8 Interesting Netflix Original True Crime Documentaries

Originally, the streaming platform was a service that allowed people to rent DVDs by mail. Now, viewers can binge-watch more than 3,600 movies and 1,800 TV shows all through Netflix’s platform. 

With Netflix offering 113 true crime documentaries, it can be hard to decide which ones are worth your time.

To save you time from continuously scrolling through the various options, here are my top 8 true crime documentaries that kept me engaged until the final credits. And of course, there are no spoilers! 

“The Tinder Swindler” (2022)

Runtime: 1 hour, 54 minutes

There is a high probability that you have heard horror stories taking place through Tinder but this story differs from the rest. Posing as a wealthy diamond mogul, an Israeli man was able to use Tinder to con women out of millions of dollars across the globe.

Though it may be hard to imagine yourself falling for an elaborate Ponzi scheme like this, it is hard to deny that he was very clever in his strategy.

Luring women with private jets, expensive dinners and luxurious gifts, it is not shocking that many women believed he was the man he claimed to be. 

Now, we see his conned victims looking for justice. 

Watch the trailer on YouTube 

“Bad Vegan: Frame. Fraud. Fugitives.” (2022)

Runtime: 3 hours, 29 minutes (Four episode mini-series)

Releasing this month, this docuseries quickly reached the top 10 charts in the U.S. on Netflix. 

Sarma Melngailis was the owner of two high-class vegan food restaurants, Pure Food and Wine and One Lucky Duck, but her personal story goes way beyond food. 

After marrying a man she thought she knew, he started making strange demands for money. 

To avoid spoilers, I don’t want to include his reasoning for the money transfers, but let me just say it is stranger than you can imagine. 

See how this conman took down a restaurant that celebrities like Owen Wilson, Anne Hathaway and Alec Baldwin used to go to. 

Watch the trailer on YouTube 

“Downfall: The Case Against Boeing” (2022)

Runtime: 1 hour, 29 minutes

Within five months, two new aircrafts made by the aerospace company, Boeing, tragically crashed with no explanation. A total of 346 passengers were killed.  

This documentary covers Boeing’s shocking cover-up revolving around the Boeing 737 MAX with interviews from past employees, journalists, and those who lost loved ones in the crashes.

I was shocked to find out the allegations made against the company and found the investigation to be extremely interesting. 

Watch the trailer on YouTube 

“Murder Among The Mormons” (2021)

Runtime: 2 hours, 40 minutes (Three episode mini-series)

Mark Hofmann, a former member of the Church of Latter-day Saints, was investigated in the 1980s after presenting new documents he found that questioned everything Mormons originally believed in. 

To add to this, bombs were also suddenly being targeted toward the Mormon community. 

As the story unfolds, I was in awe. These events were terrifying for everyone in Salt Lake City as the investigators try to piece together what happened. 

Watch the trailer on YouTube 

“Athlete A” (2020)

Runtime: 1 hour, 43 minutes

While it is not uncommon for USA Gymnastics to be highlighted in the news, the world was shocked when over 500 gymnasts came forward about sexual abuse within the program. 

USA Gymnastics doctor, Larry Nassar, was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison after pleading guilty to seven counts of criminal sexual conduct. 

With USA Gymnastics being based in Indianapolis, reporters from the Indianapolis Star discuss breaking the story. You also get to hear from the first gymnasts who spoke out against Nassar and the others who worked to put him behind bars. 

This documentary gives viewers an inside look at how the accusations were brought to light and how this grew to become the largest sexual abuse scandal in sports history. 

Watch the trailer on YouTube 

“How to Fix a Drug Scandal” (2020)

Runtime: 3 hours, 31 minutes (Four episode mini-series)

Imagine being prosecuted to find out later that the drug-testing laboratory technicians tampered with and falsified drug evidence. While this might seem unlikely, that exact scenario took place in Massachusetts in 2013. 

Though tampering with evidence is a big accusation, there is so much more shocking detail behind this scandal. 

In this docuseries, you will not only find out how the chemists were getting away with it, but also how they were eventually caught and what happened to those convicted as a result of those tampered drug tests. 

Watch the trailer on YouTube 

“Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich” (2020)

Runtime: 3 hours, 47 minutes (Four episode mini-series)

Though most of us have heard the accusations against Jeffrey Epstein on the news, this docuseries provides insight into what was truly going on. 

Epstein’s international sex trafficking ring was more in-depth than I expected, involving many powerful and wealthy facilitators. 

The series gives an inside look into the horrendous acts that went down on Epstein’s island, along with those who enabled and encouraged his behavior. This Netflix original received a Critics’ Choice Real TV Award after its release, and for a good reason. 

Watch the trailer on YouTube 

“Don’t F**k With Cats: Hunting An Internet Killer” (2019)

Runtime: 3 hours, 7 minutes (Three episode mini-series)

Let me start off by saying that when I finished the last episode of this docuseries my jaw was dropped.

It highlights the power of the internet, revolving around a group of people hunting down a person who posted a video brutally killing cats. As they continue searching for this mysterious killer through online groups, the story only grows more twisted. 

The storytelling keeps viewers on their toes but also goes into incredible detail about those who were committed to tracking this killer down. It ultimately won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program. 

I promise that once you finish this docuseries, the title “Don’t F**k with Cats” makes a lot of sense. 

Watch the trailer on YouTube