26 Serial Killer Documentaries to Binge-Watch When You Need a True Crime Fix
You'll be on the edge of your seat.
Watching spooky movies and listening to scary podcasts just hits different once it starts getting chilly outside. Halloween will be here before you know it, and, if you're like us, you've probably already started to brainstorm ideas for the perfect Halloween costume. But if you want to truly give yourself a fright, turn to real life serial killer documentaries for an evening activity that’s both spine-chilling and ~educational~.
If you've already binge-watched Netflix's Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story with Evan Peters and are craving another dose of eerie, hair-raising entertainment, might we suggest checking out Jeffrey Dahmer: Mind of a Monster or Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes? The latter features unreleased recorded conversations between Dahmer and his lawyer.
Or, if you're all Dahmer-ed out, you can uncover the truth about the urban legend known as Cropsey, and the suspected serial killer who may be connected to the New York boogeyman. Moreover, you could also watch I'll Be Gone in the Dark and learn all about the decades-long search for the identity of the Golden State Killer. If you're interested in learning about serial killers outside of America, watch The Ripper, which is all about the Yorkshire Ripper.
There's a serial killer documentary out there for every niche interest; here are our must-watch top picks.
Myth of the Zodiac Killer
In the late 1960s, someone who called themself the Zodiac Killer took credit for several murders in Northern California's Bay Area. The alleged serial killer sent letters to law enforcement, toying with the police and providing cryptographs for them to solve.
Over 50 years later, we still do not definitively know who the Zodiac Killer is. But rather than look at one suspect, this two-part docuseries focuses on a different, less popular theory: The Zodiac Killer never actually existed; the murders were not committed by the same person.
Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer
If you've ever been to Times Square in New York City, you know it's filled with bright lights, a huge Disney store, and lots of people running amok. But back in the 1970s, the NYC tourist hot spot used to be super seedy, a place where drugs, prostitution, and more adult-themed stores and entertainment venues thrived.
Crime rates were way up and part of that was because of the "Torso Killer," a monster who preyed on women.
I'll Be Gone in the Dark
Based on Michelle McNamara's true crime book, I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer, this HBO miniseries examines how one determined woman stopped at nothing to uncover the identity of the Golden State Killer.
Sins of the Father: The Green River Killer
Serial killer Gary Ridgway terrorized the Pacific Northwest in the 1980s and '90s. He was ultimately caught in 2003 and pleaded guilty to nearly 50 counts of murder.
Interestingly, Ridgway had one son named Matthew. In this 2022 documentary from Tubi, Ridgway's crimes are examined through the eyes of his child, who had to grow up with the knowledge his dad was a serial killer.
Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer
Aileen Wuornos was a female serial killer who robbed and murdered men, and was later executed by lethal injection in Florida in 2002.
In Nick Broomfield's second documentary about Wuornos — his first one came out in 1992 and was called Aileen Wuornos: Selling of a Serial Killer — he centered on her mental state while she was on death row.
If you think you already know the story of Wuornos, Broomfield's documentaries will make you think again.
John Wayne Gacy: Devil In Disguise
Learn all about the horrific crimes committed by John Wayne Gacy from the monster himself in this six-part docuseries. He was responsible for the assault and murder of at least 33 teen boys and young men.
The Ripper
You've probably heard of Jack the Ripper, an unknown serial killer thought to be responsible for at least five deaths in London in the late 1880s. This Netflix docuseries doesn't focus on that Ripper — instead it's about the Yorkshire Ripper who terrorized Britain in the late 1970s.
Cropsey
This underrated documentary investigates the urban legend of "Cropsey," a supposed boogeyman living in New York thought to be responsible for a series of child abductions in the 1970s and '80s.
What the filmmakers learned led them to Andre Rand, a suspected serial killer and convicted child kidnapper.
H.H. Holmes: America’s First Serial Killer
If you've ever read The Devil in the White City, then you'll be familiar with Herman Webster Mudgett, aka H. H. Holmes. Evan Peters's character on American Horror Story: Hotel, was loosely based on Holmes.
This documentary explains all of Holmes's evil deeds and his "Murder Castle," where many of his victims died horrible deaths.
The Hillside Strangler: Devil in Disguise
This docuseries gives a fresh take on Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono's crimes as the Hillside Stranglers, examining the 10 women they brutalized and murdered in the late 1970s. You'll hear Bianchi's actual audio recordings that took place after he was arrested and before he was convicted.
Capturing the Killer Nurse
In 2022, the internet was obsessed with Netflix's true crime movie starring Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain called The Good Nurse. In that same year, Netflix also released a documentary about real-life murderer Charles Cullen, who may have murdered up to 400 victims and nearly got away with his crimes.
MORE: The Good Nurse Cast vs. Real Life People the Movie Is Based On
Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes
If the final episode of Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story left you with questions, turn to the newest installment of Netflix's Conversations with a Killer. The documentary dives into why Dahmer committed his crimes by combing through unreleased footage of conversations he had with his lawyer, Wendy Patrickus.
Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes
A self-described "inwardly troubled boy," Dennis Nilsen confessed to killing upwards of 16 men and boys. This documentary features a narration of Nilsen's life and crimes from Nilsen himself, recorded from his jail cell.
The Hunt For The Zodiac Killer
Although it seems like someone "solves" the mystery of the Zodiac Killer every month, it's still an unsolved case — and the man who claims responsibility for 37 murders (as per his letters to newspapers) has not yet been identified. History attempts to crack the case of this infamous serial murderer in The Hunt For The Zodiac Killer.
Jeffrey Dahmer: Mind of a Monster
Mind of a Monster focuses on how Dahmer started out as a relatively normal child with a relatively normal childhood and spiraled into a serial killer, rapist, and cannibal. You'll hear from Ron Flowers and Tracy Edwards, two of Dahmer's only surviving victims, as well as Dahmer's father Lionel Dahmer and his neighbor Vernell Bass.
Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes
Fair warning: If you have a clown phobia, this documentary isn't for the easily-frightened. John Wayne Gacy was a serial killer who dressed up and performed at children's hospitals as "Pogo the Clown" or "Patches the Clown." The power-hungry sex offender was recorded saying, "I have no remorse. Clowns can get away with anything."
The Sons of Sam: A Descent Into Darkness
Before he was caught and apprehended for multiple murders, David Berkowitz would write letters to newspapers and sign them off as "Son of Sam." The Sons of Sam: A Descent Into Darkness explores journalist Maury Terry's theory that Berkowitz was not acting alone, but that there were multiple Sons of Sam working together and killing around New York City.
BTK: Confession of a Serial Killer
Dennis Rader is better known as the BTK Strangler, an abbreviation short for Bind, Torture, Kill. Rader murdered his victims over the course of decades but wasn't apprehended until 2005. In this series, forensic psychology professor Dr. Katherine Ramsland details her 10-year-long communications with the BTK Strangler.
The Confession Killer
Henry Lee Lucas confessed to committing hundreds of murders, which would have made him one of the most prolific serial killers ever. However, his confessions started to unravel. The Confession Killer explores the story of how evidence came to light that Lucas may have forged hoax confessions to dozens of unsolved murders.
Night Stalker: The Hunt For a Serial Killer
Unlike many serial killers with a distinct modus operandi, Richard Ramirez had no pattern to who he killed during his murder rampage throughout Los Angeles. Night Stalker: The Hunt For a Serial Killer documents how Ramirez was brought down and brought to justice.
Hannah is the assistant shopping editor at Cosmopolitan, covering all things from cute apartment decor to trendy fashion finds, TikTok products that are actually worth your $$$, and the perfect gift to buy for your boyfriend's mom. She previously wrote for Seventeen and CR Fashion Book. Follow her on Instagram for hot takes on red carpet fashion and unhinged updates on the books she’s reading on the train.
Stacey Grant is a senior editor at Seventeen who runs the brand's Snapchat Discover channel. She also covers entertainment topics specializing in nostalgia, such as classic '90s and '00s Disney Channel and Nickelodeon content.
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