I Watched At Least 27 True Crime Documentaries This Year, And My Favorite Wasn’t The Perfect Neighbor

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True crime documentaries were everywhere in 2025, and 2026 looks to be just as packed. I watched a ton of them, but honestly, it’s impossible to keep track of them all. I’ve tallied at least 27 that I saw last year, and I’m pretty sure I’ve forgotten a few.

Okay, so everyone’s been talking about the true crime doc The Perfect Neighbor on Netflix, and it’s even getting buzz for a possible Oscar! I thought it was really interesting, I definitely enjoyed watching it, but honestly, it didn’t quite make it into my top favorites of the year. There were just so many good ones – I’ve actually put together a list of nine that I really loved!

The Perfect Neighbor Is Remarkable

What’s remarkable about The Perfect Neighbor is its unique construction. The documentary tells the disturbing story of Susan Lorincz, a woman whose dispute with local children tragically ends in a death and her subsequent manslaughter conviction, and it does so using almost exclusively footage from police body cameras. It’s unlike any documentary I’ve ever seen, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it wins an Oscar.

Unknown Number: The High School Catfish Is The Most Bonkers

Calling the story in Unknown Number: The High School Catfish “bonkers” isn’t meant to downplay the harm done to those involved, but it’s truly unbelievable. It’s a story you wouldn’t think could happen in real life – a mother cyberbullying her own daughter for years! Even after finishing the documentary, I was still shocked by everything I’d seen.

Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy Really Freaked Me Out

It’s really frustrating that after the tragedy at Astroworld, where ten people died and hundreds were hurt, no one has been held legally responsible. The grand jury decided not to indict Travis Scott or anyone involved in organizing the festival, but honestly, after watching the documentary, it’s hard not to feel like someone should have been. As someone who goes to a lot of concerts, the documentary was genuinely frightening and made me think a lot about safety at these events.

The Mortician Was The Most Disturbing

Available on HBO Max, The Mortician is a truly shocking and unbelievable docuseries. It’s so bizarre, you’ll find yourself nervously laughing at the wild characters and events. The three-part series centers around a funeral director whose life spirals out of control due to crime and drugs.

Oklahoma City Bombing: American Terror Was Completely Heartbreaking

I was a college freshman when the Oklahoma City bombing happened on April 19th, and I remember it vividly. This year, marking the 30th anniversary, several documentaries explored the event and its consequences. The Netflix documentary, Oklahoma City Bombing: American Terror, was particularly difficult to watch, but it covers a crucial moment in American history that deserves to be remembered.

Predators Really Got Me Thinking About Reality TV

The newest addition to this list is Predators, now streaming on Paramount+. The documentary revisits the TV show To Catch A Predator and explores the impact it had. Watching it made me think about the exploitative nature of reality TV during that time, and how far it went.

Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster Was The Freakiest

Two documentaries came out this year about the Titan submarine implosion: one on Netflix and Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster on HBO Max. While both were well-made, the HBO Max documentary was much more frightening. It includes audio of the moment the disaster occurred, and the sound stayed with me for weeks afterward.

Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer Cleared So Much Up

I’d been vaguely aware of the Gilgo Beach murders for years. As a former New York City resident with a strange interest in serial killers, I’d always followed the case from a distance. I knew someone had been arrested, but it wasn’t until I watched the Netflix series that I really understood what happened.

Stolen: Heist Of The Century Is My Favorite

My top true crime documentary this year is Netflix’s Stolen: Heist Of The Century. It’s not the most glamorous or award-winning, but I’ve been following this story for years and I’m really pleased with how the documentary turned out. It details the biggest diamond heist ever – the 2003 Antwerp diamond heist – and it feels like something straight out of an Ocean’s movie. Thieves stole over $100 million worth of diamonds from a highly secure vault in Antwerp, and those diamonds are still missing.

I stumbled across a book about this story years ago, and as a total sucker for heist movies, I was immediately captivated. What I really liked was that it wasn’t centered around something awful like murder – it felt almost playful, in a strange way. Obviously, people suffered financially, and those involved did face consequences, but it was a much easier watch than a true crime documentary, and honestly, I really appreciated that lighter tone.

Okay, so there’s one film I need to highlight, even though it doesn’t quite fit with the true crime docs we’ve been discussing. It’s called The Alabama Solution, and while it’s not a straight-up true crime story, it dives into the deeply troubling conditions inside Alabama’s prison system. Honestly, if you’re looking for a single documentary to check out from the upcoming 2025 releases, make it this one. It’s a tough watch, but a really important one.

This year had a lot of excellent true crime documentaries, and I’m excited to see what true crime films come out in 2026.

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2025-12-31 03:09