The Best True Crime Docuseries, According To Rotten Tomatoes
True crime has become a huge market for Netflix and other streaming platforms, particularly taking off during the COVID-19 pandemic when all we could do was sit at home and be scared straight of things that go bump in the night. These are some of the best (and worst), according to the movie gurus over on Rotten Tomatoes.
A Wilderness Of Error
A Wilderness of Error (2020) was a creepy true crime documentary that took on the case of Green Beret Army Surgeon Jeffrey MacDonald, who was convicted of killing his wife and two daughters. Famous author Errol Morris wrote a book of the same name that influenced Marc Smerling's re-investigation of the case.
The docuseries scored just 64% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics scolding that it "failed to justify its runtime for a well-trodden case".
Blumhouse Television, A Wilderness of Error (2020)
Don't Mess With Cats: Hunting An Internet Killer
Don't Mess With Cats: Hunting An Internet Killer (2019) drove the internet sleuthing world crazy when horrendous videos of tortured and murdered cats was released on the dark web, driving a horde of internet sleuths to hunt down their killer. The documentary about this internet manhunt for cat killers was criticized by Rotten Tomatoes critics for "muddled storytelling and questionable intent". They only gave the film a 67% rating.
*I know the title isn't Don't Mess With Cats, but the actual title is unprintable.
RAW, Don't Mess With Cats: Hunting An Internet Killer (2019)
Killer Inside: The Mind Of Aaron Hernandez
Season 1 of Killer Inside: The Mind Of Aaron Hernandez (2020) focused on the shocking tale of NFL star Aaron Hernandez, who was arrested and charged with the murder of Odin Lloyd, but the Aaron Hernandez documentary lost points with critics for feeling incomplete. Killer Inside: The Mind Of Aaron Hernandez scored just 68% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Blackfin, Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez (2020)
Night Stalker: The Hunt For A Serial Killer
Detailing the murders of the "Night Stalker", Richard Ramirez, who terrorized San Francisco and Los Angeles in the 1960s, Night Stalker: The Hunt For A Serial Killer (2021) presents a chilling picture of Ramirez. It tells the tale of his life and his subsequent awful crimes in harrowing detail, whilst succumbing to the more sensational side of true crime, scoring just 71% on Rotten Tomatoes.
IPC, Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer (2021)
The Innocent Man
The Innocent Man (2018) tells the tale of Ron Williamson, a man who spent decades on Ohio's death row for a crime he didn't commit, based on John Grisham's only non-fiction book, which raises questions about two murders in Ada, Oklahoma in the 1980s. The Innocent Man (2018) wins points for its compelling narrative, but loses points for not being as deep an exculpation of the justice system as some might have hoped. It receives a 74% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Campfire, The Innocent Man (2018)
Captive: Season 1
The first season of Captive (2016) tells many shocking tales of abductions, kidnappings, and hostage-takings, including the kidnapping of a Coca-Cola executive in Brazil, the Ohio Prison riot of 1993, and many more. Critics didn't score this one very highly—possibly due to lack of originality. It only scored 75% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Supervillain: The Making Of Takashi 6x9ine
Supervillain: The Making Of Takashi 6x9ine (2021) details the life of hip hop superstar Daniel Hernandez, better known as Takashi 6x9ine, from a childhood trauma that proves transformational to becoming one of hip hop's biggest stars. Supervillain charts the life of Hernandez in an insightful documentary that examines Hernandez' criminal past, and received 80% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Lightbox, Supervillain: The Making of Tekashi 6ix9ine (2021)
The Family
Detailing the lives of The Family—a group of conservative Christians that wield extraordinary power in Washington DC—while focusing more on the corrupting influence of faith and money in politics and less on the more traditional "true crime" elements, The Family (2019) still garnered an 80% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, despite some critics decrying its open-endedness.
Jigsaw Productions, The Family (2019)
Evil Genius: The Story Of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist
Evil Genius: The Story Of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist (2018) explores the 2003 death of Brian Wells, who died after robbing a bank with an explosive strapped to his neck. It's billed as having "plenty of entertaining insanity, despite lacking nuance". Despite this, Evil Genius scored an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich
Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich (2020) pays homage to the story of the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein in a fresh documentary that's unfortunately lacking in new insight. However, by focusing on the victims, Jeffrey Epstein's Filthy Rich earns itself an 81% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
RadicalMedia, Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich (2020)
The Case Against Adnan Syed
The Case Against Adnan Syed (2019) re-examines the disappearance and murder of Hae Min Lee, an American high school student who went missing in 1999 in Baltimore, Maryland. Eventually, her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed was convicted of her murder. Director Amy Berg reopens the case against Syed, asking probing questions. The four-part series ranked 82% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Working Title Television, The Case Against Adnan Syed (2019)
Lorena
Lorena (2019) tells the story of Lorena Bobbitt, a woman who mutilated her husband after years of abuse. The story grabbed national headlines. Lorena offers vindication to Lorena Bobbitt, while utilizing ample available footage of Bobbitt—although its reenactments aren't quite up to par, according to critics. They gave Lorena an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Ripper
This one details the crimes of The Yorkshire Ripper, a man who terrorized Yorkshire, England between 1975 and 1980, leaving a trail of 13 dead women in his wake. Utilizing interviews with witnesses and investigators, The Ripper (2020) details the horrific crimes and the investigation that eventually led to the capture of the Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe. Performing well with critics on Rotten Tomatoes, The Ripper received an 83% rating..
The Preppy Murder: Death In Central Park
The Preppy Murder: Death In Central Park (2019) explores the death of Jennifer Levin, a student at the York Preparatory School on New York's Upper East Side. It brings to light evidence not seen at the trial, exploring the life of NY's prep schools during the 1980s and the tabloid media that blamed the victim. The Preppy Murder: Death In Central Park received an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Break Thru Films, The Preppy Murder: Death in Central Park (2019)
Making A Murderer
Making A Murderer (2015) was a groundbreaking documentary produced by Netflix. This real-life thriller was filmed over 13 years and followed the quest to exonerate Steven Avery, a man convicted of a murder he didn't commit. One of the most important true crime documentaries over the last decade, Making A Murderer received an 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Synthesis Films, Making a Murderer (2015–2018)
Trial By Media
Trial By Media (2020) focuses on trials in which the media played a large part in influencing public opinion and (possibly) the jury in an important and insightful piece about the influence of media. The documentary was well-received by critics, scoring 85% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Supper Club, Trial by Media (2020)
How To Fix A Drug Scandal
Detailing the incredible story of Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan—two forensic chemists at different laboratories in Massachusetts who tampered with evidence and falsified drug certificates of defendants, throwing thousands of cases into turmoil and compromising the justice system—How To Fix A Drug Scandal (2020) shines a light on a lesser-known crime and its far-reaching effects. It scored 86% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Jigsaw Productions, How to Fix a Drug Scandal (2020)
Heaven's Gate: Cult Of Cults
Focusing on the infamous Heaven's Gate cult, Heaven's Gate: Cult Of Cults (2020) details how members of this UFO cult died by mass-suicide in 1997, tracing the origins of the cult and focusing on its founding members and how they came to believe they were aliens on earth. One of the highest-rated documentaries about the cult, Heaven's Gate received an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Campfire, Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults (2020)
Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem & Madness
The documentary that gripped us all during the pandemic, Tiger King (2020) was one of the most bizarre true crime documentaries ever, telling the story of Joe Exotic, the "Tiger King"—a big-cat fanatic who was convicted on more than 20 federal charges for violating the Endangered Species Act.
Library Films, Tiger King (2020-2021)
Outcry
Released in 2020, Outcry examines the case of Greg Kelley, a high school football player who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the sexual assault of a young boy. Examining the case again, Outcry received plaudits for challenging the legal system's railroading of Kelley and received an 89% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Bat Bridge Entertainment, Outcry (2020)
McMillion$
This one details an unbelievable true story of how $24 million was stolen from the McDonalds Monopoly game in the 1990s, the mystery mastermind behind the scam, and how the FBI caught up with him. McMillion$ (2020) was directed by Mark Wahlberg and received an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Murder Among The Mormons
Investigative journalism at its finest follows Mark Hoffman, a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints that created a series of forgeries related to the LDS, as well as two explosive devices that resulted in two deaths. Telling the tale of murder in the insular church, Murder Among The Mormons (2021) scored 89% on Rotten Tomatoes.
BBC Studios, Murder Among the Mormons (2021)
The Pharmacist
Produced by The Cinemart, The Pharmacist (2020) tells the tragic tale of the death of pharmacist Dan Schneider's son in a drug-related shooting, and the small-town pharmacist's efforts to bring attention to the role of pharmacies in the opioid epidemic sweeping the nation. For its personal touch, The Pharmacist received a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Cinemart, The Pharmacist (2020)
Wormwood
Another excellent showing from documentarian Errol Morris about the death of CIA employee and scientist Frank Olson, who's demise in the early 1970s after falling from his NYC hotel room was originally ruled a suicide. But later, top-secret documents revealed that Olson was tied to a top-secret project. The series follows Olson's son, Eric, in his quest for answers and received a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Fourth Floor Productions, Wormwood (2017)
The Devil Next Door
A story told with empathy, The Devil Next Door (2019) tells the story of John Demjanjuk, a Cleveland-based grandfather brought to trial in Israel, accused of being the infamous Nazi camp guard Ivan The Terrible. The awful tale of The Devil Next Door scored a fantastic 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Netflix, The Devil Next Door (2019)
Love Fraud
Love Fraud (2020) tells the unfortunate tale of women duped by a man named Richard Scott Smith, who used his charm and wit to scam women in online dating out of millions of dollars. Love Fraud tells a much-needed story and received a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Staircase
The Staircase (2022) examines the death of Kathleen Peterson, the wife of North Carolina author Michael Peterson who perished in suspicious circumstances. Putting Michael Peterson's life under a microscope, while chastised by critics for not being objective, The Staircase still scored a respectable 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Annapurna Television, The Staircase (2022)
Atlanta's Missing And Murdered: The Lost Children
This one's a never-before seen look at the killings of 30 African-American children and young adults that occurred during a two-year period in the Georgian capital. For tackling a subject that nobody seemed to care about, Atlanta's Missing And Murdered: The Lost Children (2020) received a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
HBO, Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children (2020)
The Jinx: The Life And Deaths Of Robert Durst
Robert Durst was the key figure in a series of suspicious deaths, but he was also a reclusive real estate icon and became a convicted murderer. The Jinx: The Life And Deaths Of Robert Durst (2015) explored the unexplained crimes that Durst may have been tied to. For its blend of interviews and dramatizations, the film received a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.
HBO, The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (2015–2024)
I'll Be Gone In The Dark
Exploring the case of the Golden State Killer, otherwise known as Joseph James DeAngelo, who killed 10 women and committed 50 sexual assaults across California in the 1970s and 1980s. Filmmaker Michelle McNamara's quest to find justice for his victims produces I'll Be Gone In The Dark (2020), earning 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.
HBO, I'll Be Gone in the Dark (2020-2021)
I Love You, Now Die
Detailing the shocking case of Michelle Carter, a young teenage girl who sent text messages to her boyfriend, encouraging him to commit suicide. He was later found dead in his car, by apparent suicide. Following a case that gripped the nation, I Love You, Now Die (2019) received a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, as a "exploitation-free exploration".
HBO, I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter (2019)
The Keepers
This seven-episode series explores the unsolved murder of nun Catherine Cesnik in 1969. It features interviews with her former students at Archbishop Keough High School, who are convinced that the nun was killed to keep her quiet about her suspicions of Archbishop Joseph Maskell, who was found guilty of sexually assaulting students. The Keepers (2017) received a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Wild Wild Country
When a controversial Indian guru builds a utopian city in Oregon, it causes upheaval with local ranchers and leads to the first bioterror attack on American soil, in 1984. Chronicling this oft-forgotten part of American history, Wild Wild Country (2018) received a stunning 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Duplass Brothers Productions, Wild Wild Country (2018)
No One Saw A Thing
Chronicling the strange murder in Skidmore, Missouri in 1981, where a resident was fatally shot vigilante-style in front of 60 of the townspeople—but no one saw a thing. No One Saw A Thing (2019) was released as a miniseries between 2019 and 2021. Despite being delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, No One Saw A Thing garnered a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Blumhouse Television, No One Saw a Thing (2019-2021)
Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin Story
A documentary covering the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman. Examining the effects of the shooting on the country and a broader conversation about racial profiling and police shootings in the United States, Rest In Power (2018) is one of the finest documentaries of the century. It also received a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Cinemart, Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story (2018-)
The Dissident's Ban
The Dissident (2020) details the murder of Jamal Khashoggi at the hands of the Government of Saudi Arabia, the international implications of the incident, and the reaction of the Saudi government. Despite garnering attention at Sundance, the film received a limited theatrical release and almost all major streaming services failed to pick up The Dissident. This raised serious questions about freedom of the press and free speech in the United States.
Have you seen The Dissident? What was your favorite true crime documentary on our list? Is there any that the good folks at Rotten Tomatoes haven't scored high enough? Let us know in the comments below!
