Best True Crime & Conspiracy Documentaries
This is a list of some of the best documentaries I have watched, focusing on the True Crime and Conspiracy genres.
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- StarsTerry SullivanPhilip HershJay LevineThe chilling story of one of the world's most notorious serial killers told through the words of Gacy himself, those who were forever changed by his unspeakable deeds and those who believe that the full truth remains concealed to this day.
- DirectorAli TabriziStarsAli TabriziRichard O'BarryLucy TabriziPassionate about ocean life, a filmmaker sets out to document the harm that humans do to marine species - and uncovers alarming global corruption.
- StarsDeanna ThompsonJohn GreenClaudette HamlinA group of online justice seekers track down a guy who posted a video of himself killing kittens.
- StarsJoe ExoticCarole BaskinJohn ReinkeA rivalry between big cat eccentrics takes a dark turn when Joe Exotic, a controversial animal park boss, is caught in a murder-for-hire plot.
- DirectorChris SmithStarsBilly McFarlandJason BellGabrielle BluestoneAn exclusive behind the scenes look at the infamous unraveling of the Fyre music festival.
- StarsCatherine OxenbergIndia OxenbergJanja LalichSeduced follows India Oxenberg's abuse and her own culpability inside the NXIVM cult, an organization marketed as a self-help group.
- StarsPatton OswaltPaul HaynesAmy RyanGripping examination of the unsolved crimes of the Golden State Killer who terrorized California in the 1970s and 1980s.
- CreatorJosh AdlerStarsMadison HamburgMark E. SafarikA young man is determined to solve an unspeakable crime and absolve the people he loves, while looking for answers within his fractured family and community.
- DirectorStanley NelsonStarsElizabeth HintonNelson GeorgeAlan CharlesIn the early 1980s, the crack epidemic tore through America’s inner cities like a tsunami, ravaging all in its wake.
- CreatorGédéon NaudetStarsFrançois HollandeLineJimmyDocumentary chronicling the terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13, 2015.
- DirectorAva DuVernayStarsMelina AbdullahMichelle AlexanderCory BookerAn in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.
- StarsYolande KorkieCamilla CarrRonaldo MonteiroDocumentary series that depicts hostage negotiations, the stories are told by the victims themselves.
- StarsGemma HoskinsAbbie SchaubVirginia AnzengruberA seven-part docuseries about the unsolved murder of a nun and the horrific secrets and pain that linger nearly five decades after her death.
- DirectorTim WardleStarsRobert ShafranMichael DomnitzHoward SchneiderIn 1980 New York, three young men who were all adopted meet each other and find out they're triplets who were separated at birth. But their quest to find out why turns into a bizarre and sinister mystery.
- DirectorJenny PopplewellStarsNickole AtkinsonJim BenemannLuke EppleIn 2018, 34-year-old Shanann Watts and her two young daughters disappear in Colorado. With the heartbreaking details emerging, the family's story made headlines around the world.
- DirectorBonni CohenJon ShenkStarsMaggie NicholsGina NicholsJohn NicholsFollow the Indianapolis Star reporters that broke the story about USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar's abuse and hear from gymnasts like Maggie Nichols.
- DirectorSkye BorgmanStarsJan BrobergBob BrobergMary Ann BrobergThe twisting, turning, stranger-than-fiction true story of the Brobergs, a naive, church-going Idaho family that fell under the spell of a sociopathic neighbor with designs on their twelve-year-old daughter.
- StarsJohn AliteMichael FranzeseJim KosslerFive Mafia families ruled New York with a bloody fist in the 1970s and '80s, until a group of federal agents tried the unthinkable: taking them down.
- StarsPaul SkolnickGil CarrilloFrank SalernoThis limited docu-series tells the true story of how one of the most notorious serial killers in American history was hunted down and brought to justice.
- StarsAlan WhitehouseKeith HellawellAndrew LaptewInvestigators and witnesses recall how a modern-day Jack the Ripper terrorized the north of England during the late 1970s.
- StarsDorie Hofmann OldsShannon FlynnBrent MetcalfeHigh-stakes exploits turn deadly - and shake a global church to its core - in the extraordinary true crime story.
- StarsRobert DurstAndrew JareckiDick DeGuerinFilmmaker Andrew Jarecki examines the complicated life of reclusive real estate icon Robert Durst, the key suspect in a series of unsolved crimes.
- StarsShelley MurphyAnne HawleyDick EllisMarch 18, 1990, 13 works of art were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Guards admitted two men posing as police officers responding to a disturbance call, and the thieves tied the guards up and looted the museum.
- DirectorChris SmithStarsMatthew ModineRoger RignackJillian PetersonReenactments drive this documentary investigating the mastermind behind a scam to sneak the kids of rich and famous families into top US universities.
- StarsJennifer JulianDavid LorinoPierre-Richard ProsperHeinous criminals have avoided capture despite massive rewards and global investigations. This docuseries profiles five of the world's most wanted.
- DirectorKurt KuenneStarsKurt KuenneAndrew BagbyDavid BagbyA filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered friend when his friend's ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son.
- DirectorMichael DeGrazierStarsDavid PaulidesBeverly MessickRob MessickHunters have disappeared from wildlands without a trace for hundreds of years. David Paulides presents the haunting true stories of hunters experiencing the unexplainable in the woods of North America.
- DirectorRamsey DenisonStarsRobert C. MaherEric PaddockDoug PoppaEvery year, millions lose billions in Vegas, but after Stephen Paddock opens fire on a crowd of 22,000 and kills 58 people, Sin City's image as a safe adult playground is put in jeopardy.
- 20184 epsTV-MA7.5 (31K)TV Mini SeriesStarsTrey BorzillieriJerry ClarkJason WickThe extraordinary story of the "pizza bomber heist" and the FBI's investigation into a bizarre collection of suspects.
- CreatorJoe BerlingerStarsStephen MichaudBob KeppelKathleen McChesneyA look inside the mind of serial killer Ted Bundy, featuring interviews with him on death row.
- DirectorChapman WayMaclain WayStarsRichard BrosalJames GalanteA.J. GalanteThey were the bad boys of hockey - a team bought by a man with mob ties, run by his 17 year old son, and with a rep for being as violent as they were good. The story of the Danbury Trashers.
- StarsPaul GiamattiPhil AmiconeCharlie OttThe Son of Sam case grew into a lifelong obsession for journalist Maury Terry, who became convinced that the murders were linked to a satanic cult.
- StarsQuinn DaltonRazor RizzottiJordan LawsonDocumentary series examining drug cartels and kingpins from around the world.
- StarsMatt MurphyEdwin Modlin IIBob GroganDocuments the chilling 70s-80s era of rampant serial killers in Los Angeles. Features first-hand accounts from the detectives, who tracked down these killers bringing justice for the victims and survivors.
- DirectorEzra EdelmanStarsKareem Abdul-JabbarMike AlbaneseMuhammad AliA chronicle of the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson, whose high-profile murder trial exposed the extent of American racial tensions, revealing a fractured and divided nation.
- DirectorFelicity MorrisStarsSimon LevievCecilie FjellhøyKaran PugalPosing as a wealthy, jet-setting diamond mogul, he wooed women online, then conned them out of millions of dollars. Now some victims plan for payback.
- StarsCharles CoffeyJim McIntyreJohn IngramThe investigators behind infamous serial killer cases reveal the harrowing, chilling details of their extraordinary efforts in this true crime series.
- StarsJesse BarronEmily BazelonSam BoardmanTeen Michelle Carter's actions shocked a nation - but what really happened behind closed doors? This HBO special showcases the prosecution's point of view and alternately the defense's. Which side do you fall on?
- StarsAlex MillerSusan MillerArleen HairbaedianWhen Alex Miller let Jed Creek rent her room via Craigslist, she had no idea that he was a notorious serial squatter, and that he would use his knowledge of tenancy laws to slowly kick her out of her own home.
- StarsSam AmiranteGreg BedoeRafael TovarNever-before-heard audio from the interrogation of serial killer John Wayne Gacy threads through this chilling look at his 1970s murder spree.
- DirectorLucie JourdanStarsJacoba BallardJulie HarmonMatt WhiteAfter a woman's at-home DNA test reveals multiple half-siblings, she discovers a shocking scheme involving donor sperm and a popular fertility doctor.
- StarsPaul BlackDaniel RigmaidenDevin McGeeConspiracy. Fraud. Violence. Murder. What starts out virtual can get real all too quickly--and when the web is worldwide, so are the consequences.
- DirectorSkye BorgmanStarsKaren ParsleyCharles EnglesMerle BeanA young mother's mysterious death and her son's subsequent kidnapping blow open a decades-long mystery about the woman's true identity and the murderous federal fugitive at the center of it all.
- DirectorAntoine TassinStarsStephen SamsonRussell MacLeodEmil PetrovA father fights for decades to bring his daughter's killer to justice in France and Germany before taking extreme measures
- StarsCharlotte LawsCharles ParselleKayla LawsFollows the story of a woman who stood up to Hunter Moore, a self-proclaimed "professional life ruiner," after photos of her daughter being naked were posted online.
- StarsPark DietzWendy PatrickusAnne E. SchwartzSerial killer Jeffrey Dahmer confesses to his gruesome crimes in unguarded interviews, offering an unsettling view into a disturbed mind.
- The story of the investigation into the disappearance of a five-year-old and the challenges the police faced in trying to convict a local suspect.
- StarsAndrew DavisJim GriffinTerry McLeodFollows the investigation of Alex Murdaugh, a lawyer accused of murdering his wife and his son Paul on the night of June 7, 2021.
- A group of Sarah Lawrence College students fall under the influence of a friend's father, Larry Ray. The series follows the cult from its origins through its still-unfolding aftermath.
- StarsLauren SweetserJeremy SandeSteven MarzolfFollows a re-examination of the kidnapping of Morgan, a young girl, near her family home almost three decades ago.
- Online bloodhounds use their fingerprints, DNA databases and the awesome power of social media to solve the most gruesome, mysterious and bizarre murders.
- StarsJerome BartlettCole SpringerGabe 'The Babe' CarmonaFollows five American detectives as they trigger memories and reexamine the shocking cases that defined their careers.
- StarsIvor DavisJeff GuinnDianne LakeOver 50 years later, Helter Skelter features new interviews and archival material to provide the most comprehensive retelling yet of the Manson Family's crimes, seeking to upend assumptions about this layered, complex story.
- StarsVernon GosneyLeslie Wagner-WilsonTim CarterDocuseries looking back on the Jonestown Massacre on the 40th anniversary.
- True crime documentary series. Each stand alone film investigates three shocking murders, where the victim and perpetrator are family, telling stories of ordinary relationships that take extraordinary and ultimately tragic turns.
- StarsDavid ThibodeauChris WhitcombLee HancockIt showcases what happened in 1993 in Waco, Texas when cult leader David Koresh faced off against the federal government in a 51-day siege.
- DirectorJacob LaMendolaStarsTasha BoggsJuan CatalanMelissa CatalanWhen Juan Catalan is arrested for a murder he didn't commit, he builds his case around raw footage from the popular TV show, Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000).
- DirectorEd PerkinsStarsAndrew CaleyAlex LewisMarcus LewisAfter losing his memory in an accident, Alex Lewis trusts his twin brother, Marcus, to tell him about his past only to discover that he's hiding a dark secret about their childhood.
- StarsWilliam B. EvansRick DeslauriersPhillip MartinFollows the tragedy in which terrorists detonated a bomb at the Boston Marathon's finish line; they carried out the attack by placing two homemade pressure-cooker bombs that resulted in three fatalities and numerous injuries.
- CreatorKara KurczPhil LottAri MarkStarsJeff McDonaldCarrie Anne Drazewski-KellerAl CarlisleFollows the captivating inmate tapes of renowned psychologist Dr. Al Carlisle, exposing the psychopathic nature of Ted Bundy, the Hifi Killers, Arthur Gary Bishop and more.
- StarsJonathan SmithDee Jay SilverKelly PollardThrough emotional first-hand accounts and never-before-seen archival footage, this documentary immerses viewers inside the largest mass shooting in our country's history, at what was supposed to be a festival celebrating country music.
- StarsDan CodyBeth KarasMichael BarnettThis docuseries offers extraordinary access and exclusive insight into a world-renowned mystery. Initially assumed to be a 6-year-old Ukrainian orphan with a rare bone growth disorder she was actually a fully grown adult.
- StarsDerick DillardJill Duggar DillardBrooke ArnoldDocuseries exploring the truth beneath the surface of reality TV's mega-family, The Duggars.
- StarsMichael DumasHarven DanelianRebecca ScarpatiTelling the insane stories about a few of the most maniacal siblings in history through these exclusive interviews and firsthand accounts.
- DirectorHenry RooseveltStarsMaya KowalskiAs a medical team tries to understand 10-year-old Maya Kowalski's rare illness, they begin to question her parents. Suddenly, Maya is in state custody - despite a family desperate to bring their daughter home.
- StarsTim VineyardPrem BurnsJoshua CalebFollows an investigation between 1992 and 2004 where more than three dozen women were preyed upon and brutally murdered in all corners of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
- CreatorJared P. ScottPatrick ReardonEric WetheringtonStarsGlenn KirschnerBernie GrimmCraig BrownsteinIn this riveting Clue-like murder mystery, investigators and true-crime sleuths attempt to unravel the truth behind the chilling, baffling and stranger-than-fiction death of Robert Wone.
- StarsIvan BeasleyDavid FullerPam KnellMurder in Bedsit Land: Two-part series uncovering the case of David Fuller, a killer who also abused over 100 bodies in a hospital mortuary.
- DirectorBarbara ShearerStarsRonald C. JonesLawrence E. KleinJoe D. GoldstrichStartling medical observations about JFK's wounds when seven doctors who were in the Parkland Hospital ER reunite to discuss a day none of them can forget.
- StarsKatherine RamslandAdam Daniel MezeiRichard CottinghamDelves into the decades long journey of Detective Robert Anzilotti as he works to bring justice to cold case victims linked to serial killer Richard Cottingham.
- DirectorBryan StorkelStarsBrian DijolsDavid EbyRobert FarkasIn this true-crime documentary, three guys exploit the freewheeling cryptocurrency market to scam millions from investors and bankroll lavish lifestyles.
- StarsVictor FlahertyBuddy StumpConnie LeonardFollows the investigation into a hoax caller who convinced managers to strip-search employees at fast food businesses across the United States.
- StarsDenise HuskinsAaron QuinnHenry LeeAfter a harrowing home invasion and kidnapping in 2015, a couple is accused of staging the ordeal when the woman reappears in this true-crime docuseries.