As the weather gets colder, and the night creeps in earlier, what better time to catch some downright bone-chilling true-crime documentaries? Whether it’s in their elevated approach to storytelling or the unbelievable absurdity of the subjects themselves, all of these documentaries are sure to keep you up until the wee hours of the night binging.

In an increasingly overwhelming streaming landscape full of countless true-crime documentaries, it can be difficult to sift the good from the bad. This list features the ones that will send a chill down your spine, while still giving crucial attention to the victims and the societal implications of these sinister crimes. All are available on HBO Max or Netflix for your streaming convenience.

Abducted in Plain Sight (2017)

Abducted in Plain Sight
Abducted in Plain Sight

From Skye Borgman, the director who brought us the recent true crime hit Girl in the Picture, Abducted in Plain Sight is a story so unbelievably absurd it feels like fiction. The Netflix documentary follows the case of Jan Broberg, a young girl who was abducted not once, but a shocking two times, by a close family friend.

Her abductor was able to successfully manipulate his way into this family’s lives, their home, and then their daughter’s bedroom. Through extensive interviews with her parents and Jan herself, the story is a terrifying example of manipulation and brainwashing at its most pervasive and destructive. A film that will make your jaw drop throughout its runtime, it’s essential viewing for any true-crime fan. A dramatized version of the story is also told in the new Peacock series, A Friend of the Family.

RELATED: Best True Crime Documentaries on Hulu

Beware the Slenderman (2016)

Director Irene Taylor Brodsky’s documentary chronicles the infamous Slenderman stabbings. In 2014, two 12-year-old girls, Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser, lured their friend into the forest and stabbed her 19 times, claiming an internet creation called Slenderman prompted them to commit the heinous act.

A quintessential figure of the dark web, Slenderman terrified countless young people. Myths claimed the faceless, long-limbed boogeyman stalked and abducted children, and many such as Geyser and Weier believed these myths to be true. The HBO documentary is a cautionary omen for the dangers of the internet on the impressionable minds of pre-teens.

Girl in the Picture (2022)

girl in the picture social featured
Image via Netflix

One of the most recent true crime hits, Skye Borgman’s Netflix documentary lives up to the hype. It follows the heartwrenching and mysterious case of Sharon Marshall, a woman who was abducted as a child by fugitive Franklin Delano Floyd, raised as his daughter, then eventually forced to marry him.

A sprawling, somber tale that spans decades, the story begins with her hit-and-run death before diving into the endless questions about what happened and why. Borgman places a powerful and emotional emphasis on Marshall's impact and the lives she touched despite the cruel horrors that happened to her. Bring tissues for this one.

Our Father (2022)

Produced by Jason Blum and directed by Lucia Jordan, this Netflix documentary is a shocking story of medical malpractice at its most horrific and cruel. It follows the story of fertility doctor Donald Cline, who injected dozens of his unknowing patients with his sperm and impregnated them without their consent.

Focused on the children he bore coming together to take him down, it’s a shocking and eye-opening examination of our justice system’s major blindspot in prosecuting crimes deemed “fertility fraud.” Refreshingly focused on his victims, the film depicts the toll this has taken on them and their valiant and united attempts to take their power back.

Tickled (2016)

Tickled documentary creator David Farrier and an interviewee tied down, men having a tickle fight

This HBO documentary is a storytelling feast, balancing the comedy of its premise and its ominous subject with ease. What began as an examination of the absurdist practice of competitive tickling turns into something far more sinister as the story unravels.

It follows journalist David Farrier as he delves into the underground world of fetish tickling, and the mysterious, abusive presence at the heart of it. The story didn’t end here, with the documentary causing a wave of trouble and legal issues that warranted a just-as-riveting follow-up documentary: The Tickle King.

Mommy Dead and Dearest (2017)

This HBO documentary from Erin Lee Carr follows the dark and twisted tale of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her abusive mother Dee Dee Blanchard. Gypsy was a victim of her mother’s Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, which motivated her to falsely proclaim and induce illnesses and health problems in her daughter for fame and public sympathy.

The story is a harrowing depiction of a mother’s wicked treatment of her own daughter, with dark twists and turns that result in a murder. It was soon followed by the acclaimed Hulu miniseries The Act, which saw Patricia Arquette win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her role as Dee Dee Blanchard.

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

The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst
Image Via HBO

This HBO docu-series chronicles the crimes of Robert Durst, the black sheep of his billionaire family who murdered three people throughout his later years without ever seeing repercussions. That is, until this docu-series.

A landmark example of a true-crime documentary helping break a case open, series creator Andrew Jarecki found damning evidence of Durst’s guilt, forcing law enforcement to reopen the case and giving them the evidence needed to finally convict him. The series is a cinematic deep-dive into a compelling case, but it is worth a watch for its final scene alone, which includes an infamous, jaw-dropping hot mic moment.

Don't F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer (2019)

This Netflix three-part docu-series from Mark Lewis just gets more and more bonkers with every episode. It follows an internet manhunt for an anonymous user posting graphic, disturbing videos of him torturing cats. A Facebook group forms with the mission to track him down, and the series follows the twists and turns of their wild pursuit of a truly terrifying criminal.

The series offers another glance into the internet's darkest corners, while also showing its power to bring people together for a shared mission and common goal. Through sheer determination and FBI-level internet sleuthing, they manage to do what law enforcement couldn’t. It’s an electrifying, action-packed, and inspiring ride.

Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer (2021)

Night Stalker The Hunt for a Serial Killer

This is a four-part Netflix docu-series about one of the most notorious serial killers, Richard Ramirez. Ramirez stalked the streets of 1980s Los Angeles, breaking into homes and murdering dozens of victims. The quest to capture him proved painstakingly difficult, with an entire city left frantic and terrified knowing a killer was still on the loose.

Told from the perspective of the detectives who spent sleepless nights tracking him down and the families of his victims, this is a riveting account of how Ramirez terrorized an entire city in his year-long murder spree and the relentless pursuit for justice.

Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey (2022)

This astonishing Netflix docu-series by Rachel Dretzin chronicles the highly publicized case of Warren Jeffs. Jeffs was the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a polygamist and extremist cult spawned from the ideals of the Mormon church.

The series delves into the founding and history of the church, providing critical context to how its horrific leader Jeffs came into power and managed to manipulate his constituents for his evil, selfish agenda. What makes this docu-series stand out is the accounts of Jeffs’s victims who bravely played a part in taking him down. Their stories are given the time and attention they deserve.

The Keepers (2017)

Cathy Cesnik in 'The Keepers'
Image via Film 45

A seven-part Netflix docu-series from Ryan White, The Keepers is a thorough and intensive examination of the corruption that runs rampant in the Catholic priesthood, focusing on the unsolved murder of Catherine Cesnik, a nun and beloved teacher at an all-girls Catholic school.

In their investigation of Cesnik’s murder, horrifying secrets of the school are unearthed about sexual abuse and trafficking by the school's priests. This is a devastating account of how rampant, unchecked sexual abuse impacts lives, tracking a painstaking quest for a semblance of justice. It’s a sickening, emotional, but necessary and powerful watch.

Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes (2022)

This Netflix docu-series is from the mind of Joseph Berlinger, who directed Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes and the fictionalized Ted Bundy film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. What makes this series so compelling and shocking is the man at the center of it.

Wayne Gacy appeared to be a family man and businessman, but the series unpacks how he was able to lead a sinister double life for so long. Couple that with the fact that he also performed as a clown on the side, and you have a deeply unsettling serial killer docu-series on your hands.