Netflix/HuluThe true crime genre continues to evolve, as evidenced by the wealth of documentaries on offer in 2025. From The Perfect Neighbor to Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, we’ve ranked the 15 best titles released this year.
This year has been particularly active in the true crime dramatization subgenre, with the likes of Good American Family, Murdaugh: Death in the Family, The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, Monster Season 4, and Apple Cider Vinegar dominating conversation.
But today we’re here to focus on the standout documentaries of 2025, a year defined by a willingness to rethink how these stories are told.
Some titles hand the mic to families who’ve spent years being spoken over, while others confront the ethical grey areas of the tech-led era. Whatever the case, the entries below have all earned their spot on this list. Warning: some may find this content distressing.
15. Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror
Hulu- Release date: August 19, 2025
- Where to stream it: Hulu
- How long is it? 3 episodes
What it’s about: Samantha Stites describes for the first time her experience being stalked for over a decade by Christopher Thomas, whose obsession culminated in an unimaginable crime.
Why we like it: What makes this documentary stand out is how clearly it shows the grinding, everyday reality of being stalked – not just the fear, but the exhaustion, the dead ends, and the way institutions often fail to take threats seriously. Samantha’s willingness to relive those years gives the docu-series its weight, and her composure in telling it makes the whole ordeal hit even harder.
14. My Father, the BTK Killer
Netflix- Release date: October 10, 2025
- Where to stream it: Netflix
- How long is it? 1 hour 34 minutes
What it’s about: A personal exploration of Dennis Rader’s crimes through the eyes of his daughter, Kerri Rawson, as she confronts the legacy of discovering her father was the BTK murderer.
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Why we like it: My Father, the BTK Killer stands out because it doesn’t retell Dennis Rader’s crimes from a distance; it sits with the daughter who had to live in the shadow of them. Kerri Rawson’s account is raw and often uncomfortable, and while some viewers may feel the focus leans too heavily on her experience, that perspective gives the film a rare insight into a side serial killer documentaries so often avoid.
13. A Deadly American Marriage
Netflix- Release date: May 9, 2025
- Where to stream it: Netflix
- How long is it? 1 hour 42 minutes
What it’s about: A re-examination of Jason Corbett’s 2015 death at the hands of his wife, Molly Martens, and her father, former FBI agent Tom Martens.
Why we like it: An undoubtedly infuriating watch, A Deadly American Marriage presents the events before, during, and after Jason Corbett’s murder alongside candid interviews with both families. It doesn’t judge – it lets the facts speak for themselves. The most compelling moments are undoubtedly the candid interviews with Jason’s two children, Jack and Sarah Corbett-Lynch, who bravely share their experience of losing both their parents, only to then be dragged into a legal battle that no person should ever have to face.
12. The Mortician
HBO Max- Release date: June 1, 2025
- Where to stream it: HBO Max
- How long is it? 3 episodes
What it’s about: The story of David Sconce and the Lamb Funeral Home, exposing how a respected mortuary descended into fraud, mass cremations, and devastating violations of trust.
Why we like it: The Mortician is the kind of documentary that makes you pause the screen just to ask, “How was any of this real?” Oddly, it’s yet another 2025 title that gives a platform to its subject – in this case, David Sconce – but make no mistake: the series never tries to soften him or the family that made him. He’s exactly who he shows himself to be, making this an even more chilling watch than a gothic horror film.
11. Amy Bradley Is Missing
Netflix- Release date: July 16, 2025
- Where to stream it: Netflix
- How long is it? 3 episodes
What it’s about: A deep dive into the 1998 disappearance of Amy Bradley – a 23-year-old woman who went missing while on a Caribbean cruise – and her family’s tireless search for answers.
Why we like it: The case is still unsolved, but Amy Bradley is Missing at least delves into the questions that have been asked over the years: was she murdered? Is she still alive after being trafficked? What did the FBI discover? It might not provide the answers her family are looking for, but the story is well-told and aptly lifts the curtain on the woman Amy was before tragedy struck.
10. A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read
ID- Release date: March 17, 2025
- Where to stream it: HBO Max
- How long is it? 5 episodes
What it’s about: A detailed behind-the-scenes look at the investigation and high-profile trial of Karen Read, accused – and later acquitted – of killing Boston police officer John O’Keefe.
Why we like it: A Body in the Snow features unprecedented access to Read and her family, as well as lawyers, prosecutors, and experts, plus O’Keefe’s family and friends, all in a bid to make sense of what happened on the night of his death. Yes, it could be argued it’s a little one-sided, but the docu-series deftly weaves together events and details that may have otherwise been overlooked, while contextualising the jury’s ultimate verdict.
9. Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing
Netflix- Release date: April 9, 2025
- Where to stream it: Netflix
- How long is it? 3 episodes
What it’s about: An exposé into the dark realities of child content creators, told through the case of Piper Rockelle and the Squad, a kidfluencer collective run by momager Tiffany Smith.
Why we like it: Much like the Ruby Franke case, this docu-series serves as a startling call to action to advocate for child labor laws in the digital age. Told through the eyes of The Squad – a child content creator group led by Piper Rockelle’s momager Tiffany Smith – Bad Influence is an uncomfortable but essential watch, examining how easily “family content” can become a pipeline for exploitation.
8. One Night in Idaho: The College Murders
Prime Video- Release date: July 11, 2025
- Where to stream it: Prime Video
- How long is it? 4 episodes
What it’s about: A docu-series on the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students, following the victims’ family and friends in the aftermath, with Ethan Chapin and Madison Mogan’s parents giving their first interviews.
Why we like it: What sets One Night in Idaho apart is that it refuses to turn a brutal crime into spectacle. Instead, it gives space to the families and friends of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves, letting them define the story in their own words. By sidestepping the obsession with the killer, the documentary restores humanity to a case swallowed by rumor, fear, and internet noise, reminding us who should have been centered all along.
7. The Diamond Heist
Netflix- Release date: April 16, 2025
- Where to stream it: Netflix
- How long is it? 3 episodes
What it’s about: The story of an attempted robbery of a large diamond collection from the Millennium Dome in London in 2000, told through interviews with the gangsters involved and the police who tracked them
Why we like it: Guy Ritchie served as executive producer on this Netflix docu-series, and his fingerprints are all over it. From stylized reenactments to the slick editing and sharp storytelling, it has all the hallmarks of a classic British gangster movie (and is just as gripping to watch) – except this story actually happened. You won’t be able to help rooting for the “bad guys” in this series.
6. Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke
Instagram- Release date: February 27, 2025
- Where to stream it: Hulu
- How long is it? 3 episodes
What it’s about: A deep dive into the rise and downfall of YouTuber Ruby Franke and ConneXions founder Jodi Hildebrandt, charting how their strict parenting ideology escalated into criminal abuse.
Why we like it: It’s safe to say that there have been a lot of Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt documentaries ever since the pair were sentenced in 2024. But Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke is arguably the most comprehensive out there, featuring interviews with Ruby’s ex-husband Kevin and her estranged children, Shari and Chad. That said, even having all the details laid out in front of you, it’s still hard to fathom how Ruby and Jodi’s cruelty was able to escalate for so long.
5. American Murder: Gabby Petito
Netflix- Release date: February 17, 2025
- Where to stream it: Netflix
- How long is it? 3 episodes
What it’s about: A three-part account of the tragic case of Gabby Petito, the van life vlogger who was murdered by fiancé Brian Laundrie.
Why we like it: It’s hard not to feel emotional watching a story we thought we knew gain new depth through the voices of Gabby’s family and friends. Although the AI voice recreation was a step too far, American Murder: Gabby Petito is otherwise well-paced and carefully told, cutting through the tabloid noise to highlight the institutional failures surrounding her case. Its examination of Brian Laundrie’s family – culminating in the “burn after reading” letter – underscores how misguided loyalty can turn deadly.
4. An Update on Our Family
HBO Max- Release date: January 15, 2025
- Where to stream it: HBO Max
- How long is it? 3 episodes
What it’s about: An investigation into the Stauffer family vlog and the disappearance of their adopted son Huxley, raising broader questions about the ethics of featuring children on social media.
Why we like it: An Update on Our Family begins as a look at YouTube domestic bliss but quickly unravels into a difficult, necessary story about what happens when a child’s life becomes content. The docu-series handles the Stauffers’ adoption of Huxley with a steady hand, never sensationalizing his disappearance from their channel, and instead raising harder questions about accountability and the growing problem of children being exploited online long before they can speak for themselves.
3. Unknown Number: The High School Catfish
Netflix- Release date: August 29, 2025
- Where to stream it: Netflix
- How long is it? 1 hour 34 minutes
What it’s about: In October 2020 in Beal City, Michigan, 13-year-old Lauryn Licari and her boyfriend at the time were targeted by an unknown cyberstalker. As police investigate the months of torment, they uncover a truth far darker than anything they’d imagined.
Why we like it: It’s one of those stories that even after you’ve seen it, you’ll struggle to wrap your head around (just look at the “blind react” TikToks). Skye Borgman gives the case room to breathe, letting the people involved talk through the shock in real time while simultaneously addressing issues such as safety in the digital age and child abuse. When the truth finally lands, it’s like a sucker punch to the face.
2. Predators
Paramount+- Release date: December 8, 2025
- Where to stream it: Paramount+
- How long is it? 1 hour 36 minutes
What it’s about: A probing examination To Catch a Predator, revisiting the show’s stings, its cultural impact, and the ethical questions it raised through interviews with former decoys, unseen raw footage, and an appearance from host Chris Hansen.
Why we like it: Predators is an unflinching, surprisingly reflective look at the rise and fallout of To Catch a Predator, pulling back the curtain on a cultural phenomenon many of us half-remember but never fully questioned. Rather than simply rehashing its most sensational moments, the film examines the ethics, fallout, and uncomfortable grey areas when legal procedures become entertainment.
1. The Perfect Neighbor
Netflix- Release date: October 17, 2025
- Where to stream it: Netflix
- How long is it? 1 hour 37 minutes
What it’s about: Told through police bodycam and dispatch footage, A Perfect Neighbor centers on the 2023 killing of Ajike Owens at the hands of neighbor Susan Lorincz, highlighting issues of racism and “stand your ground” laws.
Why we like it: The Perfect Neighbor is quietly devastating in the way it unfolds entirely through police cam footage; it never tells you what to think, and instead shows you what happened, letting the facts speak for themselves. That unfiltered approach is why it’s first on this list: it lays bare the slow, avoidable slide into tragedy and shows how easily ordinary interactions can turn dangerous in a society shaped by suspicion and prejudice. It’s deeply affecting filmmaking, and the year’s most essential true-crime doc.
For more true crime, check out the new documentaries coming to streaming this month. You can also read our rundown of the best shows of 2025 and the best movies of the year.