5 Near-Perfect Netflix True Crime Shows You'll Devour In Hours

Netflix has firmly established itself as the leading platform for gripping true crime documentaries. While you can certainly find and enjoy captivating true crime programming on other streaming platforms like HBO Max, the sheer volume of true crime content Netflix rolls out on an annual basis is simply unmatched.

One of the best things about Netflix's library of true crime content is that it often focuses on events many people know little to nothing about. Rather than highlighting events or cases that have already been explored from different angles, an impressive number of Netflix's true crime documentaries shine a light on cases and events that never quite made it into the mainstream.

With that in mind, here's a look at five true crime shows on Netflix that are essentially perfect from start to finish. If you're looking for a relatively quick binge and are interested in true crime, I can't recommend the following shows enough.

Released in late 2015, "Making a Murderer" cemented Netflix's position as a purveyor of top-notch true crime programming. Indeed, the incredible popularity of "Making a Murderer" prompted Netflix to invest more heavily in true crime programming.

For those unfamiliar with the series, "Making a Murderer" is a 10-part documentary that centers on a Wisconsin man named Steven Avery who spent over a decade in prison for rape. Ultimately, it was determined via DNA evidence that Avery was completely innocent and that he should never have been convicted in the first place. But that interesting backdrop is only the precursor to the main storyline. Just two years after being released from prison, Avery becomes the suspect in the murder of Teresa Halbach, a young woman who showed up to Avery's property to take photos of used cars for a trade publication.

At first, the evidence pointing to Avery being the murderer appears airtight. But as the documentary progresses, we learn about a myriad of questionable and, at times, unethical behaviors from key people involved in the investigation. Before long, viewers start to wonder if Avery was perhaps being positioned as a scapegoat by law enforcement officials who had longstanding issues with the Avery family at large.

"Making a Murderer" will have you on the edge of your seats to the very last episode. And even then, it's not entirely clear who was responsible for the death of Teresa Halbach. I don't want to give anything away, but "Making a Murderer" is one of the best true crime documentaries ever made and is well worth checking out. It's been over 10 years since it debuted on Netflix, but at the time, the show was a mainstream phenomenon that thrust a murder in small-town Wisconsin into the national spotlight.

"The Staircase" is a captivating true-crime documentary series about Michael Peterson, a man who was charged with killing his wife by pushing her down the stairs. Did he actually kill her, or did she fall down the stairs? That question is the crux of the entire case and series. The documentary covers the investigation and subsequent trial of Peterson on murder charges. One wrinkle to the story is that Peterson was connected to the death of a friend a few years earlier, who just so happened to die under similar circumstances.

Much like "Making a Murderer," not all is as it seems. So while the case seems open-and-shut early on, questions about Peterson's guilt become more pronounced as more information is revealed. Before long, viewers are left wondering what actually happened. Was the death of Peterson's wife a tragic accident, or is Peterson a criminal mastermind adept at covering his tracks?

Interestingly, much of the same saga a few years after Netflix's documentary debuted. Both are extremely well done, but the documentary version from Netflix is a tad more gripping in my opinion. As an added twist to an already sordid tale, Peterson ultimately ended up dating one of the editors involved in the original Netflix documentary. Naturally, this prompted some to wonder whether the documentary itself was framed to point more toward Peterson's innocence than his culpability, though the editor has insisted she was no longer working directly on the documentary during the relationship.

"Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer" is a 4-episode limited series that chronicles Richard Ramirez, a serial killer who wreaked havoc in Los Angeles during the mid-1980s. As opposed to "Making a Murderer" and "The Staircase," there's no doubt whatsoever about Ramirez's culpability. In a relatively short period of time, Ramirez was responsible for murdering 13 people and was also charged with several counts of attempted murder and other heinous crimes. Ramirez's crimes were so sadistic that even seasoned detectives were horrified.

Put simply, "Night Stalker" isn't a whodunit wherein viewers try to ascertain who might be responsible. Rather, "Night Stalker" is compelling because it focuses on the immense manhunt that ultimately led to his arrest and subsequent imprisonment. The show also does a great job of conveying how Ramirez's rampage created an atmosphere of fear in LA during the 1980s. To this end, many of Ramirez's victims were seemingly chosen at random. Some were old. Some were young. He killed both women and men. This naturally made it harder for investigators to put together an accurate criminal profile of Ramirez, whom the LA press at the time dubbed the Night Stalker.

"Night Stalker" is enthralling, but be warned that it's dark and more intense than most true crime documentaries you'll find. That, of course, speaks to the depravity behind Ramirez's murders and his affinity for torture. Upon its release in 2021, "Night Stalker" quickly became one of Netflix's most-watched programs.

"The Crash" is a more recent addition to Netflix's growing stable of true-crime content, but it's already one of the streamer's most-watched shows, and well worth checking out. This documentary examines the case of Mackenzie Shirilla, a teenager who garnered national headlines after crashing her car into a brick wall while driving at 100 mph. Shirilla survived the horrific crash, but two passengers were killed on impact.

In the immediate aftermath, investigators assumed that the crash may have been caused by a mechanical failure. One early theory suggested that perhaps the brakes stopped working. Some also believed that perhaps Shirilla was drunk at the time. Eventually, evidence emerged that Shirilla had no alcohol in her system. Additionally, a forensic crash expert determined that the car didn't malfunction before the crash. Before long, investigators started to wonder if Shirilla crashed the car on purpose in an attempt to kill her two passengers and, presumably, herself as well. Incidentally, one of the passengers was her boyfriend, someone with whom she shared a volatile and at times toxic relationship.

Eventually, Shirilla is charged with murder. What makes the documentary particularly compelling is that we're never given a definitive explanation as to why the crash happened. Part of the mystery stems from Shirilla's claim not to remember any of the moments leading up to the crash. Naturally, some investigators and others involved in the case find Shirilla's inability to remember suspicious in and of itself. Ultimately, the documentary leaves it up to the viewer to decide if this was a horrific accident or the result of a teenager making a tragic and rash decision as her emotions spiraled out of control.

2024's "Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter" is one of the more overlooked true crime documentaries on Netflix today. The two-part series highlights the story of Cathy Terkanian, a woman who, as a teenager in 1989, gave up her daughter for adoption. Many years later, Terkanian set out to find and reconnect with her daughter. Ultimately, she discovers that her daughter disappeared under mysterious circumstances after being adopted by a Michigan family. The discovery left Terkanian with many unanswered questions. Did her daughter run away? Is there a chance she was still alive? Did something more tragic happen?

Terkanian subsequently becomes laser-focused on finding out what happened, spending decades searching for answers and clues. Even when law enforcement officials said the case was cold, Terkanian persevered and kept the unofficial investigation alive. Eventually, sordid details and surprising revelations about the missing daughter's adoptive family emerge. A few of the more shocking events help reinforce the old adage that truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

"Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter" quickly made it to Netflix's top 10 list, but disappeared just as quickly. It hasn't gotten as much mainstream attention as other true crime documentaries, but it's undeniably a top-tier series that's well worth checking out.