Netflix in particular has leaned into this demand for horrific true-crime, dropping documentaries like I Just Killed My Dadand Girl In The Picture. Some of these documentaries are so violent and scary that they leave viewers questioning the very foundation of humanity.
This article contains discussions of true crime, including: kidnapping, animal abuse, torture, murder, sexual assault, and violence.
10 Don’t F**k With Cats: Hunting An Internet Killer (2019)
Facebook is known primarily as a social networking site, however, in a bizarre twist of fate, it helps average Facebook users solve a murder.
This is one of those documentaries that gets worse, and scarier, with every reveal. What started as an awful animal abusing video, turns into something much more sinister. People from all around the world are logging on and trying to catch a killer, someone who is the worst of humanity. It leaves viewers scratching their heads at what they just watched.
9 Worst Roommate Ever (2022)
Having a bad roommate is something everyone’s experienced, whether this is at college or later in life. The roommates in this documentary put other bad roommates to shame.
Murder, lies, and con artists are at the center of this miniseries. The survivors of these roommates talk about their experiences and how terrifying it was to live with someone when they couldn’t escape. Some of these stories are so disturbing that they leave a lasting impression on the viewer. It’s one that takes viewers by surprise, it doesn’t seem like the documentary is that bad at first, but it gets worse and worse until it’s borderline unbelievable.
8 Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes (2019)
This documentary was released as a companion to the Zac Efron movie, Extreme Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, and works well to thoroughly disgust the viewer.
The documentary takes the viewers through the personal life and intimate details of Bundy’s life, and uses never heard before interviews with him on death row. Ted Bundy’s crimes are known all too well to most true-crime fans, but this documentary adds to the never-ending list of the true horrors committed by one man.
7 The Confession Killer (2019)
Henry Lee Lucas is one of the most notorious serial killers, confessing to killing over 100 people. However, police have only ever been able to link 12 murders to him.
Texas law enforcement were victims of Henry Lee Lucas as well, they fell for his lies and manipulation and believed his confession. This documentary is scary for different reasons than the others, it shows the holes in the justice system and how so many victims never receive the justice they deserve.
6 American Murder: The Family Next Door (2020)
This true crime case exploded across headlines and cable news before the documentary was even made. Chris Watts was known to most Americans for killing his family, including his two young daughters and pregnant wife.
The documentary reveals how manipulative Watts really was, and how he had planned this murder months in advance. There are no recreations or voice overs, it’s all real footage from the case, which makes it that much more haunting and scary.
5 Night Stalker: The Hunt For A Serial Killer (2021)
Richard Ramirez was one of the most prolific serial killers in California in the 80s. He hunted, tortured, and murdered his victims in the most brutal and violent ways.
This documentary takes the viewer through the Ramirez investigation and pays special attention to his victims. It doesn’t shy away from the atrocities committed by Ramirez, making it a difficult one to sit through. Serial killer documentaries are what Netflix does best, and this is one that leaves the viewers thoroughly disgusted.
4 Keep Sweet: Pray And Obey (2022)
Documentaries that follow religious groups and cults are often some of the scariest, they reveal the horrors that people in everyday life are comparable of.
Warren Jeffs saw himself as the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), an extremist offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. In reality, he manipulated the woman who trusted him into underaged and abusive marriages. In never before seen videos, this documentary unearths his lies and the trauma he left in his wake.
3 Unsolved Mysteries (2020-Present)
Although this documentary series is a reboot of the classic series in the 80s and 90s, the Netflix version is a little eerier.
Aside from the eerie paranormal experiences, there are some horrors hidden in this series.
There are unsolved murders, and disappearances that haven’t been solved, all of which bright to light what most viewers fear most: losing someone and never finding out the truth. The heartbreak of the loved ones left behind without answers is felt through the screen, making it incredibly difficult to watch. It’s haunting and leaves the viewers feeling melancholy after finishing an episode.
2 Girl In The Picture (2022)
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After a young woman is found dead after a hit-and-run accident, investigators learn that she isn’t who she said she was. Her husband is much older than her, and her name isn’t even her name.
Adapted from books about the same case (Matt Birkbeck’s Finding Sharon and A Beautiful Child), this documentary is beyond terrifying. It reveals the worst-case scenario and a living nightmare that so many people fear. It took 20 years for this woman’s true identity to be revealed, and it’s 20 years of hell and dead ends for those who want answers.
1 Abducted In Plain Sight (2017)
This documentary took the world by storm when it dropped on Netflix back in 2017. People couldn’t believe what they were watching, and how twisted and awful the case really was.
It tells the story of how the Broberg family was destroyed by their neighbor, who was obsessed with their 12-year-old daughter, Jan. It’s every parent and child’s worst nightmare, come true. The documentary reveals heartbreaking twist after twist, and how ill equipped the justice system is to support young victims of sex crimes. It was too much for most viewers to handle.