5 best true crime documentaries on Netflix right now

There's something about true crime documentaries that gets fans of the genre hooked on to it. From bone chilling stories of revenge and murder to insights into the psyche of real-life serial killers, Netflix is home to a vast variety of such true crime documentaries.

However, there are some such documentaries that stand a cut above the rest. Here are the top 10 such true crime documentaries on Netflix that are a must watch for every true crime fan out there.

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Amanda Knox, American Nightmare, Athlete A, and more - Best true crime documentaries to watch on Netflix right now

1) Amanda Knox (2016)

Amanda Knox documentary (Image via Netflix)

Released in 2016, Amanda Knox is an American crime documentary about Amanda Knox, who is convicted twice and later wrongly acquitted for the murder of Meredith Kercher.

However, her wrongful acquisition is discovered only after she has already served four years in an Italian prison. The crime documentary shows interviews of present day Amanda Knox, as well as her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, among other key characters in this gruesome story.

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2) American Nightmare (2024)

American Nightmare is considered the real-life Gone Girl (Image via Netflix)

American Nightmare is yet another story of wrongful accusation. The three-episode series follows the story of March 2015 kidnapping of Denise Huskins from her California home that she shared with her boyfriend, Aaron Quinn. However, the police and the FBI quickly labeled the kidnapping as a hoax, and Huskins was named the "real life Gone Girl."

However, the couple is finally vindicated years later when a detective uncovers and catches the real kidnapper, after he connects the Quinn-Huskin story with another kidnapping in Dublin, California.

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3) American Murder: The Family Next Door (2020)

American Murder: The Family Next Door (Image via Netflix)

American Murder: The Family Next Door explores the story of the Watts family murder that took place in 2018.

There, the father, Christopher Lee Watts, murdered his pregnant wife Shannan, and followed that with the murder of his two children. While he buried Shannan in a shallow grave near an oil storage facility, he dumped his children's bodies into oil tanks.

While he initially maintained his innocence, he finally confessed to the murder of his wife and later confessed to murdering his children as well.

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4) Athlete A (2020)

Athlete A (Image via Netflix)

Released in 2020, Athlete A is an American documentary that follows the story of the USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal. It explores and unearths the story of Dr Larry Nassar, who is found to be sexually abusing young female gymnasts.

The documentary follows the allegations that followed this discovery on the USA Gymnastics and its then CEO Steve Penny. The titular character, Athlete A, refers to gymnast Maggie Nichols, who used the code name Athlete A to protect her identity while she helped the detectives uncover the truth.

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5) Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator (2019)

Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator (Image via Netflix)

Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator is a 2019 Netflix documentary that follows the rise and fall of the founder of hot yoga, Bikram Choudhury. It follows his global empire that rises to the top and sees its downfall when disturbing revelations are made about his practice and methods.

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These are some of the most bone-chilling true crime documentaries every fan of the genre must watch on Netflix.