Way back in January 2020, not very long after rebooting The Wasteland, I wrote a post called True Crime Trio that looked at the growing interest (fuelled almost entirely by Netflix) in the obsession and phenomenon of killers and their often bizarre, sometimes not entirely straightforward, or even solved, case histories and life stories. The three mentioned back then also make this 12 of the Best… list, but largely thanks to a period around mid Novemeber when I became a little addicted to them, the list is now big enough to warrant a more extensive look. Basically, I couldn’t stop searching for the one that most satisfied the format, and our desire to become armchair detectives, and ultimately judge, jury and executioner. Millions of us are guilty of the same compulsion to see more, and Netflix knows it!
As I have stated in the past, I feel uncomfortable and often a little weird even watching them at all. But isn’t that why they are so successful? It plays with our darker side and our curiosity to explore the morbid. Of course, not all of them are the same. Some are presented as po-faced mysteries, complete with sinister music and a manipulative tabloid style; some show the lives of the people involved in a true documentary style, where the crime is almost secondary to gawking at how strange they are; some present an opinion about a social change or injustice that may be addressed. And some are just unashamed explorations of the darkest side of the world. Whatever type is your “favourite”, chances are if you like one type you will be drawn to all of them.
I should say as a caveat here that although these shows are ostensibly entertainments, they must be treated with a very mature set of eyes and ears. Our desensitisation towards the genre is now so acute that we could often forget that the atrocious crimes depicted and spoken of are all real. As such I must stress that when I say 12 of the “Best” in this case, I really mean the 12 most fascinating, watchable and best presented – to say “Best” here seems a touch insensitive and grossly glib. And that exactly is part of the debate when it comes to this type of thing: is it acceptable to think of them as for our pleasure? I am not sure.
I’m not going to get too deep into all that for now, however. I am simply going to look at why each one deserves a place on the list and why you might consider watching it. As always, my 12 of the Best lists are not in a hierarchical order – this particular one is in order of date first shown, from oldest to newest. Please do let me know what you think I missed out, or any that you think are not worthy of a place in the comments at the end. I have tried where possible not to include any detail that would spoil the intrigue of a show you are new to, but I can’t promise 100% not to hint at important aspects along the way, so be warned. Thank you for reading.
The massive red writing on the promotional image says it all: Did he do it? In 2001, Michael Peterson was accused of murdering his wife, who was found dead at the bottom of their staircase covered in blood the prosecution said was too much for an accidental fall. But Peterson, supported by most (but not all) of his family maintains his innocence throughout, and the show follows his attempt to prove it. The first 8 episodes of this incredible story were first shown in 2004, before True Crime docs were really a thing, followed by two updates of several episodes in 2013 and then 2018 as the case updated and new evidence came to light.
Of all the docs on this list, this is the one that had me most gripped by the back and forth of the case. I changed my mind so much, almost several times an episode at points, because Peterson himself is both very likeable and very suspicious. There is an opportunity to weigh the evidence for yourself here that a lot of crime series ignore. The balance feels fair, and the case itself is so very fascinating, both from a personal and legal point of view. It plays like a real life soap opera at times, complete with cliff-hangers and teases, as Making a Murderer proved was so effective. To this day, I am not certain of Peterson’s guilt. The only thing I can say is that it was he himself who commissioned the series and allowed the filming of the case. Is that something a guilty man would do to manipulate what we see, or what an innocent man would do when unafraid of the truth? You decide! This would be the one I would recommend to anyone new to the genre, uncertain if this kind of thing is for them.
The definitive reference point for the Genre, Making a Murderer is indispensable for anyone finding themselves hooked on true crime. Although crime documentaries did exist before this show was aired, this is the one that captured the imagination of viewers, simultaneously discovering it for themselves and then discussing it en masse, making it a true meme and a worldwide phenomenon. Have you seen it? Folk would say. And if you said no, you were missing out! That was in December 2015. With a follow up series in October 2018. I think I watched the first part in 2 days in April 2016, and the second part in 1 day of November 2018. It is indeed the TV equivalent of a book you can’t put down!
The presentation here is a template many other documentary series can learn from – don’t give away too much of the story too soon; allow the mystery to unfold patiently and grip the audience by timing the gasp out loud moments and cliff-hangers to a tee. There is so much going on at the same time, and that is the key to its success. There is the horror of the crimes themselves, of course, but also the horror of seeing rural America and all the personalities that live there stripped bare, and then finally the horror of how inept, corrupt and inbred the justice system there is. Whatever your opinion of Steven Avery and his innocence, you will find the story of his case and the intrigue surrounding the entire story almost impossible not to finish once started. The second season doesn’t have the same impact as the first, but is still fascinating for other reasons.
The beauty of the limited series with a definite beginning, middle and end is well demonstrated by The Keepers. It aired in 2017, I watched it late 2019, I think. At 7 episodes of around an hour each, if you have a full evening ahead of you it is possible to do these kind of shows in a single sitting – which takes some dedication, but is actually the way I would recommend doing it. Because your head never leaves the story, and if that story is good enough you have been taken on one hell of a ride by the end of it!
Looking at the unsolved murder of a young nun in the 60s from the point of view of the journalist that covered the story for the local paper back then, and how he had never forgotten his feelings of it being a cover up from within the church right from the start. You feel as if everyone involved has some kind of secret to reveal, and satisfyingly that sort of turns out to be the case. Survivors, friends and associated characters from the time all come out of the woodwork to share their opinions almost 50 years later. What emerges as the “truth” is an incredibly sad tale about the misuse of power and the fear authority figures could instil in those they chose to abuse. It begins with a mystery, builds to a climax based on new evidence and testimony, and ends with a conclusion. It doesn’t exactly leave you with more to think about as some on this list do. It is just a tragedy about a person worth remembering, and in that sense very touching.
If spending 7 hours in one sitting is still a bit daunting, you can always try this one that comes in at just over 3 hours over 4 easy to digest episodes. It focuses on a crime so bizarre you wouldn’t believe it wasn’t a film plot, unless you already have an understanding from these kind of shows just how bonkers America can be! It describes the events of a bank heist gone wrong in a small town, involving a middle aged man who claimed to have a homemade bomb clamped around his neck that he couldn’t take off… soon into episode one we see that it was real when we (sort of) witness it going off after he is apprehended, killing him instantly.
We then get led down an intriguing web of local suspects, whose motives and probable involvement becomes more and more bizarre and disturbing. The point of it all seems to be how it is possible to be extremely intelligent, manipulative and to an extent organised, whilst at the same time being quite clearly clinically insane. It is shocking to see and hear about the lives of people so off the rails, who believe themselves to be entirely normal. There are a lot of “oh my god” and “wow” moments in a short space of time, but you also feel a little like the case is being exaggerated and heightened for dramatic purposes. In the end it all seems fairly self explanatory, except that the case was never definitively closed because it is impossible to know if the guy with the bomb was part of the plan all along and therefore a willing accomplice, or whether he was entirely innocent and a victim of a very sinister crime. Being left to debate and decide for yourself is half the “fun” sometimes.
Although the first season of this series is from August 2018, I came to it most recently when season 2 was advertised and released just 3 weeks ago. It is an interesting concept that sometimes works well and sometimes doesn’t. Basically, it is a talking heads documentary where inmates on death row get an opportunity to restate their standpoint of their case and what led them to a death sentence. Quite often that standpoint is either maintaining innocence completely or partially, or admitting full culpability with some caveat based on mitigating circumstances they feel were never fully explored. It covers such a varied range of personalities and detail that the main point of interest for me was how little each death row inmate had in common, except a past of deprivation and a series of smaller crimes that led to the big one – either committed by them or upon them as the victim.
Stories of drug abuse, sexual and physical abuse from parents, role models and influencing figures seems so common that almost all of the 20 inmates interviewed so far can pin some of the blame on their childhood in some way. But our sympathy also ranges from zero to quite a lot as each tale is told, depending on the personality we are now seeing. In many cases there is no contrition, only more blame or excuses and self pity. In some cases there is a lot of regret and sorrow. And in one or two cases, a definite sense of a massive injustice. In the main however, it is all just so sad – how easily lives were taken or ruined by a moment of impulsive behaviour. There is a lot to find of use in studying the criminal mind in this show, but on the whole I found it very depressing and hard going. Maybe one at a time and not a binge on this one!
Now this one has to be seen to be believed! It is a short documentary film of about 90 minutes, not a series, but it plays like a longer episode of a series – except by the end there is no more to tell. In and out, thankfully! It is the story of Jan Broberg, a relatively successful Hollywood supporting actress, who wrote a book about her abduction by a close family friend when she was a child in the 70s. As the story unfolds, especially if you are a parent yourself, you will be screaming at the screen in total disbelief and indignation every ten minutes, and twice as loud at the end!
I can’t go into the details without ruining it, but suffice to say that the series of events is one of the strangest stories, fact or fiction, that I have ever heard! The audacity and total manipulation of the offender, in conjunction with the insane naivety of Jan and her parents is mind-blowing! How he got away with it in any way for longer than a day is unfathomable enough, but this was abuse that went on unpunished for years. Is it the bible belt attitude to blame? I am… still… scratching my head on this one! How did these events and crimes ever happen? Just, wow! Do yourself a favour if you want to be shocked and have a good rant at the TV, watch this and see for yourself.
The Ted Bundy Tapes
Another 4 part mini series that at just under 4 hours in total is a must for enduring in a single sitting. But maybe bring a bottle of something calming for the journey… The story of Ted Bundy is so much like a Hollywood movie script that director Joe Berlinger did just that shortly after this, casting Zac Efron in the role of the charming psycho next door (see review in The Wasteland archives). Going in to this I knew very little about Bundy, his crimes, his victims and the surreal details of how he defended himself in court and managed to escape… twice! Now I feel like an expert in it, as the whole thing captured my imagination in an eerie and disturbing way I can’t quite explain. I guess I just found it hard to grasp how any of it was true and so well documented.
The hook on this one is how a journalist covering the Bundy story managed to get Ted to open up in prison by speaking about the crimes in the third person, as if they were solving a legal puzzle from the point of view of a mythical lawyer – which Bundy fancied himself as being, of course. The insight into his mind that this allowed is unprecedented, even for such an infamous and well documented case. The detail is endlessly compelling, shedding new light on things that have baffled professionals looking at the files for decades. This mini series is probably the main reason I go back looking for similar shows. I defy anyone not to become at least a little addicted to finding out more after watching this one.
Hunting an Internet Killer
This Emmy award winning 3 parter plays like a long movie when watched back to back, which is exactly what I did back in November. It was the first of a full week of watching nothing but True Crime Docs, as it sparked the idea of looking out for the very best ones out there, several of which have made this list. I have rarely felt more tense or uneasy watching anything, ever. I knew the subject matter wasn’t going to be easy, and the apprehension / genuine fear it gave me going in was palpable. It helped, if that is the right word, that I knew absolutely nothing of what to expect. As the talking heads started piecing together their hunt for a guy with a penchant for animal cruelty, posting videos online that may or may not have been a hoax, I was drawn in to such a degree that at one point I believe I was literally on the edge of my seat.
I swayed from thinking the entire thing might be a mockumentary and everything in it made up, to being so horrified by the creepy voyeuristic element that I almost had to turn it off several times. I found it astonishing to think that all the details of this case were real, and the more we found out about the criminal behind it all, the more it made my skin crawl… the interesting thing being that the minute it was finished I craved more of the same and ended up making a list of what others were saying were the best ones! Even reflecting dispassionately that the interviews given by the gang of internet pet-loving vigilantes that helped crack the case are uneven and highly forced, I can’t help admiring how this was put together. In terms of tension building and shock value it has to be one of the best examples to date of how to keep the audience entirely gripped.
This incredibly powerful six part mini series from last February is almost impossible to watch, but once started it feels important that you do see it through to the end. It details a case of child cruelty, abuse and torture leading to eventual death that the entire childcare support system first ignored and then failed to prevent. It shows the exact ways that the support system and then the legal system let down a young boy that may have been saved were it not for a series of shocking professional negligence. The recounting of the story and visual details of the abuse are sickening and beyond any reasonable estimation of tragic. If attempting to watch this, be sure of the reasons you are doing so and approach it with extreme caution.
There is so much natural outrage and actual anger towards the parents who were responsible for these crimes when we see them in court, but also towards the social and justice systems themselves for showcasing their many failings so graphically. The lessons learned are vital in preventing this kind of thing happening elsewhere, and so the drive of watching this is to seek the scraps of hope that emerge by understanding what went wrong and how the law might address the issue to prevent it happening again. Watching this one has an entirely different and sober feel for me. This was in no way entertainment, but it was educational, so I don’t regret going through it, as I feel entirely better informed than I was before.
Murder, Mayhem and Madness
And so, this is the one you are probably most familiar with, even if you have never watched a True Crime Doc before. Essentially a 7 part mini series with a making of extra program tagged on at the end that definitely does not need to be watched. Does any of it? It certainly showcases the nuttier side of America and some of the more eccentric characters that exist, not Least the compelling car crash human that is Joe Exotic – at times likeable, often very unlikable and almost certainly criminally insane. But it isn’t really about murder. The title is misleading in that sense. Mayhem and madness, oh for sure, but the murder part is an almost incidental detail of the show, as if to give it more gravitas.
It focuses on rivalries that existed between exotic animal parks that seem to take pride in mistreating tigers and other wild animals that have no place being there at all. The “fun” of it is watching “crazy” people, mostly Joe rolling around as if they were tiny kittens, and holding your breathe waiting for the inevitable moment they rip him to shreds. As it turns out, there is so much filler and false promise in this show that I would have to put it at the bottom of the list. It may not even have got on there at all if it wasn’t for the fact Lockdown viewing made it a shared experience that became ubiquitous. Otherwise, it is a poor circus freak show, badly presented and entirely cheap.
A very interesting concept of highlighting criminal cases that an actual organisation called The Innocence Project is trying to overturn by exposing them on TV in documentary form. 3 sets of 3 episodes that focus on the evidence, the witnesses and the prosecution. Watching it in entirety will set you back a full 10 hours, so I recommend taking it in one at a time or in the sets of 3 it makes logical sense to group together. There is no through line exactly, only that they all share the distinct possibility of a huge injustice based on dodgy evidence, unreliable witnesses or a corrupt prosecution.
It is perhaps a little dry taken as a whole, but several of the individual stories are so obviously miscarriages of justice that it is worth observing just how easy it is for the system to get it grossly wrong, resulting in an innocent person serving a long sentence behind bars. As with a lot of these shows, the faith we should have in law and order is shaken to the core by what we can plainly see has happened. It is as terrifying as any crime in itself that if in the wrong place at the wrong time anyone could find themselves in the position of being accused and losing a large portion of their lives to the misery of pursuing freedom.
The Hunt for a Serial Killer
And finally, the most recent addition, from January this year, another 4 parter that is over and done in 3 hours, which plays like a long movie when watched as intended in one sitting. The case of the Night Stalker is another well documented case most people will have at least heard of. If, like me, you knew nothing of the crimes, motives and man behind it up front, then this is a jaw dropping addition to the genre that serves as a slice of history that has a strong sense of place and time, and how a community could be terrorised over a period knowing a killer was at large in their neighbourhood.
The point of difference here is mostly hearing the case explained from the direct point of view of the detectives at the centre of the manhunt. It seems that a killer so indiscriminate in choosing his victims, and so random in how he killed them, is very difficult to catch. With no distinct modus operandi – it seemed like a real demon was on the loose, satisfying his dark needs on a whim. An excruciating thought! And the truth of the man behind it is even more disturbing in reality. As with Bundy, this one is compelling because of the cult of personality and media involvement. Almost a little short if anything, but probably the main model for dozens more shows like it in coming years. 4 x 45 mins, the perfect binge package.
I hope you found this 12 of the Best interesting and thought provoking. I know there must be many that could be included in place of some here, but to date these are the ones I have seen that have made the biggest impression on me for better or worse. See you again soon for an entirely more cheerful dozen! I need to think about something very light now! Shantih Kx
The Wasteland 