New True Crime Documentaries & TV Shows I’ve Watched Lately
Here are some of the newest true crime documentaries and shows I have watched lately, and which ones are worth checking out.
I’ve been on a true crime and documentary kick lately. It happens every so often when I feel a little burnt out on watching movies and want to switch things up. Outside of movies, true crime shows and documentaries are probably what I watch the most, right alongside comedy shows and horror movies. Because hey, I either want to laugh or be horrified. I guess that’s just me. I like the extremes.
There has been a ton of new true crime content dropping on streaming lately, and I’ve enjoyed quite a bit of it, some more than others. So, I wanted to share my thoughts on what I’ve watched recently in case you’re looking for something new in this genre!
American Manhunt: OJ Simpson (Netflix)
This four-part Netflix series, about five hours in total, serves as a solid middle ground between a quick 90-minute recap of the case and the nearly eight-hour deep dive OJ: Made in America (which I also highly recommend, but it’s definitely a time commitment).
Stylistically, American Manhunt is more of a sit-down interview documentary, whereas Made in America leans more on archival footage and storytelling. Both are excellent in their own ways. This one is more focused on the crime itself, starting on the night of the murders and going through the end of the trial. Made in America, on the other hand, takes a broader look at OJ Simpson’s life, career, and the societal factors that turned his trial into a media spectacle. I think they are both must-see documentaries for different reasons and if you want to do 13 hours on OJ Simpson, you would learn a lot from both styles.
I thought I knew a lot about the case itself and the evidence, but this documentary really opened my eyes to the incompetence of the LAPD. It didn’t change my opinion on the verdict, but it made me understand how a “not guilty” outcome was possible given the prosecution’s mistakes. The standout for me was Carl E. Douglas, one of OJ’s defense attorneys. His delivery, voice, and insights made the documentary. the man was electric. If you’re interested in this case, I’d highly recommend checking it out.
Chaos: The Manson Murders (Netflix)
This documentary comes from Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line), and I had high hopes going in. It’s based on Tom O’Neill’s incredible best-selling book Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties which I had read, but by the end, I didn’t feel like it truly supported the book’s research and left out a ton of what made the book great in favor of hyper-focusing on just the Manson family and their involvement. As the title of the book says, this gets a lot deeper than Manson, but entire chapters in the book were relegated to about 2 minutes of screen time.
Unlike American Manhunt, which took its time covering a complex case, Chaos tries to cram a massive amount of information into just 90 minutes. The end result is a documentary that felt rushed, missing key details, and leaving my wife (who hadn’t read the book) completely lost. Morris also spends a lot of time questioning O’Neill rather than focusing on his findings, which was frustrating. I expected a lot given the extensive research and Morris’ standing as a solid documentary filmmaker, but this was a letdown.
If you’ve read the book or just want a quick summary of the Manson case, this might be fine. But I think this could have easily been a four-part series instead of a single documentary. Ultimately, I’d say skip this one and read the book instead.
Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke (Hulu)
This one was horrific and devastating. It covers the rise and fall of Ruby Franke, a popular family vlogger, and her eventual arrest for child abuse in some truly shocking situations.
As someone who creates content online, I’ve always been wary of the “family vlogger” trend. You don’t see my kids much, and that’s intentional. I think it’s irresponsible to blast your children’s lives online just to make money. If you want to share pictures on private accounts for family and friends, great! But this level of exploitation has always bordered on abuse in my eyes. This documentary barely scratches the surface of what I expect will be a much bigger problem in the future. Just like child stars in Hollywood, I predict we’ll see horror stories emerge about family vloggers and child influencers in the next decade.
The documentary dives into religion, cult-like behavior, online culture, and manipulation. Ruby’s husband was particularly bewildering. He was completely brainwashed and lost, yet still the least of the family’s problems. It reminded me of the father from Abducted in Plain Sight, which is one of the wildest things I have ever seen. It’s a terrifying look at how people can be controlled and exploited. Highly recommended, but be warned, it is a tough watch.
The Kings of Tupelo (Netflix)
Wow. What a ride! This is the closest thing I’ve seen to capturing the magic of Tiger King since 2020. This is the type of true crime documentary that can actually give you a few laughs after a tough night, which is a nice relief with some of these heavier stories.
The characters are completely insane, the story is even crazier, and just when you think you have a grasp on what’s happening, a huge twist comes out of nowhere. The documentary follows Southern Elvis impersonators who get caught up in a plot involving sending dangerous materials to the President and Senators, all while battling a conspiracy about funeral homes selling body parts for profit. Tell me that sentence alone doesn’t pique your interest.
Oh, and the main subject, Paul Kevin Curtis, is also pitching a screenplay about his life throughout the documentary. You cannot make this stuff up. It had a ton of laugh-out-loud moments and is one of the wildest things I’ve watched in a long time. Don’t miss this one.
American Murder: Gabby Petito (Netflix)
Well, back to something more serious. This one was just heartbreaking.
Gabby Petito was clearly in an abusive relationship, and despite warning signs, no one was able to help her. The documentary sheds light on how flawed our systems are when it comes to protecting vulnerable people.
One thing I appreciated was that it also pointed out the media bias in missing persons cases. Gabby’s case was heavily covered, while many other missing individuals don’t get nearly the same attention. This is an important aspect of these documentaries that also come under criticism, and I was glad they were self-aware enough to recognize this and call it out.
Brian Laundrie and his parents’ actions after her disappearance remain extremely suspicious. Whether they were just trying to protect their son or actively covering things up, their behavior made everything worse and truly turned the case into the media circus it became. I feel for them in a way, because they also lost their son, but they really bungled the whole situation.
This documentary was tough to watch, but it felt more meaningful than exploitative because her parents were involved and used it as a way to highlight domestic abuse issues. Not a groundbreaking documentary, and a topic that is unfortunately all too common, but an important one.
Final Thoughts
Well, that’s what I’ve been watching lately on the true crime side. Some were fantastic, some were disappointing, some were just okay, but overall, it’s been an interesting mix of stories.
Got any recommendations for me? My wife and I are always looking for something new to check out, so drop your suggestions in the comments!
I’m reading Chaos right now - I agree that the book is better than the doc, which leaves a LOT out.