Crime Documentaries on Netflix
Last updated December 21, 2024
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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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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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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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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Terms And Conditions May Apply
2013 | NR | 4.0 out of 5 StarsThrough interviews with technology thought leaders and futurists -- including Mark Zuckerberg, Orson Scott Card and Margaret Atwood -- this timely documentary examines the erosion of privacy in the digital age.
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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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American Drug War: The Last White Hope
2007 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsWith commentary from soldiers on both sides of the conflict, filmmaker Kevin Booth's incisive documentary wades into the murky waters of the American war on drugs, the longest and costliest war in U.S. history. Taking viewers from prisons and inner-city streets to the halls of Congress and his own kitchen, Booth attempts to sort out the intricacies of the national drug policy -- and the reasons for its unmitigated failure.
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Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God
2012 | NR | 3.9 out of 5 StarsFilmmaker Alex Gibney explores the scourge of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, highlighting the landmark story of five deaf men who spoke out about a priest who molested more than 200 children between 1950 and 1974.
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How Weed Won the West
2010 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsFilmmaker Kevin Booth (American Drug War) offers this documentary that chronicles the exploding popularity of medical marijuana dispensaries in California and the mixed response from law enforcement agencies. Focusing on the controversial story of Organica, a legal Los Angeles pot club that was raided in 2009, the film also includes insights from a range of medical marijuana advocates, including a former LAPD cop.
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The Interrupters
2011 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsThis powerful documentary follows CeaseFire, a Chicago-based group -- staffed by former gang members -- that's dedicated to wiping out urban violence. The organization treats violence like an infection and seeks to eradicate the root cause.
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West of Memphis
2012 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsAfter the 1994 conviction of three troubled teens for the murders of three younger boys, questions began to arise about the prosecution of the case, with numerous legal experts and celebrities demanding that previously ignored evidence be examined.
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Mafia's Greatest Hits
2012 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsThis bare-knuckled documentary series explores the infamous characters at the heart of the American branch of the Italian crime organization. The FBI's relentless battle to counter the Mafia's influence provides a drama that stretches over decades.
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Mafia's Greatest Hits
2012 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsLooking back on the Mafia's greatest "hits," this gritty documentary series profiles the people at the center of America's most powerful organized crime group. Even the FBI can't curb the Mafia's influence, despite decades of tireless efforts.
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Mario's Story
2007 | NR | 3.8 out of 5 StarsShot over the course of seven years, this documentary from filmmakers Susan Koch and Jeff Werner relates the inspiring true story of Mario Rocha, an East L.A. teen who unlocked his talent for writing while serving out a murder sentence behind bars. As his family and a team of pro bono attorneys labor on the outside to clear his name for a crime he didn't commit, Mario keeps himself grounded on the inside by writing poems, short stories and plays.
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The Thin Blue Line
1988 | NR | 3.7 out of 5 StarsFilmmaker Errol Morris's gripping investigation into the murder of a Dallas police officer was responsible for freeing the man who was originally -- and erroneously -- charged with and convicted of the crime.
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The Imposter
2012 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsA 13-year-old boy who vanished in Texas and shows up three years later in Spain now has the same tattoos, but looks different and speaks with an accent. An investigator sets out to unravel the mystery in this riveting documentary.
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Unraveled
2011 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsReflecting on his fortune and downfall while awaiting sentencing and under house arrest, attorney and white-collar criminal Marc Dreier reveals the series of events that led him to hatch a Ponzi scheme which lost $750 million.
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Into the Abyss
2011 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsDirector Werner Herzog's compelling documentary examines the emotional aftermath of a triple murder in Texas, interviewing the two convicted killers, their relatives, the victims' families and law-enforcement officials involved in the case.
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Brother's Keeper
1992 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsThis documentary explores the odd world of the four elderly Ward brothers, illiterate farmers who have lived their entire lives in a dilapidated shack. When William dies in the bed he shared with his brother Delbert, the police arrest him for murder.
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Until the Light Takes Us
2008 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsTaking viewers deep inside the notorious "Inner Circle" that promoted murder, suicide and church burning in the Norwegian black metal subculture of the 1990s, filmmakers Aaron Aites and Audrey Ewell offer up a nuanced and fascinating documentary. Rare footage and interviews with musicians -- including Gylve "Fenriz" Nagell, Varg "Count Grishnackh" Vikernes and Jan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg -- shed light on the controversial movement.
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Girl 27
2007 | NR | 3.6 out of 5 StarsAuthor-screenwriter David Stenn investigates a notorious Hollywood scandal more than 65 years after it occurred, a rape case involving Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio execs and an underage dancer who refused to stay silent. Hired along with 120 other young girls to entertain MGM salesmen at a stag party in 1937, Patricia Douglas was violently raped and brought a landmark lawsuit against her attackers -- then mysteriously disappeared.
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The End: British Gangsters
2008 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsTake a close, hard look at the seedy underbelly of London's East End in the post-World War II era in this unflinching documentary, which profiles a violent group of local gangsters who openly discuss their shocking exploits and unique code of honor. With surprising candor, this intriguing look at criminal life explores how the neighborhood's aggressive and confrontational culture spawned so many lawbreakers.
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Life with Murder
2010 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsWhen 18-year-old Jennifer Jenkins is shot dead at home, all evidence points to the guilt of her 20-year-old brother, Mason -- but the siblings' parents maintain an unwavering belief in their son's innocence. Director John Kastner's unflinching documentary chronicles Mason's 11-year march through the Canadian court system, from first interrogation to appeal attempts, and culminates in an unforeseen revelation.
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Thieves by Law
2010 | NR | 3.5 out of 5 StarsFormer heads of the Russian Mafia who have shrewdly transformed themselves into reputable businessmen reveal their past experiences influencing their nation's economy, building up immense wealth and strictly adhering to a private code of thieves. Granted unprecedented access and cooperation, director Alexander Gentelev presents an intriguing documentary that exposes a chilling chapter of Russia's hidden history.
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