'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
True crime thrillers are available in plenty on various streaming platforms. They have a way of roping one in with their taut pace and mind-boggling real-life events.
Sometimes, these appear to be even stranger than fiction. Since Labor Day is coming up on September 5, what better way to spend the holiday than binge-watching a true crime thriller?
Check out this list of true crime thrillers that you can watch on Labor Day.
Trigger warning: This article contains information about graphic violence.
5 best binge-worthy true crime thrillers
1) Zodiac
Directed by David Fincher from a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt, Zodiac (2007) is a classic true crime thriller based on the books Zodiac and Zodiac Unmasked by Robert Graysmith. The film is available for streaming on Netflix, Prime Video, and Apple TV.
The true crime thriller tells the story of the manhunt for the Zodiac Killer, a serial killer who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The killer taunted the police with coded letters and bloodstained clothing and mailed ciphers to newspapers. The case remains one of the most infamous unsolved cases in the United States.
Featuring an ensemble cast of Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr., this is one of the best true crime thrillers of all time that offers an edge-of-the-seat story.
2) Mindhunter
Created by Joe Penhall, Mindhunter is a true crime thriller based on John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker's 1995 true-crime book, Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit. David Fincher served as a director and showrunner on the show. The first two seasons of the show were released in 2017 and 2019 respectively. It is available for streaming on Netflix.
The true crime thriller follows FBI agents Holden Ford (played by Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (played by Holt McCallany) and psychologist Wendy Carr (played by Anna Torv), who founded the Behavioral Science Unit in the FBI in the late 1970s.
They interviewed imprisoned notorious serial killers including Edmund Kemper, Montie Rissell, Jerry Brudos, Richard Speck, Dennis Rader, David Berkowitz, Elmer Wayne Henley Jr., and Charles Manson to understand their psychology. This helped them develop a method of criminal profiling that was used to solve ongoing cases.
The second season focuses on Ford and Tench investigating the Atlanta murders of 1979 to 1981, which resulted in the deaths of at least 28 children.
3) The Staircase
Created by Antonio Campos, The Staircase is a true crime thriller based on the 2004 Netflix true-crime documentary of the same name. The show was released on HBO Max in May 2022.
The show chronicles the mysterious death of Kathleen Peterson (played by Toni Collette), who was found dead at the bottom of the staircase in her mansion in 2001. Although her husband, Michael Peterson (played by Colin Firth), claimed that his wife had slipped on the stairs after drinking wine and taking Valium, the amount of blood on the stairs made the police suspect foul play.
The show also addresses the filming of the French documentary that took place during the trial.
It features knockout performances by the two veteran actors in the lead roles and unfolds as a gripping portrayal of the case that is full of drama, mystery, and intrigue. The starry cast also includes Parker Posey, Sophie Turner, and Michael Stuhlbarg.
4) Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer
Written & directed by Mark Lewis, this true crime docuseries was released on Netflix in December 2019. The docuseries revolves around a crowd-sourced online manhunt to uncover the identity of a man who uploaded a series of videos of himself killing kittens.
The amateur investigation into the series of animal cruelty acts culminates with the culprit murdering a Chinese international student, Jun Lin, and mailing his body parts to Canada's liberal and conservative headquarters and two elementary schools.
The Emmy-winning docuseries features video viewers and police personnel who eventually tracked down and convicted the killer.
5) The Act
Created by Nick Antosca and Michelle Dean, The Act is a true crime thriller that premiered on Hulu in March 2019. The limited series revolves around the harrowing life story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard (played by Joey King) and her mother Dee Dee Blanchard (played by Patricia Arquette).
Gypsy suffered years of abuse at the hands of her mother, who fabricated Gypsy's illness and disabilities as a direct consequence of her Munchausen syndrome by proxy. The narrative eventually led to Gypsy making a shocking request after devastating revelations.
The terrific performances by Joey King and Patricia Arquette make this show one of the best dramatizations of true crime stories.
Don't forget to watch these gripping true crime thrillers on Labor Day.
