True crime documentaries and docuseries have become increasingly popular over the past few years. Covering unfathomable breaches in social conduct, it’s no wonder these shows can keep viewers so engaged — after all, morbid curiosity is a powerful motivator.
While there are plenty of true-crime documentaries out there, these outings stand apart by extending beyond the traditional serial killer mold. Examining professional narcissists, corrupt elite, cults, and unsolved deaths with incisive depth, these true crime documentarians know how to grab your attention and hold it tight til the credits roll.
CONTENT WARNING: The following entries contain mentions of violence, murder, and drug abuse
'The Crime of the Century'
The Crime of the Century (HBO) is a 2-part documentary series that depicts the American opioid crisis as an intentional creation of Big Pharma. The series starts by stating that more than half a million Americans have died of opioid overdoses since 2000 — at the same time that pharmaceutical companies have been netting nearly $100 billion a year off the industry.
With a host of compelling evidence and candid interviews with ex-pharmaceutical sales reps and medical professionals, The Crime of the Century vividly details a tale of pharmaceutical fraud, institutionalized corruption, and innumerable wealth, sounding alarm bells that call for corporations to put human welfare above profit.
'Worst Roommate Ever'
Worst Roommate Ever (Netflix) consists of four independent episodes, each one focusing on a different disturbing story of shared living gone awry. Covering a range of stories including "Death House Landlady" Dorothea Puente and Danish fraudster/attempted murderer Youssef Khater, this show is a stark reminder of the importance of background checks (and vibe checks) before signing on a new roomie.
Told through storybook animations and live crime scene footage overlaid with interview audio, Worst Roommate Ever perfectly highlights the deep-seated fear of what it’s like to feel unsafe in your own home.
'The Puppet Master: Hunting the Ultimate Conman'
If you liked The Tinder Swindler, this one’s for you: The Puppet Master: Hunting the Ultimate Conman (Netflix) is a three-part series covering the story of manipulative British conman Robert Hendy-Freegard. Weaving together multiple intersecting victim and investigator testimonials, viewers are taken on a journey through Hendy-Freegard’s twenty years of deception, theft, and abuse.
The Puppet Master paints a picture of a classic narcissistic abuser, employing tactics such as gaslighting, isolation, and deception that fractured families and bled many dry of their livelihoods. In spite of mountains of evidence against him, Hendy-Freegard is still running free.
'Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel'
Most true crime enthusiasts will already be familiar with the Cecil Hotel, an LA-based lodging infamous as the site of multiple suicides and the temporary residence of more than one serial killer (including “Night Stalker” Richard Ramirez). Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel (Netflix) is a four-part series following the mysterious 2013 disappearance and death of 21-year-old Elisa Lam.
Traveling solo, Elisa was last seen on elevator camera footage at the hotel, not to be seen again until the perplexing discovery of her body on-site weeks later. Featuring engaging narratives intercut with interviews, Crime Scene takes an in-depth look at the chilling case, closed as an “accident,” in a way that appeals to unsatisfied conspiracy theorists.
'Murder on Middle Beach'
Murder on Middle Beach (HBO) is a grief-soaked docuseries directed by Madison Hamburg, son of Barbara Hamburg, a woman who was found brutally murdered near her upper-middle-class home in 2010. Hamburg cuts together local news clips with family interviews and home video footage to create a chilling and emotional chronicle that unfolds over four episodes.
His intensely close and personal approach unveils a labyrinth of dark secrets involving pyramid schemes, family lies, and more. As the case remains unsolved, the narrative approach to Murder on Middle Beach gives the life and death of Barbara Hamburg — and the quiet town of Madison, Connecticut — a gritty texture that belies its peaceful appearance.
'Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey'
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey (Netflix) is a four-part limited series covering the criminal wrongdoings of Warren Jeffs, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS Church). For the uninitiated, FLDS Church is a Mormon cult notorious for its focus on “plural marriage,” a term used to describe polygamy, often forcing underage girls to wed much older men.
Throughout its run, Keep Sweet reveals a culture of men using the guise of “the word of God” to control its members. First-hand accounts from ex-church members and victims of Jeffs reveal disturbing tales of sexual abuse of minors, formalized misogyny, and doomsday prophecies used to coerce churchgoers into compliance.