The Best Documentaries About Serial Killers
Matthew Perez Step inside the chilling minds of the world's darkest serial killers with these amazing true crime documentaries you won't be able to turn off.
Have you ever wondered what's behind the violent, depraved impulses of a bonafide serial killer? In an effort to get to the bottom of why, lawyers will often point to a history of child abuse or a host of neurological conditions, but in the end, there's never a good excuse for mass murder.
Even so, what makes a person completely devoid of human compassion and empathy? In a search for answers, true crime documentaries will often explore a killer's twisted motives by conducting interviews and following the story arcs of their lives, and we've got to admit, the results can be darkly fascinating. Are you ready to get sucked in?
Updated on January 30th, 2021 by Scoot Allan: The true crime genre has never been more popular, as new and old fans alike are able to learn more than ever thanks to some truly amazing documentaries on various streaming services that explore the serial killers that have captivated the world's attention over the years. From infamous murderers like Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer who helped investigators learn more about serial killers to unknown murderers like the Zodiac Killer that still have detectives scratching their heads, these serial killer documentaries are not to be missed by any fans of true crime.
Night Stalker: The Hunt For A Serial Killer
Serial killer Richard Ramirez terrified the entire city of Los Angeles during a period in the eighties as he raped and murdered a number of victims until he ultimately caught by the very citizens of the city he had terrorized, which is explored in Netflix's Night Stalker: The Hunt For A Serial Killer.
The docuseries explores the crimes and the trial of Ramirez that led to his further infamy, though Night Stalker does attempt to deglamorize the brutal killer by shifting the focus to his victims, survivors, and the police who hunted down the sadistic serial killer.
I'll Be Gone In the Dark
HBO's six-part documentary I'll Be Gone In The Dark adapted the true-crime novel by the late Michelle McNamara, which explored the violent crimes and the mystery of the identity of the Golden State Killer, who raped over fifty women and murdered over 10 people over his escalating crime spree that began in the 70s.
The mystery was only recently solved when DNA evidence was matched to a retired cop who was still living in the area of his earliest crimes. I'll Be Gone In The Dark chronicles both the Golden State Killer and the hunt for his identity by dedicated police and McNamara herself, who tragically passed away before the truth was revealed.
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst
When Andrew Jarecki directed 2010's All Good Things, which was based on the mysterious disappearances that surrounded real estate tycoon Robert Durst, he could have never imagined that Durst himself would get in contact and want to talk more.
Those on-camera conversations turned into HBO's The Jinx: The Life And Deaths of Robert Durst, a six-part miniseries that aired in 2015 that explored the disappearances and deaths that potentially made Durst one of America's wealthiest serial killers. The Jinx quickly became one of the most surprising true crime docs of the last decade.
Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes
Ted Bundy is potentially one of the most well-known serial killers, as his violent murders of women and repeated escapes from prison were well-documented alongside his courtroom antics and later help with understanding other serial killers like the Green River Killer.
However, true-crime fans were given another piece to Ted Bundy's story with Netflix's Conversation With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, which featured recorded interviews between police and Bundy that further detailed his story and offered an interesting, albeit sometimes problematic look inside the mind of a killer with an alleged gift for gab.
Bayou Blue
2011's Bayou Blue explores the troubling case of Ronald Dominique/The Bayou Strangler, one of America's most prolific serial killers who killed in the south around New Orleans for almost a decade, avoiding suspicion or even interest in his crimes due to his choice of victims and the chaos caused by Hurricane Katrina.
The film not only chronicles the crimes of Dominique as he raped and murdered 23 men while authorities who failed to notice or ignored his crimes as his victims were mostly black men in high-risk lifestyles, but also features families of the victims still trying to make sense of the complicated case.
Aileen: Life And Death Of A Serial Killer
This 2003 documentary is about Aileen Wuornos, a serial killer who shot and killed seven men between 1989 and 1990 and was executed by lethal injection on 2002. Sound familiar? The 2003 film Monster starred Charlize Theron as Wuornos and earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress.
Interestingly, this documentary focuses on Wuornos' declining mental state and the court's questionable claim that she was of "sound mind" at the time of her death. Was Aileen's execution a fair decision, or a gross miscarriage of justice? Watch and decide for yourself.
Albert Fish: In Sin He Found Salvation
Documentaries don't usually make the hair stand up on the back of my neck, but this one sure did. Albert Fish: In Sin He Found Salvation chronicles the life of serial killer and cannibal, and trust me, you're not going to want to watch it before dinner. Albert Fish was a flesh-eating sadomasochist who molested, tortured, and killed young children in NYC during the Great Depression.
In the guise of a harmless old man, Albert would lure his victims into his home and "sacrifice" them to satisfy his own twisted religious beliefs. It's hard to believe that someone could be capable of such cruelty, but this spine-tingling documentary tells us otherwise.
The Pig Farm
Not to be confused with a documentary about the inhumane treatment of pigs, The Pig Farm follows the life of Robert Pickton, a pig farmer who confessed to killing 49 women and became Canada's most prolific serial killer. Even more disturbing, Pickton had disposed of the bodies at his family's pig farm by feeding them directly to his pigs.
He also reportedly ground up their flesh and mixing it with the pork that he sold to the public. Pickton wanted to keep killing and make it "an even 50," but claimed that he was caught because he was sloppy. Unsurprisingly, he has been sentenced to life with no possibility of parole.
H.H. Holmes: America's First Serial Killer
H.H. Holmes: America's First Serial Killer details the life of America's first serial killer and criminal mastermind, H.H. Holmes, also dubbed the "Torture Doctor." Released in 2004, this documentary focuses on Dr. Holmes' entire life and consists of reenactments, authentic locations, period photography, and expert interviews.
When he was alive, Dr. Holmes designed a castle of horrors in Chicago where he rented rooms to people visiting the 1893 World's Fair. Holmes used torture chambers, acid vats, gassing rooms, and greased chutes to torture and kill his victims and later sold their skeletons to local medical schools.
Cropsey
Cropsey is a 2009 documentary about how urban legends can often be based on gruesome reality, particularly when it comes to "Cropsey," a boogeyman-like figure in NYC. In the film, creators Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio explore the circumstances surrounding five missing children and their connection with Andrew Rand, a convicted child kidnapper and real-life boogeyman.
Viewers watch as Zeman and Brancaccio delve into the story of each missing child in a desperate attempt to provide answers and closure to the families and the Staten Island community at large through their exploration of the local legend.
I Survived BTK
I Survived BTK (also called Feast of the Assumption: BTK and the Otero Family Murders) is a documentary about Charlie Otero, a man who discovered the murdered bodies of his parents and siblings when he was just a teenager. As a living victim, Charlie is the oldest surviving member of the first family murdered by "BTK," an MO that stands for "bind, torture, and kill."
After Charlie discovers that BTK was responsible for killing his family 30 years later, his personal journey of healing is far from over. Even knowing who was responsible, how can one man reconcile the torture and murder of his entire family?
Tales Of The Grim Sleeper
Tales of the Grim Sleeper explores the life of the Grim Sleeper, a notorious serial killer who murdered at least 10 people in Los Angeles over a span of 25 years. His real name is Lonnie David Franklin Jr., but he was nicknamed the "Grim Sleeper" because he appears to have taken a 14-year break from his crimes.
In May 2016, Franklin was convicted of killing nine women and one teenage girl and was sentenced to death after familial DNA analysis. Want to know more? Stream it now on Hulu or Amazon Prime.
This Is The Zodiac Speaking
This is the Zodiac Speaking is a documentary that explores the infamous Zodiac investigation, including interviews with investigators and surviving victims. The movie Zodiac, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, is a fictionalized account of the investigation of the "Zodiac Killer," an unidentified murderer who killed at least seven people in Northern California from the late 60s to early 70s.
The killer, who is responsible for his own famous moniker, sent a series of taunting letters and cryptograms to the press. Although there has been a number of suspects, no conclusive evidence has surfaced and it remains an open case.
The Jeffrey Dahmer Files
The Jeffrey Dahmer Files uses archived footage, interviews, and fictionalized reenactments to tell the story of Jeffrey Dahmer before his arrest in 1991. For those of you who aren't familiar with the case, Dahmer was arrested and sentenced to life in prison for murdering 17 men and boys and dismembering their bodies.
The gruesome discovery was only made more disturbing by the fact that he appeared to be a normal man leading a relatively normal life. The documentary is a very in-depth look into the life of Dahmer and his victims, including recollections from medical examiners, police detectives, and neighbors.
Interview With A Serial Killer
Interview With A Serial Killer is a documentary about Arthur Shawcross, also known as the Genesee River Killer, who candidly discusses the details of his horrific crimes in a prison interview. Shawcross raped and killed 14 victims, including two children, and afterward enjoyed mutilating the bodies by eating them.
The interview is a disturbing (yet fascinating) look into the chilling and unrepentant mind of a mass murderer, as well as a futile attempt to understand his motives that manages to capture some of the menaces of Shawcross even in prison.
