4 Netflix true crime docs to check out after The Idaho Murders

When it comes to Netflix, there are some truly crazy and intense true crime documentaries to watch that will capture your attention the moment you press play. One that’s been in the top 10 for weeks is The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare, a three-episode true crime series about the murders of four University of Idaho students.

From the moment you begin it, you're locked in. The show features compelling interviews and body-camera footage that gives viewers a different perspective on what happened. But since there are only three episodes, there’s not much else to go off of. If you want more true crime in your life, you should check out these four other Netflix true crime series that are just as captivating, if not more.

American Murder: Gabby Petito

One of the biggest true crime documentaries on Netflix is American Murder: Gabby Petito. This three-episode documentary covers the case of Gabby Petito. Back in 2021, she went missing suddenly during a van trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, leading to national interest in trying to find her since she had documented many of the events leading up to her disappearance.

The series digs into not only the evidence that led to her eventual discovery (if you don’t know the case) but also how the internet came together to sleuth and figure out what might have happened when she vanished in Wyoming. Each episode is about forty minutes long, so you can easily spend an afternoon watching.

The Menendez Brothers

The Menendez Brothers case is one of the biggest true crime cases of all time, so it makes sense that there's a documentary series about it. While Ryan Murphy attempted to bring the Menendez story to life through an entertainment lens on Netflix, nothing quite beats the actual story in The Menendez Brothers.

This isn’t a show, per se, but a nearly two-hour documentary that covers the facts and details of the famous case. For those who don’t know, the brothers were convicted in 1996. Both Erik and Lyle Menendez were put in jail for the murder of their parents. But of course, many details show the case was far more nuanced than anyone could have predicted.

American Murder: The Family Next Door

Another true crime documentary film that I have to recommend is American Murder: The Family Next Door. This was one of the first true crime docs I watched in 2020, when the world shut down, and honestly, it changed me forever. I will never quite be the same.

This documentary tells the story of the Chris Watts case. If that name sounds familiar, that’s because he was the man who murdered both his wife and children and then acted as if they had just vanished out of nowhere, claiming that his wife had serious issues of her own and that she could have potentially hurt the kids. In reality, he stored their bodies in oil tankers several miles away.

Yeah, it’s about as twisted and dark as you can imagine. The movie is done really well: everything is revealed in a found-footage style, and it’s only toward the middle that we get the gist of what truly happened and how it led to it. It’s really one of those documentaries that changed the game for Netflix—and one I will always remember. It’s a must-watch.

Amy Bradley Is Missing

Last but not least, I have to add Amy Bradley Is Missing. While I think the other additions on this list are great and worth the watch, I want to talk about this one a little more because I don’t think people know about it as much.

Amy Bradley is Missing is a three-part true crime series that really puts you in fear, especially if you want to go on a cruise. The series follows the case of Amy Lynn Bradley, a recent college graduate who decided to take a vacation to the Caribbean, specifically the island of Curaçao. To do so, she decided to take a cruise with her parents and brother.

One night, she went to the nightclub and then spent time resting on her balcony. The next morning, no one saw her, and a decades-long search began. Even today, nearly thirty years later, she has not been found, and the case remains unsolved.

I mean, good golly. As someone who has been on a cruise, this is admittedly one of my worst fears. But this is the kind of true crime documentary where you can theorize like crazy about what happened, because even the FBI still doesn’t know. It’s an interesting case and one I seriously think anyone who likes true crime should watch.

Whatever you choose to watch, Netflix has you covered. Check out any of these on the streaming platform now.

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