Content Warning: The following article contains discussions of graphic violence, sexual assault, rape, and suicide.Serial killers have fascinated society for decades. What causes someone to cross that line? Is it something that happened to them during childhood? Are some people born with a desire to kill? Is it a problem that science may be able to solve in the future?
The following are serial killer documentaries now streaming on Netflix that will keep you up at night. These docs are as illuminating as they are deeply creepy, with the most disturbing ones also happening to be the most well-made. Be warned: several of these contain unsettling content that showcases the worst of humanity.
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‘American Murder: Laci Peterson’ (2024)
Directed by Skye Borgman
In 2002, wife and soon-to-be mother, Laci Peterson, mysteriously vanished from her home in late December, leading to a large-scale manhunt and search parties determined to find the eight-month pregnant woman. When Peterson’s body was discovered four months later, all the clues led to her husband, Scott, who was charged and convicted of her murder and the murder of their unborn baby.
American Murder: Laci Peterson gives viewers a detailed account of Laci’s disappearance and murder from her family and friends as well as the investigators involved in her case. While Laci’s story made national headlines and most are familiar with her tragic murder, this Netflix series reveals new information and the recent development in Scott Peterson’s attempt to appeal his conviction, resulting in some questioning his involvement.
29
‘Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer’ (2021)
Directed by Joe Berlinger
During the 1970s, New York State was terrorized by a serial killer known as The Times Square Killer or The Torso Killer who would prey on women to fulfill his most sadistic and darkest desires. As police relentlessly worked to try and identify the Times Square Killer, nothing could have prepared them for the madman who was responsible for over a dozen murders in both New York and New Jersey.
Despite his number of victims and heinous crimes, many are not aware of the Times Square Killer, who was later identified as a seemingly normal family man, Richard Cottingham. The Netflix series gives a detailed account of Cottingham’s crimes, but also recognizes the women he claimed for his personal amusement, humanizing them as more than just his victims. Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer serves as another reminder to viewers that sometimes the least likely suspects are the ones who are capable of committing the most unimaginable crimes against humanity.
28
‘Unabomber: In His Own Words’ (2020)
Directed by Mick Grogan
Ted Kaczynski may not have been a serial killer like Ted Bundy or John Wayne Gacy and physically claimed his victims in person, but his crimes were just as senseless and terrorized the entire country for several decades. Netflix’s Unabomber – In His Own Words primarily features an interview of Kaczynski who gives a detailed account of not only his crimes but also his childhood and growing up into what could have been a promising future.
Unabomber: In His Own Words is a fascinating look into the mind of a young genius who had immense potential and the events that led him down the path of becoming one of America’s most wanted serial killers in history. The series also features interviews from those who miraculously survived Kaczynski’s crimes as well as his brother, David, ultimately exploring the detrimental impact of Kaczynski’s crimes, which still linger for many today.
27
‘Homicide New York’ (2024)
Directed by Barry Levinson
New York City is a constant magnet for crimes of all kinds and in the anthology series, Homicide New York, viewers get a chance to look into the lesser-known cases during the pinnacle of crime in the Big Apple. With Law & Order creator, Dick Wolf, serving as executive producer, the series highlights a range of cases, including a drug deal gone bad as well as a serial killer who continued to evade authorities until new technology emerged.
The brutal cases covered in Homicide New York are told by the actual investigators who worked on the cases, as well as testimony from the victims’ families and friends. The series gives a raw, uncensored look into the landscape of crime at the time and the unsung efforts of New York’s finest, who many are still haunted by the cases today. Homicide New York might not cover well-known cases, but the fact that many are unknown to the public is the ultimate chilling factor of this Netflix series.
New York Homicide
- Release Date
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January 2, 2022
- Network
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Oxygen
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Robert K. Boyce
Self – Host & Former NYPD Chief of Detectives
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Diane Fanning
Self – True Crime Author, “Under the Knife”
26
‘Indian Predator: The Diary of a Serial Killer’ (2022)
Directed by Dheeraj Jindal
The second installment of Netflix’s Indian Predator series, The Diary of a Serial Killer recounts a series of grisly murders that took place in Uttar Pradesh, India, in the 2000s. After a journalist vanished without a trace and was subsequently found killed, an investigation led to a suspect. Further investigation pointed to Ram Niranjan, aka Raja Kolander, who was accused of murdering more than 15 people, with possible cannibalism involved in his modus operandi.
Indian Predator: The Diary of a Serial Killer is a ghastly and gory depiction of a killer’s mental pathologies. The narrative uses illustrations and dramatized renditions of the killings, featuring severed heads, mutilated corpses, and cannibalism, which can leave the audience feeling unsettled and terrified. The on-camera interview with the accused makes for a chilling viewing experience, as it takes the audience into the darkest corners of a criminal’s mind. —Maddie P
25
‘American Murder: Gabby Petito’ (2025)
Directed by Michael Gasparro and Julia Willoughby Nason
American Murder: Gabby Petito follows the life, disappearance, and eventual death of Gabby Petito, an American travel vlogger who became popular on social media as an influencer for #vanlife. In 2021, the 22-year-old adventurer set out for a road trip of a lifetime with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, cataloging their lives on the road, on their blog and YouTube. But within a few months of their dream journey, Petito went missing. When Laundrie returned home alone, it launched a widespread online search and investigation into Petito’s disappearance, with her body found months later.
A tragic story of romance and violence, the series chronicles all the events leading up to Petito’s disappearance in Wyoming, including domestic violence from Laundrie and what triggered her death. In its three parts, American Murder: Gabby Petito unfolds the truth through interviews with friends and family, personal documents, and hard evidence like text messages and video footage, which leaves the audience shocked and sad. —Maddie P
24
‘This Is the Zodiac Speaking’ (2024)
Directed by Phil Lott and Ari Mark
During the 1960s and 1970s, the Bay Area was terrorized by an unknown and unpredictable serial killer who called himself the Zodiac. Today, the identity of the Zodiac remains unknown, but Netflix’s newest series about the case, This Is the Zodiac Speaking, features interviews with the Seawater family, who believe the Zodiac killer was their teacher and mother’s boyfriend, Arthur Leigh Allen.
This Is the Zodiac Speaking is an eye-opening series about Allen, who was one of law enforcement’s main suspects in the case. The series primarily centers around the Seawater children, who reveal not only their relationship and opinion of Allen, but also the alarming clues and events that potentially connect him to the Zodiac’s crimes. Even though there isn’t a definitive answer to Allen’s guilt or innocence, This Is the Zodiac Speaking still reignites viewers’ curiosity about one of America’s most notorious cold cases.
This Is the Zodiac Speaking
- Release Date
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2024 – 2023
- Network
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Netflix
23
‘Crime Scene Berlin: Nightlife Killer’ (2024)
Directed by Caroline Schaper and Jan Zabeil
Netflix’s three-part docuseries, Crime Scene Berlin: Nightlife Killer, takes a look into a series of brutal murders of young gay men in Berlin, Germany during 2012. With little information and dead-end leads, local authorities struggle to identify the murderer, causing fear to heighten among the gay community and resulting in many people being on high alert and taking extra precautions while out at night. Just when investigators think they’ve exhausted all their efforts, they get a break when one of the killer’s victims manages to escape.
This serial killer docuseries serves as a steadfast reminder to everyone to always be aware of your surroundings and who you are with when out and about on the party scene. While this particular killer targeted a specific community, it still sends shivers down any viewer’s spine just thinking about an unknown predator who could be potentially lurking around the corner. Crime Scene Berlin: Nightlife Killer effectively lays out each case with immense detail and provides as much information regarding not sure the crimes but also the victims whose lives were tragically cut short and still have not received justice. – Andrea Ciriaco
22
‘Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes’ (2022)
Directed by Joe Berlinger
Jeffrey Dahmer is a universally recognized serial killer who horrifically murdered dozens of young men and boys and, while his crimes were unimaginable, what he did to his victims after is what baffled society. Today, people still can’t wrap their minds around how someone could be capable of committing such heinous acts. It may not provide exact answers, but Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes, sheds new light inside the mind of one of America’s most notorious serial killers.
Dahmer is a mass murderer who many are most likely aware of, but to hear from him directly talk about his crimes and explain his mindset chills is simply bone-chilling. Between his nonchalant tone and matter-of-fact responses to the interviewers, it’s as if he’s recounting his normal, day-to-day routine, which is undoubtedly intriguing for true crime fans. Even though there hasn’t been another serial killer like Dahmer, the sheer fact that a human being is not only capable of such brutality but also able to get away with it for decades is the most frightening thought that audiences will take away from this docuseries. – Andrea Ciriaco
21
‘American Murder: The Family Next Door’ (2020)
Directed by Jenny Popplewell
Netflix’s American Murder: The Family Next Door takes an in-depth look into the 2018 triple homicide of Shannan Watts and her two daughters, Celeste and Bella. With the use of actual police body cam footage and texts to and from Shannan, this documentary paints a portrait of what appeared to be an all-American family viciously ripped apart by a husband and father, Chris Watts.
The murder of a mother and two innocent children by itself is unfathomable, but the fact that they were carried out by someone who is supposed to love and protect them is pure evil. American Murder: The Family Next Door immerses viewers into the events leading up to Watt’s confession but also into the lives of what seemed like a normal, loving family, witnessing it slowly unravel through Shannan’s social media and text exchanges. By the time it’s over, viewers can’t help but feel as though they know the young mother and her bright girls who had their entire lives ahead of them, making this a heartbreaking but chilling documentary. – Andrea Ciriaco