The 29 best true crime documentaries on Max

3½ Minutes, 10 Bullets (2015)

Premiering at the 2015 Sundance film festival and winning the Special Jury Prize for Social Impact, this chilling documentary takes an in-depth look at the heartbreaking 2012 shooting of Jordan Davis. The Black 17 year old was murdered at a gas station in Jacksonville, Fla., by Michael Dunn, an armed white 47 year old software developer who was irate over Davis and his friends loudly blasting music in their car.

A testimony of racial tragedy, EW's critic writes that 3½ Minutes, 10 Bullets "works hard to expose the slow grind of justice and terrible human cost behind the headlines. And in showing Jordan as not just a statistic but a sweet, strong-willed kid…it gives something back to him: the voice that Dunn silenced when he reached for his pistol." —James Mercadante

Where to watch 3½ Minutes, 10 Bullets: Max

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Marc Silver

A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness (2015)

In Pakistan, more than 1,000 women are murdered every year in the name of honor. A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness, tells a 19-year-old woman’s story of surviving an honor killing attempt perpetrated by her father and uncle. The 2016 Oscar winner for Best Documentary Short, The Girl in the River is the rare piece of art that actually prompts change.

During her Oscar acceptance speech, director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy announced that after viewing the film, the Prime Minister of Pakistan intended to change the country’s laws surrounding honor killings. Obain-Chinoy summed up her remarks by saying “That is the power of film,” and it’s the reason why A Girl in the River is one of the most powerful films around. —Ilana Gordon

Where to watch A Girl in the River: Max

Director: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

Alabama Snake (2020)

You've heard about Snakes on a Plane, right? Try snakes in a cage… lots of them. Described by Max as "a chilling Southern Gothic tale," this disturbing documentary explores an attempted murder via, you guessed it, rattlesnakes. Meet Glenn Summerford, a reptile-handling Pentecostal preacher who was accused of trying to kill his second wife, Darlene, by forcing her hand into a cage full of venomous rattlers back in October 1991.

The film unravels the truth behind that fateful night while immersing viewers in the religious rituals that gave rise to this bizarre event. Move over Samuel L. Jackson, this real life serpent saga is sssscarier and skillfully woven with director Theo Love's stylistic flair that strikes viewers from the start. —J.M.

Where to watch Alabama Snake: Max

Director: Theo Love

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022)

A documentary that puts photographer Nan Goldin on the other side of the camera, this revealing and intimate film takes a look at an artist who documented her friends' most intimate moments (and covered tough subjects in the process, from the HIV/AIDS crisis in New York to her own domestic abuse).

But this isn't just a retrospective. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed — which EW named one of the best films of 2022 — spends ample time on Goldin's recent activism, notably her fight against the opioid epidemic (and specifically, the Sackler family's role in it). —Debby Wolfinsohn

Where to watch All the Beauty and the Bloodshed: Max

Director: Laura Poitras

Cast: Nan Goldin

Beware the Slenderman (2016)

Prepare yourself for a frightening journey into the infamous Slenderman stabbing that occurred in Waukesha, WI in May 2014. Premiering at the 2016 SXSW festival, this true crime documentary highlights the disturbing attack on Payton Leutner by her 12 year old friends, Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser, who slashed her 19 times in a bizarre attempt to appease the fictional, eerie internet figure known as Slenderman.

Beware the Slenderman goes beyond the surface of its title and its emphasis on the dangers lurking online, with EW's critic describing it as "a story not about imaginary monsters, but the far more terrifying subject of real-life mental health issues." —J.M.

Where to watch Beyond the Slenderman: Max

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Irene Taylor Brodsky

Burden of Proof (2023)

While Stephen Pandos was away at college in the '80s, he received a call from his parents casually informing him of his younger sister Jennifer's disappearance, marked by a cryptic note and a belated police report filed three days later. This unsettling event haunted Stephen for decades, driving him to collaborate with filmmakers Cynthia Hill and Christine Delp in a search for answers.

As the investigation progresses in this four-part docuseries, Stephen reveals the turbulent family dynamics that shaped his childhood, including his father Ron — a violent Vietnam War vet grappling with PTSD — and his mother, Margie, who divorced Ron in the '90s. —J.M.

Where to watch Burden of Proof: Max

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Directors: Cynthia Hill, Christine Delp

Capturing the Friedmans (2003)

In this Oscar-nominated documentary that also earned Sundance's Grand Jury Prize, first time director Andrew Jarecki examines the child molestation investigation involving Arnold Friedman and his 18 year old son, Jesse. The duo, known for teaching computer classes to young boys, faced allegations of hundreds of crimes, including physical and sexual abuse.

Through home-movie footage and interviews with family members and survivors, Capturing the Friedmans presents a compelling case that challenges the widespread narrative, raising the hypothesis this may have all been the case of "sexual hysteria," as pointed out by EW's critic, who described it as "gripping, lacerating, moving, and tragic — a work of documentary art." —J.M.

Where to watch Capturing the Friedmans: Max

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Andrew Jarecki

Crazy, Not Insane (2020)

Why do humans murder? No one knows for sure, but the documentary Crazy, Not Insane attempts to answer that question by examining the work of one pioneer within the field. Dr. Dorothy Otnow Lewis specializes in the study of murderer psychology and has worked with 22 serial killers over the course of her career.

Directed by Alex Gibney and narrated by Laura Dern, Crazy, Not Insane follows the crux of Lewis’ academic assertions, which state that murderers are made, not born. An erudite peek into the brains of both murderers and those who study them, Crazy, Not Insane takes you behind the true crime and into the minds of true criminals. —I.G.

Where to watch Crazy, Not Insane: Max

Director: Alex Gibney

Cast: Laura Dern

The Crime of the Century (2021)

In this two-part docuseries, Emmy and Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney exposes the corrupt puppeteers behind the opioid crisis. With a laser-sharp focus, Gibney examines the shocking crimes committed by Big Pharma and the complicit politicians who turned a blind eye to the explosion of drug abuse that followed, from overproduction to reckless distribution.

This searing investigation not only reveals how the plight began but also explores its fallout. Through masterful storytelling and meticulous editing, The Crime of the Century reveals the greed-driven machinations behind one of the most terrifying public health crises in recent memory, making viewers justifiably enraged. —J.M.

Where to watch The Crime of the Century: Max

Director: Alex Gibney

The Curious Case of Natalia Grace (2023–2024)

When suburban couple Michael and Kristine Barnett adopted Natalia Grace — reckoned to be a 6-year-old with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, a rare bone disorder — they allegedly found themselves trapped in a situation seen straight out of 2009's Orphan: They suspect her to be an adult with murderous intent.

The first season of The Curious Case of Natalia Grace unfurls with Michael's hyper-theatrical deposition, portraying Natalia as a nightmarish monster and offering details that defend the reasons for them changing her birth records to advance her age and relocating her to an Indiana apartment while the rest of the family moved to Canada. A uniquely unsettling case bound to evoke outrage, this ID docuseries propels viewers into the thought-provoking borderlands where truth and myth intersect. —J.M.

Where to watch The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Max

Directors: Christian Conway, Jackson Conway

Going Clear (2015)

Scientology is notoriously litigious, but that didn’t stop documentarian Alex Gibney from going after the church in the 2015 film Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief. A critically lauded exploration of the organization’s formation, the history of creator L. Ron Hubbard, and the church’s recruitment and retention of celebrities, the film interviews key ex-members who describe some of the most abusive and exploitative practices in vivid detail.

A documentary that isn’t afraid to describe how Scientology is protected as a religious entity, Going Clear clearly benefited from the work the church put into discrediting it, making it one of the most well-reviewed and awarded documentaries of 2015 — even if it was snubbed by the Oscars. —I.G.    

Where to watch Going Clear: Max

EW grade: A (read the review) 

Director: Alex Gibney 

Great Photo, Lovely Life: Facing a Family's Secrets (2023)

This documentary requires a trigger warning for child sexual abuse, but Great Photo, Lovely Life: Facing a Family’s Secrets does so much more than merely expose the pedophilic acts of one man — in this case, photojournalist Amanda Mustard’s grandfather. Mustard bravely unpacks her family’s history of complicity and silence as she walks the tightrope of seeking to understand her grandfather’s acts while providing accountability and closure for survivors.

A story of cover-ups, forgiveness, thwarting generational trauma and breaking generational curses, Great Photo, Lovely Life is a great movie, even if it is hard to watch. —I.G.

Where to watch Great Photo, Lovely Life: Max

Directors: Rachel Beth Anderson, Amanda Mustard

Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed (2022)

Australian export Hillsong Church was known for attracting celebrity parishioners, most notably Justin Bieber, Vanessa Hudgens, and Bono. But the church’s VIP attendees, famed pastor Carl Lentz, and nightclub-like atmosphere were fronts for a toxic culture beyond what anyone could have foreseen. Told over four episodes, Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed explores how the organization took advantage of volunteer labor and donations to rake in millions, and documents practices of sexual abuse within the institution.

Ex-members open up about the church’s predatory practices, history of engaging in homophobia, chaotic leadership, and many recent scandals, all of which contributed to Hillsong’s ultimate implosion and downfall. Those interested in learning more about the history of Hillsong might also want to check out the film’s companion podcast, Hillsong: A Megachurch Shattered. —I.G.  

Where to watch Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed: Max

Director: Dan Johnstone  

Cast: Troy Dillinger, Michael G. Gabel, Marie Finch

I'll Be Gone in the Dark (2020)

Before the Golden State Killer (previously known as "East Area Rapist" and the "Original Night Stalker") was unmasked as Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. with help from the late crime sleuth Michelle McNamara, she spent years investigating his scores of heinous sexual assaults in California. In this mesmerizing six-part docuseries, we follow McNamara's dogged research as she writes a book about the crimes that terrified the Golden State for years.

Produced by McNamara's husband, comic Patton Oswalt, and with Emmy-nominated actress Amy Ryan reading passages from her work — which EW's critic described as "a posthumous treasure that feels thrillingly alive" — I'll Be Gone in the Dark takes you from passion-filled reporting to the long-waited arrest of DeAngelo. —J.M.

Where to watch I'll Be Gone in the Dark: Max

Director: Liz Garbus

Cast: Amy Ryan

The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley (2019)

When you mix gluttony, a hunger for power, and a twisted attempt to revolutionize healthcare, you get the sad and sordid tale of Elizabeth Holmes and her startup, Theranos. In this riveting true crime documentary, viewers will hear all about the wunderkind of Silicon Valley who, at 19, dropped out of Stanford to start her company. Holmes fashioned herself as the next Steve Jobs, until a reporter at the Wall Street Journal blew the lid off Theranos' fraudulent claims of developing a state-of-the-art medical test that required only a single drop of blood to accurately detect results like glucose levels and cancer.

With exclusive behind the scenes footage of Holmes and her devoted followers, Out for Blood is a rich, compelling cautionary tale about the dangerous game of corporate greed and flawed bravado. —J.M.

Where to watch The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley: Max

Director: Alex Gibney

The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (2015)

The Jinx — an Emmy and Peabody award-winning docuseries directed by Andrew Jarecki, who collected over 10 years of evidence and 25 hours of interviews — focuses on Robert Durst, the New York hotel heir with a shady past and a trail of disturbing mysteries. Jarecki examines Durst's involvement with the 1982 disappearance of his first wife, Kathleen McCormack; the 2000 killing of his friend, Susan Berman; and the 2001 shooting death of his neighbor, Morris Black. Despite avoiding other journalists, Durst reached out to Jarecki after the release of All Good Things (2015), a film inspired by Durst's life.

As EW's critic writes, "The Jinx possessed the pleasures of so many different kinds of mystery/crime stories that it played like a summary statement for an entire category." —J.M.

Watch The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst: Max

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Andrew Jarecki

Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York (2023)

Adapted from Elon Green's 2021 nonfiction book, this four-part docuseries confronts New York City's grim legacy of anti-LGBTQIA+ violence, bringing attention to the harrowing murders of four gay and bisexual men during the early '90s. They were all inexorably tied together by one ominous figure: Richard Rogers, the unassuming nurse at New York St. Vincent's Hospital who earned the infamous moniker of the "Last Call Killer." Yet, Rogers managed to evade arrest for a full decade due to a period steeped in homophobic prejudices further exacerbated by the AIDS crisis.

Last Call casts its compassionate gaze upon the victims, adroitly interweaving injustices with tender tributes to the lives they led, accompanied by interviews with their surviving loved ones. —J.M.

Where to watch Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York: Max

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Anthony Caronna

Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God (2023)

In a genre often accused of pure exploitative voyeurism, Hannah Olson redefines true crime storytelling with a narrative that's burning with genuine curiosity. Dubbed "Mother God," Amy Carlson — a self-proclaimed Messiah with a Joan of Arc-like flair — cultivated a following of "Earth allies" through her digital proclamations and live-streaming seminars, drawing individuals grappling with personal traumas. As her health deteriorated, Amy's disciples were led to believe her death would herald a celestial exit Heaven's Gate-style (via UFO), paving the way for society's salvation.

Using firsthand testimonies and archival footage, Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God is a viscerally shocking yet oftentimes amusing exploration of internet evangelism and conspiracies. —J.M.

Where to watch Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God: Max

Director: Hannah Olson

Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing (2016)

Released three years after the Boston Marathon Bombing on April 15, 2013, this account focuses on the victims of the terrorist attack and their attempts to physically, emotionally, and mentally heal from the traumas they sustained that day. Created in conjunction with The Boston Globe, Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing does cover the lead-up and fallout from the attack, but doesn’t delve deeply into the state and federal manhunt for the perpetrators.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive look at the aftermath from a law enforcement perspective, check out Netflix’s three-part docuseries American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing. But if your interest in the attacks is more centered around the survivors, their resilience, and humanity, Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing is the documentary for you. —I.G.    

Where to watch Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing: Max

Directors: Ricki Stern, Anne Sundberg

McMillion$ (2020)

Behold the kingdom of golden arches, where Big Macs reign supreme, salty fries slide into ubiquitous red containers, and McFlurries dance on taste buds all year long. But do you know about McDonald's Monopoly game heist, the notorious scam that played out in the '90s?

In this six-episode series, viewers get to meet the mastermind behind it all: Jerome Jacobson, a former cop turned security officer who played McTricks with the company's wildly popular promotion, swindling $24 million in the process. Full of eccentric characters that will keep you invested, McMillion$ is a steadily-paced exploration of this supersized fraud case. —J.M.

Where to watch McMillion$: Max

Directors: James Lee Hernandez, Brian Lazarte

Mommy Dead and Dearest (2017)

Britney vs. Spears director Erin Lee Carter examines the twisted tale of Clauddine "Dee Dee" Blanchard's murder, committed by none other than her daughter, Gypsy Rose, and the girl's boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn. This 82-minute true crime documentary focuses on the killing and its aftermath while also peering into the years leading up to Blanchard's demise. You see, Gypsy Rose experienced years of emotional and psychological abuse at the hands of her mother, who lived with Munchausen syndrome by proxy — a disorder that led her to fabricate her daughter's chronic conditions while also poisoning her.

Featuring firsthand accounts from Gypsy Rose, Dee Dee's father, and other relatives, this shocking narrative will leave you questioning the depths of human desperation and the complexities of justice and morality. —J.M.

Where to watch Mommy Dead and Dearest: Max

Director: Erin Lee Carter

Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning (2023)

In the late-'80s, Charles “Chuck” Stuart dialed 911, reporting a violent episode where he and his pregnant wife, Carol — a white couple — were shot and left for dead in their car on a desolate street in Mission Projects. When pressed for details, Chuck provided a singular description: "a Black man." Against the backdrop of longstanding racial tensions in Boston, the Stuart case set off a frenzied manhunt for the alleged assailant, triggering a media spectacle that rattled the city.

Directed by Jason Hehir (The Last Dance), this nine-episode docuseries focuses more on the police search than the murder itself, shedding light on the lasting repercussions of this incident. As noted by EW's critic, Murder in Boston "gives voice to the people who were unjustly victimized by law enforcement and examines the legacy of that painful rush to judgment." —J.M.

Where to watch Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning: Max

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Jason Hehir

The Mystery of D.B. Cooper (2020)

Who doesn't love a good conspiracy theory? The confounding case of D.B. Cooper continues to baffle people today, just as it did back in 1971 when a shadowy schemer hijacked a Boeing 747 on its way from Portland, Ore., to Seattle, Wash., extorted $200,000, and disappeared after parachuting out of the plane. In this eerie true crime documentary, the relentless quest to unmask the elusive criminal is in full swing, with investigators sharing their insights (and one claiming to have identified the suspect).

The Mystery of D.B. Cooper ventures beyond the conspiracy, delving into the psychology behind our collective obsession with myth-making and the allure of the unknown, all sprinkled with a sharp sense of humor. —J.M.

Where to watch The Mystery of D.B. Cooper: Max

Director: John Dower

Navalny (2022)

A documentary so suspenseful it rivals even the most thrilling fictional story, this recent Oscar winner paints a portrait of life under Putin and the price paid by those who defy him. Navalny tells the story of Alexei Navalny, a Russian opposition leader whose poisoning by Putin operatives in August 2020 nearly killed him.

Shot like a thriller, Navalny will make you sweat while shaking your head in disbelief that the onscreen action is all true. To quote EW's critic, the film is "a raw and urgent document" and "a painfully timely reminder of what it actually means to speak truth to power." —D.W.

Where to watch Navalny: Max

Director: Daniel Roher

Cast: Alexei Navalny, Yulia Navalnaya, Maria Pevchikh, Christo Grozev, Leonid Volkov

There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane (2011)

In 2009, 36 year old Diane Schuler drove her minivan in the wrong direction on the Taconic State Parkway, resulting in a catastrophic collision with an SUV that killed herself, her daughter, three nieces, and three people in the other vehicle. Despite being perceived as a perfect mother by her loved ones, revelations about Schuler's toxication levels at the time of the crash painted her as a villain in the media.

In this true crime documentary, Emmy-winning filmmaker Liz Garbus and her team examine the timeline leading up to the horrific incident, offering a different explanation behind one of New York's worst motor vehicle accidents. —J.M.

Where to watch There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane: Max

Director: Liz Garbus

They Called Him Mostly Harmless (2024)

Hell hath no fury like a mob of angry people on the internet, but every now and then, mob mentality actually does some good. In the documentary They Called Him Mostly Harmless, thousands of digital sleuths attempt to identify the body of a nameless hiker found in Florida. But once the hiker’s identity is finally confirmed, the story takes an even stranger twist.

A true crime doc that demonstrates the giant reach of the genre and the capacity the fandom has to affect change — and sometimes overstep — They Called Him Mostly Harmless is fascinating on multiple levels. —I.G.

Where to watch They Called Him Mostly Harmless: Max

Director: Patricia E. Gillespie

The Vow (2020–2022)

What began as an old-school self-help operation designed to unlock human potential morphed into a sorority-like sex cult that groomed its female members into a life of devotion to their leader, Keith Raniere. The Vow chronicles NXIVM's rise in the early 2000s, exposing systematic abuse, financial exploitation, psychological experiments, and other criminal activities. Much of the docuseries is delivered through a wealth of archival recordings captured over the years by cinematographer turned whistleblower Mark Vincente, "which gives the narrative an immediacy that can't be replicated by talking-head recollections," per EW's critic.

While season 1 unveils the cult's origins and delves into the involvement of major key players (including Smallville actress Allison Mack, who, in July 2023, was released a year early from her three-year sentencing), season 2 shifts its focus to Raniere's court trial. —J.M.

Where to watch The Vow: Max

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Directors: Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer

The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin (2021)

Forget diets and exercise, this cult leader preached that God alone held the key to shedding pounds. Through her five-part docuseries, director Marina Zenovich steps into the twisted world of Gwen Shamblin, the creator of the controversial Remnant Fellowship Church and its "divine" weight loss program, the Weigh Down Workshop, where "slenderness is next to Godliness." But as former devotees reveal, behind the holy facade lies the church's dark reality of emotional, psychological, and physical abuse.

As EW's critic says, "The story of Remnant Fellowship and its petite, high-haired leader is beyond bizarre and at times almost comical, but The Way Down stays grounded by focusing on the human cost of Gwen Shamblin's hubris." —J.M.

Watch The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin: Max

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Marina Zenovich

Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn (2020)

HBO examines the horrific murder of a 16-year-old Black teen, Yusuf Hawkins, whose life was cut short when he was shot in Brooklyn during the summer of 1989. The senseless attack, perpetuated by a group of white teens, ignited a firestorm of protests in a city already brimming with racial tension.

Released more than 30 years after Hawkins' death and around the height of 2020's Black Lives Matter protests, this powerful 100-minute true crime documentary goes deep into the heart of the matter, examining the reasons behind Yusuf's targeted killing and shedding light on the unsettling parallels between the past and the present. As our nation continues to grapple with its deep-rooted racial divide, this film is a reflection on the urgent work that lies ahead. —J.M.

Where to watch Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn: Max

Director: Muta'Ali Muhammad