True crime documentaries are both frightening and fascinating. Shows like Law and Order, CSI, and Criminal Minds are great and all, but nothing can compare to true crime documentaries because they tell the story of real life events. Here are 7 of my favorite true crime documentaries that I think you should add to your must-watch list.
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1. Paradise Lost: the Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills
Out of all the true crime documentaries, Paradise Lost is my favorite. It tells the story of the gruesome murders of 3 little boys in West Memphis, Arkansas and the 3 outcast teens who go on trial for the crime. The documentary follows the lives of the families of the young boys who were murdered, as well as the teens (who became known as the West Memphis 3) being held responsible for the crime and their families. The documentary shows what appears to be an injustice in the court system. This true crime documentary is shocking in more ways than one and had many calling to “free the West Memphis 3.” Since the release of this documentary in 1992, there have been 2 follow-ups that I also recommend watching.
2. The Jeffrey Dahmer Files
The crimes committed by Jeffrey Dahmer terrified the world. He lives in infamy as one of the most prolific serial killers of modern time. This true crime documentary includes interviews with the lead investigator of the case against Jeffrey Dahmer, as well as interviews with Dahmer’s neighbor. This provides an interesting look into the horrific murders Dahmer was responsible for. The documentary also includes crime scene footage as well as re-enactments. If you have ever been fascinated with Dahmer, than you must watch this insightful documentary.
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3. Deliver Us from Evil
This documentary is about Father Oliver O’Grady, a Catholic Priest, who was continually relocated to different parishes in the United States as a part of a cover up by the Catholic Church for his sexual crimes against children. This heartbreaking documentary contains interviews from Father O’Grady himself as well as some of his victims and their families. This is one of the most in depth accounts of a Catholic priest admitting to his struggles with pedophilia and the lengths the church went to in order to cover it up.
4. The Thin Blue Line
This critically acclaimed documentary investigates what appears to be a corrupt justice system, which results in an apparent innocent man to be placed on death row. This documentary did such a great job of re-examining evidence that the case got reopened and lead to the convicted man going free. This film really makes you think about the current prison system, justice system, and the death penalty.
5. The Cove
The Cove has won both an Oscar and an award at the Sundance Film Festival for the amazing work of the crew responsible for this film. The documentary follows Ric O’Barry, a dolphin trainer, who is trying to expose dolphin abuse in a hidden cove in Taijii, Japan. The shady practices even pose a threat to human health. O’Barry and his team use state-of-the-art equipment to infiltrate the cove and save the dolphins and the unsuspecting people of Taijii.
6. Into the Abyss
Into the Abyss tells the story of death row inmate, Michael Perry and his accomplice, Jason Burkett who is serving life in prison. Perry and Burkett murdered 3 people in order to steal a car. The tragic story is summed up by the subtitle of Into the Abyss, “A Tale of Death, A Tale of Life.” This documentary also examines the morality of the death penalty and poses the question, should anyone, even the state, have the right to kill?
7. Cocaine Cowboys
Cocaine Cowboys follows the true stories that inspired shows such as Miami Vice and Scarface. In the 1980s Miami became the drug, violence, murder, and cash capital of the United States due to cocaine being brought over from Colombia. This documentary tells the story through eye witness accounts and personal stories of those involved in the drug trade. If you’ve ever wanted to know more about drug culture, give this true-crime documentary a watch.
I hope you’ll enjoy these true crime documentaries as much as I do. These documentaries can give a new perspective on life in addition to educating you about crimes of the past in order to help protect yourself in the future. Have you seen any of these documentaries? If so, what did you think? Do you have a favorite true crime documentary that didn’t make the list? Share it with us in the comments if so.
Comments
Tania: You should also take a look at the documentary of the Bulger killers that happened here in the UK it's a very shocking story about two young kids aged 11/12 kidnapped a little kid roughly the age of 2 and killed him in a very horrific way.
Jennapher: I believe that the subsequent investigations into the West Memphis Three have resulted in their exoneration, and to the very sad conclusion that the real killer was probably a neighbor, now deceased I believe, who only given a cursory look by law enforcement because the other three boys were such better "suspects" and confessions were coerced from them. A sad case indeed where a rush for"Justice" ruined three innocent lives, and failed to provide anything close to justice for the three little boys who were slaughtered, their families, or the presumptive killer. The Thin Blue Line was another terrific in-depth deconstruction of a murder investigation that was flawed from the beginning by certain law enforcement prejudices. It's not really a documentary as such, but it is based on the facts of Gary Gilmore's life and crimes, so I would suggest The Executioner's Song could be added to this list. The senselessness of Gilmore's crimes, Gilmore's sociopathic need for the all the attention he created and ultimately received, his skillful manipulation of the judicial system, and his ultimate execution make this "mini-series" worth watching. Tania also suggests the Bulger case, which has been the subject of several TV documentaries, as worthy of attention, and I'd agree. Very reminiscent of The Leiber/Loeb case, but almost more chilling because the two young perpetrators in the Bulger case are so completely unmoved by the horrific nature of their crime, they simply beat this toddler to death with a rock because they felt like it...
Shannon: The West Memphis three is amazing saw it years ago , very sad .
Laura: Really like this but check your spelling. It's Colombia not Columbia.
Vienna: I prefer watching the shows on TV. It is depressing enough to hear/read daily about true.
Priscilla: An America Crime, it's such a horrible story that you wish it was only a movie and not a true story. alfiehitchie Based on a true story that shocked the nation in 1965, the film recounts one of the most shocking crimes ever committed against a single victim. Sylvia and Jennie Fae Likens, the two daughters of traveling carnival workers are left for an extended stay at the Indianapolis home of single mother Gertrude Baniszewski and her six children. Times are tough, and Gertrude's financial needs cause her to make this arrangement before realizing how the burden will push her unstable nature to a breaking point. What transpires in the next three months is both riveting and horrific, leaving one child dead and the rest scarred for life.
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