Crime docu-series are all the rage right now. The Keepers, released on Netflix in 2017, is still a much-talked-about crime documentary. The Baltimore nun’s mysterious unsolved murder devolves into a much larger story about corruption within the Catholic Church. Divvied up into six episodes, The Keepers explores not only the crime itself but gives an in-depth look at what goes on behind closed (church) doors and questions who killed Sister Catherine Cesnik — and what secrets she took to the grave.
However, not all crime documentaries are made equal. Satiate your morbid curiosities with true crime documentaries ranging from unsolved murders to terrifying urban legends. Double-lock your doors before pressing play on these stand-out documentaries that offer a peek into truly evil minds behind some of the most heinous crimes.
Updated on February 18th, 2021 by Scoot Allan: Netflix and other streaming services continue to add new and exciting true crime content for fans who can't get enough of the murderous mysteries like the hit docies The Keepers, which remains one of the best and most mysterious documentaries of the genre in the last decade. However, while true crime fans are still discussing the case from The Keepers, there are a number of other mysteries and shocking documentaries that have captured viewers' attention in the same way as the captivating Boston mystery of the murdered nun, which we'll explore even further with a few more creepy documentary recommendations.
Deliver Us From Evil (2006)
While The Keepers was centered around the mysterious murder of a Boston nun, there was an underlying case of child molestation and a possible pedophilia ring involved with of the Catholic Church, which was also explored in 2006's Deliver Us From Evil.
Amy J. Berg's award-winning documentary follows the life and crimes of Catholic priest Oliver O'Grady, who was interviewed in Ireland following his confession to a number of counts of rape and molestation during his career with the church, whose knowledge of the crimes was also investigated.
The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann (2019)
2019's The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann highlights the mysterious and terrifying abduction of young Madeleine from her hotel room while her family was on vacation in Portugal, and the subsequent search and media frenzy that followed.
The miniseries built a timeline of events and detailed a number of suspects, though Madeleine was never found and the mystery remains unsolved. The mystery of the young girl's disappearance from the seemingly safe hotel apartment only meters away from her parents and the mishandling of the search for her make this documentary a creepy must-watch for true crime fans.
Who Killed Little Gregory? (2019)
One of the most captivating, creepy, and mysterious true crime documentaries that is sure to entice fans of The Keepers is 2019's Who Killed Little Gregory?, a French docies that explores the death of young Grégory Villemin in 1984 that remains unsolved.
However, while the tragic unsolved death of the child is the focal point, it also explores harassment received by the family prior to the abduction and drowning of the young child. Covered as well is the media craze that swept the country following the discovery of the child's body and the revelation of the mysterious harasser/potential murderer was known only as “Le Corbeau”/“The Raven.”
The Staircase (2004-2018)
Jean-Xavier de Lestrade first released The Staircase in 2004, though has returned to the docies over the years as trials continued about author Michael Peterson and his possible role in the mysterious death of his wife Kathleen, who had been found dead at the bottom of a staircase in their home.
What seemed like a simple accident quickly turned into a case full of twists and turns that dated back years to another mysterious death that featured another person close to Michael who was found dead at the bottom of a staircase. The case will keep fans guessing about the innocence of those involved and what really happened to Kathleen Peterson.
Wormwood (2017)
Legendary documentarian Errol Morris explored a case filled with creepy mysteries about the U.S. government and its use of drugs during the Project MKUltra trials that led to the "jumping" death of one of the CIA's top scientists, though suspicions soon turned towards a coverup.
Wormwood is equal parts documentary and Hollywood production as the son of the man whose death was labeled a suicide discusses his fight to discover the truth, while actors like Peter Sarsgaard brought the past moments and characters to life to immerse viewers into the case like never before.
The Jinx: The Life And Deaths Of Robert Durst (2015)
The truth can be stranger than fiction and, in the case of Robert Durst, almost unbelievable. The Jinx: The Life And Deaths Of Robert Durst is a six-episode series chronicling the life of Robert Alan Durst, including hours of interview footage with the man, himself — a particularly exceptional feat given how uncooperative he’s been with journalists in the past. Durst, a millionaire many times over, is suspected of murdering three individuals in three different states: New York, California, and Texas. Born into wealth as the son of NYC real estate investor Seymour Durst, Robert exhibited strange behavior early on in life, and, it’s safe to say, he’s since gotten much, much stranger.
The Jinx miniseries splices real case evidence, including key pieces currently in use for Durst’s trial for the murder of writer Susan Berman. The hours of interviews with the eccentric murderer will leave you scratching your head and the groundbreaking revelations will have you double-locking your doors. Robert Durst is certainly a man of many faces and The Jinx: The Life And Deaths Of Robert Durst exposes them all.
The Witness (2015)
In March 1964, a young woman was raped and stabbed to death in New York City. Easily one of the most famous crimes in modern American history, Kitty Genovese’s murder — and the 38 witnesses who heard her 30-minute attack and did nothing to help — still sparks polarizing debates and continues to be researched by psychologists and sociologists around the world.
Narrated by her younger brother, William Genovese, The Witness investigates the crime that gripped the nation and put a name and face to “the bystander effect,” and, in doing so, exposes bombshells The New York Times would probably have preferred to be left in the past. If you think you know one of America’s most chilling crime stories, you’re wrong.
Josef Fritzl: Story Of A Monster (2010)
Josef Fritzl: Story of a Monster exposes a crime that is as horrible as it is mind-boggling — a jarring reminder that the evilest monsters are real. Chronicling the decades of sexual, physical, and mental abuse taking place just below the surface, the documentary gives viewers an unvarnished look into the life and mind of a truly heinous man. When his daughter, Elisabeth, turned 18, Fritzl secreted her away beneath the family home in a custom-made dungeon for 24 years.
Forced to live in a damp, windowless cement vault, Elisabeth was repeatedly sexually abused by her father, and as a result, birthed seven children. Relaying Elisabeth’s nightmare through interviews with doctors and Fritzl’s family , Josef Fritzl: Story of a Monster will make you second-guess human nature, how well you know your neighbors, and what it truly means to be evil.
Child Of Rage (1990)
Compiled from real footage of Dr. Ken Magid’s interviews with young children whose trauma during their early stage of life is so severe they cannot form healthy bonds with other people, Child of Rage is an unfiltered view into the mind of six-year-old Beth. The interview is both gripping and terrifying as Beth shares her murderous urges without hesitation and openly its to hoarding knives with the intent to kill her adoptive parents.
The juxtaposition of the six-year-old's vocabulary, for example using “boo-boo” in reference to the vicious assaults she inflicts on her younger brother, only serves to underscore the abuse Beth suffered at the hands of their birth father. With the help of doctors, specialists, and a home dedicated to caring for children with such extreme trauma, the short film closes with updates on Beth’s journey and positive growth. The documentary may be short, but you’ll be unpacking what you’ve watched for a long time to come.
Abducted In Plain Sight (2017)
Abducted in Plain Sight covers the kidnappings — yes, two — of Jan Broberg Felt, who was abducted by the same man, her neighbor, at 12 and 14 years old. Felt herself appears in the documentary, along with her parents and siblings. Piece by piece, Abducted in Plain Sight, reveals how the Idaho teenager ended up in the clutches of Robert Berchtold. Family man and neighbor to the Felts, Berchtold used and abused Jan’s trust right under her parent's noses.
The documentary is full of salacious and dramatic twists — making the two separate kidnappings all the more horrifying. Because of their mind-boggling naiveté and out of conceited self-preservation, Jan’s parents only compounded the trauma Jan experienced by welcoming Berchtold back into their lives — even after her first kidnapping. Released by Netflix in 2019, Abducted in Plain Sight will have you second-guessing your neighbors and send your mind reeling.
