Each year, what viewers expect from true crime continues to expand. Whether it’s a fresh take on a well-known case or coverage of a crime that nobody’s heard of, there’s always a new series coming out based on a true event. Recent shows have also started giving airtime to crimes that don’t involve violent, gruesome acts. Just as many people tune in for series that delve into cults, scammers, conspiracies, and more.
2024 isn’t over yet and already this year has added a list of great shows in this space. These are programs that both true crime connoisseurs and those who typically avoid the genre would love, as supported by strong viewership numbers. From documentaries to dramas, recent cases to historical moments, now is a great time to be interested in true crime. Here are the best true crime series 2024 has offered us (so far).
15 True Crime Story: Smugshot
True Crime Story: Smugshot highlights entitled criminals who believed they were too smart or too rich to be caught and punished for their crimes. In one episode, two parents in California seek revenge on the PTA president in their son’s school. In another case, fishermen celebrated for their catches have questions that need answering after things start not lining up.
A Lighter True Crime Series
Some of the crimes covered in True Crime Story: Smugshot are so ridiculous they are quite funny, though that’s not to say serious topics aren’t covered – the third episode discussed a fatal drunk driving case (though it goes in directions most wouldn’t expect). Even seasoned true crime viewers and listeners need a bit of palate cleanser every now and then, which this docuseries provides.
Stream on AMC+
14 Catch Me a Killer
Catch Me a Killer is based on the autobiography of forensic psychologist and police investigator Micki Pistorius. Her work in the late ’90s helped apprehend several serial killers in her native South Africa. The first episode starts off on a heavy note, with the Station Strangler who was believed to have killed over twenty boys. It was Pistorius’ involvement in the case that eventually led to putting an end to this terrifying reign.
Why It’s Great
Pistorius is played by Charlotte Hope, perhaps best known for her role as Myranda in Game of Thrones. Here, she taps into Pistorius well, showing her at the start of her career and how she must harden herself in order to get the job done. As this isn’t a documentary and thus real footage isn’t used, it puts a bit of distance between the truly horrific cases covered, while still informing viewers of each crime.
Stream on Prime Video
13 Sin City Murders
Las Vegas is known for its gambling, drinking culture, and the adage “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” This is a prime setting for loads of crimes to take place, which is what Sin City Murders focuses on. The glitzy facade of Las Vegas is given a grittier sheen as gruesome homicide cases are covered over ten episodes. Whether it’s evidence found in casinos, hotels, or the deserts that surround the strip, each episode explores a different case and law enforcement’s attempts to crack it.
A Darker Side of Vegas
Sin City Murders may use the same standard setup as many true crime series, but the setting gives it a unique edge. The combination of rampant alcohol and drug use, combined with ample locations to dispose of evidence gives officers challenges specific to Vegas. The series uses a mixture of reenactments and actual footage from the days the crime took place, as well as interviews with people involved in the case.
Stream on Peacock
12 Hollywood Con Queen
Sometimes, if an opportunity sounds too good to be true, it is. The victims in the Hollywood Con Queen learned that the hard way. A woman referred to in the documentary series as the Con Queen targets actors, makeup artists, photographers, and other talent who want to work in showbiz. The Con Queen scams them out of money, sexually exploits them, and more, all while claiming to be “the nicest crime you’d ever know.”
A Case That Flew Under the Radar
Investigative journalist Scott Johnson wrote a book, The Con Queen of Hollywood: The Hunt for an Evil Genius, about this case. He also walks viewers through this three-part series, with each episode clocking in around an hour. It’s a fascinating deep dive into a case that wasn’t plastered all over the news, despite impacting people across several countries and continents. This ruthless con artist managed to find success and seemingly had no qualms about ruining people’s lives in the process. But did they get away with it? Tune into the show to find out.
Stream on Apple TV+
11 Baby Reindeer
When Baby Reindeer premiered on Netflix, it debuted at number five. Through word of mouth, it then climbed to number one and was later nominated for eleven Emmy Awards. This black comedy that got the world talking is about a comedian and writer named Donny Dunn (played by Richard Gadd). Before he makes it big, he’s working at a pub in London where he meets a woman named Martha. She develops an unhealthy obsession with him and begins to stalk him online and in person.
Real-Life Consequences
The story is based on Gadd’s own experience with a fan. While the concept doesn’t appear that high, the wild things Martha does, as well as Donny’s past experiences, are what elevates this out of generic territory. This series wasn’t released without controversy. Viewers were eager to discover the identity of Martha and other untoward characters, and those who they suspected were the inspiration led to police involvement and lawsuits.
Stream on Netflix
10 Manhunt
True crime is not only a thing of the present, as evidenced by the historical drama Manhunt, which revolves around the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. In the show, Lincoln’s friend and secretary of war Edwin Stanton leads the charge to apprehend the man responsible. The search takes him across the United States and even to Canada. But even when he draws closer to the suspected culprit, John Wilkes Booth, more questions arise that form a tangled web of conspiracy.
A Sweeping Historical Drama
Much of Manhunt is historically accurate, with a few adjustments made to better suit the format. Some historians claim that Edwin Stanton was less of a key player in the investigation than in the show. Additionally, with so many conspiracy theories central to the story, some are surely unreliable. But it’s impeccably shot and acted and will appease both historical and true crime fans.
Stream on Apple TV+
9 Daughters of the Cult
Daughters of the Cult explores the lives of Anna and Celia LeBaron, daughters of alleged cult leader Evril LeBaron. Evril was the leader of a Mormon fundamentalist group called the Church of the First Born Lamb of God. Evril had thirteen wives and made his followers kill others in the name of God. His daughters were groomed by older men to be wives before they hit double digits and witnessed countless other disgusting acts. Across five episodes, viewers learn more about Evril, his daughters’ lives within the cult, and their eventual escape.
Growing Up in a Nightmare
Whenever the abuse of children is thrown into a story, of course, it’s going to be a hard watch. Anna and Celia’s account of their childhood and father sounds like a true nightmare, and the accompanying photographs and videos to support some of their claims are shocking, to say the least.
This isn’t a story many people know about, but they should. If these events were in a horror movie, some would claim they were too far-fetched and unrealistic. Given that it’s real makes it all the more chilling.
Stream on Hulu
8 Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer
Individuals who closely follow true crime have likely heard of Ann Burgess. She is a researcher who worked with the FBI in the Behavioral Science Unit. However, she didn’t start her career that way. Burgess was a nurse, professor, and mother when the FBI enlisted her help decoding the minds of serial killers. Much of her work centered on trauma, especially after sexual assault. The criminals she interviewed and studied most would recognize, but the focus here is truly on Burgess and her groundbreaking work.
A Woman Everyone Should Know
Actresses Elle and Dakota Fanning served as executive producers to this three-parter. Both critics and fans of the true crime space are calling for more shows and films that don’t center on the perpetrators. While understanding killers is key to the premise of Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer, it does not glamorize them in the slightest. The show also makes a point to bring light to cases that didn’t receive as much media attention.
Stream on Hulu
7 Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini
One of the most perplexing true crime cases to come out of 2016 was the kidnapping of Sherri Papini. She was out for a jog in her neighborhood when she vanished. Her husband, Keith, became concerned when he didn’t find her at home. He tracked her phone to a nearby street, where it was discarded along with her earphones. A manhunt ensued. Keith gave tearful pleas hoping his wife and mother of two children would be returned to him.
Stranger Than Fiction
And she did. A few weeks later, on Thanksgiving, she returned with a bizarre story about what happened. Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini covers the case and the aftermath with direct interviews from Keith years after everything came out. This story is so wild that even if you listened to numerous podcasts or YouTube deep dives on it, you’re likely to discover even more details from this docuseries. It was executed so well that it broke records at Hulu and received an overwhelmingly positive response.
Stream on Hulu
6 The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping
A spotlight has been shone on the “troubled teen industry” and how it can lead to cult-like and abusive behavior. Paris Hilton gave this previously ignored subculture attention with her memoir and later documentary. The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping furthers this discussion by centering on a behavior modification facility in upstate New York called the Academy at Ivy Ridge.
Brainwashing on All Sides
There are many sinister things about this place, not the least of which being it posing as a boarding school. However, as Katherine Kubler and other former “students” testify, it was much more than that.
Kubler also served as director and executive producer of this three-part series. The series dives into the outrageous tuition prices that fed on parents’ worst fears, manipulation of family members, harsh punishments, and more cultish brainwashing techniques. It’s clear that those who attended the academy still struggle with what transpired.
Stream on Netflix
5 Lethally Blonde
Reality TV star and podcast host Holly Madison executive produced and hosted Lethally Blonde, a true crime series focusing on crimes by people pursuing beauty and fame. Given her association with Playboy and her series The Girls Next Door, this isn’t too far off brand. In 2023, she also co-hosted The Playboy Murders. Here, each of the six episodes features a new case. A social media influencer, an exotic dancer, a model, and more are the discussed victims of brutal crimes.
Why You Should Give It a Chance
Some people unfamiliar with Madison have criticized her hosting capabilities. While it’s not a perfect series, it does well to highlight victims who may be dismissed because they lead “high-risk lifestyles.” When fame and crime mix, audiences will always come flocking. But it’s clear Madison has a lot of empathy for the victims and their families and remembers that each story is about an actual human being.
Stream on Max
4 American Nightmare
American Nightmare centers on the 2015 kidnapping of Denise Huskins from her home in Vallejo, California. She lived with her boyfriend Aaron Quinn who was also a victim. When he called 911 saying his girlfriend was kidnapped the night prior, the operator logically questioned why he waited until the following day to call. He told her he was tied up. With footage from his interview with law enforcement, the ordeal sounds horrifying. And perhaps just a bit too wild.
What’s the Truth?
It didn’t take long before the police and media questioned Aaron’s story. Drawing connections to Gone Girl, many suspected that Denise and Aaron staged the entire kidnapping for attention. So much of the story doesn’t make sense, but the crime scene and Aaron’s adamant stance also seem compelling.
This series is a wild ride where those unfamiliar with the case are pulled along through so many twists. It’ll have viewers changing which side they’re on — the cops or the couple — at various points.
3 Griselda
If people think about a famous Colombian drug lord, Griselda Blanco may not be the first to come to mind. But after the Sofia Vergara miniseries Griselda, that has changed. The real Griselda had her hands in the drug trade in Miami, Florida, and also had ties to the Medellín Cartel. The series starts with Griselda leaving Colombia for the States with her children, hoping for a new start in life. But she’ll soon discover that getting a clean break from her past life is easier said than done.
A Different Side of Vergara
It was a pleasant change of pace to see Vergara take on a non-comedic role. On the surface, Griselda isn’t hugely likable. Viewers understand her plight, given she’s trying to survive in a new place and it seems that illegal activities are the quickest way to find stability. Yet the more terrible choices she makes, the harder it is to sympathize with her, which makes for a fascinating watch.
Her actual son had some issues with how his late mother was portrayed in the series, resulting in a (now dismissed) lawsuit. Despite the family’s objections, viewers took to the show, and it became one of Netflix’s top shows during its debut.
2 Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV generated a lot of buzz and online discourse after its release, especially after the #MeToo movement blasted abuse in Hollywood. Although most of those who stepped forward were adults, people wondered how vulnerable child actors were impacted by this toxic culture. As society has grown, we often look back on the treatment of public figures in the past. This five-part documentary series delves into the treatment of popular child stars from the ’90s and 2000s.
Not Good Nostalgia
What shocked many people was the boldness in Quiet on Set. Several alleged abusers weren’t simply alluded to, they were named. Notable names came out and claimed they were victimized. Nickelodeon and producer Dan Schneider (behind series like All That, Kenan & Kel, iCarly, Zoey 101, and more) were particularly highlighted as bad players. This series changed the way millions see their favorite childhood shows, but it’s a conversation that needed to happen.
Stream on Max
1 Under the Bridge
In 1997, a fourteen-year-old girl named Reena Virk was murdered in her hometown in British Columbia, Canada. The brutal details of the crime, especially when the perpetrators were revealed, garnered national and international attention. Under the Bridge follows this case, delving into Reena’s rocky life and an attempt to find out what drove the murderers to this point.
Tragedy Handled with Care
Riley Keough plays late journalist Rebecca Godfrey who penned a book about this case. Together, with Officer Cam Bentland (Lily Gladstone), they are on the ground doing the work others won’t.
Even if followers of true crime believe they know the ins and outs of this case, it’s still a worthwhile watch. Unlike other true crime stories that rely on sensationalizing a story seemingly without respect for the victim, this series handles it with care. While Reena’s story is at the heart of the show, it also aims to remind viewers of the larger implications of a broken legal system.
Stream on Hulu
