now originally appeared on In The Know.
