Crime Documentaries on Netflix
Last updated April 23, 2024
Benji
2012 | NR | 4.3 out of 5 StarsThis gripping documentary tells the story of Ben Wilson, a good-natured and beloved teenage basketball phenom from Chicago's South Side whose life was tragically cut short by violence in November 1984.
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Serving Life
2011 | NR | 4.2 out of 5 StarsFilmed in a notorious Louisiana prison, this moving documentary chronicles the work of some inmates who find a sense of redemption for their past crimes by volunteering in the jail's hospice, offering compassion to other prisoners as they die.
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30 for 30: The Two Escobars
2010 | NR | 4.2 out of 5 StarsDiscover the surprising parallels between star athlete Andres Escobar and international drug kingpin Pablo Escobar -- two renowned Colombians who loved the sport of soccer, achieved incredible levels of success and suffered brutally violent deaths.
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Crime After Crime
2011 | NR | 4.1 out of 5 StarsConvicted of killing her brutally abusive boyfriend in 1983, Deborah Peagler languished in prison for 20 years. When California legislation allowing incarcerated domestic-violence survivors to reopen their cases becomes law, a pair of novice attorneys agree to take on her case. Armed with evidence of their client's innocence, the two encounter a bewildering maze of bureaucratic procedures and political corruption as they seek justice.
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Ken Burns: Prohibition
2011 | NR | 4.1 out of 5 StarsKen Burns's fascinating multipart documentary examines the history of alcohol in America, including the events leading up to the passage of the 18th Amendment, the social and legal effects of prohibiting alcohol, and the repeal of Prohibition.
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Ken Burns: Prohibition
2011 | NR | 4.1 out of 5 StarsKen Burns's fascinating multipart documentary examines the history of alcohol in America, including the events leading up to the passage of the 18th Amendment, the social and legal effects of prohibiting alcohol, and the repeal of Prohibition.
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26 Years: The Dewey Bozella Story
2012 | NR | 4.1 out of 5 StarsA promising young boxer from a troubled family, Dewey Bozella was wrongfully convicted of murder in 1983 and spent more than 26 years in Sing Sing prison. This inspirational film follows his quest to fight one professional fight as a free man.
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Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father
2008 | NR | 4.1 out of 5 StarsFilmmaker Kurt Kuenne's poignant tribute to his murdered childhood friend, Andrew Bagby, tells the story of a child custody battle between the baby's grieving grandparents and Shirley Turner, Bagby's pregnant ex-girlfriend and suspected killer. Initially, Kuenne made this documentary as a memorial for Andrew's loved ones, but it morphs into an emotional legal odyssey when Turner goes free on bail and is allowed to raise her son.
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Solved
2008 | NR | 4.0 out of 5 StarsThis Investigation Discovery series shines a light on high-profile homicide cases through the first-person accounts of detectives and FBI agents. Forensics experts assist law enforcement personnel by zeroing in on the evidence.
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Solved: Season 3
2010 | NR | 4.0 out of 5 StarsThe third season of this documentary-style series features true stories of ruthless killers in complex storylines. In each installment, a case unfolds through first-person accounts from America's elite law enforcement officers.
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Solved: Season 2
2009 | NR | 4.0 out of 5 StarsBizarre true stories of brutal murder baffle investigators in this crime documentary series, from a churchgoing love triangle to a staged carjacking. As detectives sift through the evidence, the motives and suspects they uncover can be surprising.
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The Central Park Five
2012 | NR | 4.0 out of 5 StarsThis piercing documentary examines the case of five teenagers, all African-American or Latino, who were convicted of the brutal rape of a white woman in Central Park in 1989. Years later, the confession of the real rapist set the jailed men free.
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The Dhamma Brothers
2008 | NR | 4.0 out of 5 StarsDonaldson Correctional Facility -- an overcrowded, violent maximum-security prison, the end of the line in Alabama's prison system -- is dramatically changed by the introduction and influence of an ancient meditation program.
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Bastards of the Party
2005 | NR | 4.0 out of 5 StarsDirected and hosted by Cle Sloan, a former member of Los Angeles' notorious gang, the Bloods, this documentary chronicles the history of black street gangs, from their first appearances in the 1940s to their present-day incarnations. Inspired by Mike Davis's book, City of Quartz, Sloan examines the culture from all sides, drawing on interviews with active and inactive gang members, former FBI agents and prominent community figures.
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The House I Live In
2012 | NR | 4.0 out of 5 StarsThis documentary shines a harsh light on America's "war on drugs" and its long-term impact on society. Filmmaker Eugene Jarecki captures the stories of dealers, police officers, prison inmates and others affected by the crusade.
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The Ambassador
2011 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsFilmmaker Mads Brügger poses as a diplomat in central Africa and secretly films his wheeling and dealing in a corrupt society. With forged diplomatic papers, he claims to be opening a match factory, but tries to gain access to the area's diamonds.
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Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel: The Life of an Outlaw
2001 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsIn this never-before-seen footage, see Tupac at seventeen speaking out about injustice on the streets of Oakland. Directed by Academy Award nominee Peter Spirer, Thug Angel takes you beyond the drama of Tupac's notoriety in the press through new interviews with friends, collaborators and scholars as they look back on Tupac and define his legacy today.
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The Trials of Darryl Hunt
2006 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsThis poignant documentary tells the story of Darryl Hunt, a black North Carolina man who spent 20 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit: the rape and murder of a young white journalist.
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Cocaine Cowboys
2006 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsThis penetrating documentary from director Billy Corben pulls out all the stops to explore the many dimensions of Miami's cocaine-trafficking boom of the 1980s, as told by the smugglers, cops and average citizens who were there. The film is an unflinching study of Miami's most notorious and lethal vice -- from how the drug was moved and its financial impact on the city to the havoc and violence that followed in its wake.
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Stalked: Someone's Watching
2011 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsThis documentary series follows the harrowing, emotional stories of stalking victims and examines the twisted psychology of the people who relentlessly pursue them. A criminal psychologist provides insight into the obsessive behavior.
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Stalked: Someone's Watching: Season 1
2011 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsWatch the harrowing stories of everyday people who became victims to relentless stalkers. From an emotionally abusive ex to a "friendly" neighbor to a harmless crush gone awry, hear from the victims themselves -- if they were lucky enough to survive.
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Burma VJ
2008 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsFilmmaker Anders Østergaard's Oscar-nominated documentary profiles the courageous efforts of a renegade band of Burmese reporters (aka the Burma VJs) who -- in the face of a repressive regime and media censorship -- refuse to be silenced.
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Beyond the Gates of Splendor
2002 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsThis documentary tells the extraordinary story of five American missionaries who, in 1956, were killed in Ecuador by the indigenous Waodani tribe. After the murders, family members of the slain men take up the missionaries' work with the Waodani.
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Cocaine Cowboys 2
2008 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsSending a letter of admiration to the imprisoned "Cocaine Godmother" Griselda Blanco sets off a chain reaction of life-changing events for drug dealer Charles Cosby, who becomes her lover -- and a multimillionaire -- in one fell swoop. But Cosby doesn't realize he's been sharing a bed with the notorious "Black Widow," a woman who kills her lovers with ruthless indifference. Billy Corben directs this documentary follow-up to Cocaine Cowboys.
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If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
2011 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsFilmmakers Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman examine the case of Daniel McGowan, a member of the radical environmental group Earth Liberation Front who was arrested for committing arson against two Oregon timber companies.
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