5 'eye-opening' Netflix true crime documentaries to watch after 'heartbreaking' Gabby Petito series
Netflix true crime documentary fans are weighing in on the best ones to watch if you 'feel like you've seen them all'.
American Murder: Gabby Petito was released on February 17 and the true crime docu-series sees her loved ones 'reveal the untold story of her tragic murder'.
Many have already watched all of the 'devastating' three-part series, some praising it for shedding light on Petito's death despite being 'a really hard watch' and there are five other Netflix documentaries which viewers are recommending people to see too.
So, in no particular order, UNILAD RANKED presents five 'eye-opening' Netflix documentaries recommended by the biggest true crime fans.
Advert
Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter (2024)
A Facebook user took to LADbible's group Netflix Bangers to ask: "Best True crime series on Netflix please .. I feel like I have seen them all but I sometimes stop after one episode if not gripping." And one to make the suggestions? Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter.
The two-part documentary was directed by Ryan White (The Case Against 8) and produced by Jessica Hargrave, Charlize Theron and Matt Maher.
It delves into the story of Cathy Terkanian and her desperate hunt to find out more about her birth daughter Aundria Bowman.
Bowman was adopted as an infant but went missing from her adoptive family's property in Hamilton, Michigan in 1989 when she was 14 years old. Just before her disappearance, the teenager had accused her adoptive father of molesting her.
"Very powerful document[ary]," a Facebook user said, with another calling the mini-series 'spine-chilling' and a third, 'heavy'.
One Twitter user said: "Absolutely incredible documentary as always from you geniuses at Netflix! It was so sad and heartbreaking but on the flip side also the craziest story I’ve ever heard. I’m thankful for answers because I can’t imagine having a missing loved one. What hell that would be."
Take Care of Maya (2023)
Directed by Henry Roosevelt (The Social Network) and produced by Caitlin Keating, the documentary premiered at Tribeca Film Festival on June 10, 2023 before being released onto Netflix soon after.
The documentary centers around the events which unravelled when Jack and Beata Kowalski took their daughter Maya to hospital in 2016 after the then-10-year-old began experiencing extreme stomach ache.
What they thought would be simply a hospital trip led to Maya being taken from their custody with Maya's mom accused of Munchausen-by-proxy, a battle to reunite a family and heartbreaking loss.
In 2024, Take Care of Maya was nominated for two News and Documentary Emmy Awards for 'Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Research'.
One Facebook user reviewed the film: "So good - I was crying and screaming at the same time."
"This one had me balling," another added.
A third wrote: "This one got me ngl, super emotional/aggravating."
The Hunt for Veerappan (2023)
Directed by Selvamani Selvaraj (Nila) and produced by Apoorva Bakshi and Monisha Thyagarajan, the four-part mini series first premiered on Netflix on August 4, 2023.
It centers around a notorious smuggler and poacher known as Veerappan who became a domestic terrorist, kidnapping major politicians and demanding money for their safe return.
The hunt for Veerappan - suspected of killing between 500 to 2,000 elephants and around 184 people - is the biggest manhunt to have taken place in the history of India.
One Facebook user wrote: "Did you also happen to see The Hunt for Veerappan???WILDDDDDD"
Untold: the Murder of Air McNair (2024)
Untold is a series of sports documentary films from Netflix, dating from 2021 to 2024, shared in three volumes.
One recommended by Netflix users is Untold: The Murder of Air McNair, which centers around American professional football quarterback Stephen LaTreal McNair - nicknamed Air McNair.
The National Football League (NFL) player passed away in 2009 at the age of 36, discovered with multiple gunshot wounds.
He was found alongside Sahel 'Jenni' Kazemi who was also dead - police later declaring the pair's deaths as a murder-suicide with Kazemi having shot the gun.
One Twitter user wrote: "Steve McNair's legacy remains powerful, and the questions surrounding his death still haunt many. 'Untold: The Murder of Air McNair' is a must-watch for those seeking answers."
Another from the series shared by a true crime fan includes Untold: The Girlfriend who didn't Exist, the user adding: "Some of you looking for true crime - these are REALLY good! I’ve seen almost everything."
Girl in the Picture (2022)
Based on the books A Beautiful Child and Finding Sharon by Matt Birkbeck - who also executive produced the film - Girl in the Picture was directed by Skye Borgman (Abducted in Plain Sight).
The Netflix original documentary centers on Sharon Marshall who was abducted by a federal fugitive named Franklin Delano Floyd and raised as his daughter.
The film unravels the efforts which went into uncovering Sharon's true identity and struck a deep chord with viewers, a Facebook user writing on LADbible's Netflix Bangers: "I just finished watching Girl in the Picture on Netflix, and it was truly disturbing. The documentary felt quite lengthy, but as the case unraveled, the deeper it got, the more compelling it became.
"The gradual revelation of the girl’s identity and the layers of mystery surrounding her life kept me engaged. It was heartbreaking, yet I’m relieved that her family finally found some closure.
"The man responsible for her suffering filled me with anger—his actions were beyond horrifying. Overall, it’s a haunting but well-crafted true crime documentary that lingers in your mind long after watching."
"It stayed in my mind for weeks," another echoed.
A third commented: "Had to pick my bottom jaw off the floor after watching this one."
UNILAD RANKED is a weekly series with a new article released every Friday.
Topics: Documentaries, Film and TV, Netflix, UNILAD RANKED
Poppy Bilderbeck