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Time is seriously flying by! May is almost over, and it's been a pretty great month for Netflix. This month, we've seen several new Netflix documentaries hit the platform that definitely caught our eye. There was Countdown: Rousey vs. Carano, Marty, Life is Short, and The Crash.
In fact, it didn't take long at all for The Crash to make its way up the Netflix Top 10 TV shows list after its arrival on the platform on May 15. There's just something about those true-crime docs that really gets people going!
If you're a true-crime buff, you'll be glad to know that two new Netflix documentaries centered around real-life mysteries and headline-grabbing cases will be landing on the platform next month. However, there's also one new true-crime documentary that just doesn't seem worth checking out. If you're trying to figure out what documentaries to watch and what not to waste your time on in June 2026, you should definitely keep reading for answers!
The Murder of Rachel Nickell
- Release date: June 4, 2026
- Verdict: WATCH
No one deserves to see one of their parents killed, especially young kids. That's what happened to Alexander Louis when he was just 2 years old. The Murder of Rachel Nickell centers around the tragic 1992 slaying of his mother, Rachel Nickell, on Wimbledon Common in London. The mother and son were just walking their dog on the morning of July 15 in 1992, when a mysterious assailant attacked Nickell.
They began stabbing her with a knife repeatedly before sexually assaulting her. Alexander was a witness to the brutal killing and was left by himself with his deceased mother as the attacker fled the scene.
The documentary will explore the real-life case and its long and complicated police investigation. It's also expected to touch on how an innocent man was initially accused of the murder but was later acquitted. Additionally, it will feature archival footage, interviews with family members, and input from forensic experts.
Michael Jackson: The Verdict
- Release date: June 3, 2026
- Verdict: SKIP
Netflix knows it is dead wrong for releasing Michael Jackson: The Verdict just weeks after his biopic hit theaters. This three-part docuseries isn't about the legendary King of Pop's life. No, it's about the highly controversial legal battles and allegations that he faced when he was living. After being charged with multiple counts of child molestation in 2003, Jackson ultimately pleaded not guilty and was acquitted on all counts.
Michael Jackson: The Verdict will revisit the courtroom case and include people who were actually involved in the trial, like jurors, witnesses, and both sides (prosecution and defense). In other words, it will present the case from multiple perspectives and show arguments both for and against Jackson.
Overall, this is not the type of Netflix documentary we recommend. Personally, it seems distasteful given the timing and the way it leans into revisiting such a sensitive case. That said, you can go ahead and skip this one!
Maternal Instinct
- Release date: June 12, 2026
- Verdict: WATCH
Maternal Instinct is the kind of documentary that will remind you of being careful of who you befriend. It centers on the real-life criminal case of Taylor Parker, a young Texas woman who was pulled over in 2020 and told police she had just given birth. The baby was even sitting in her lap. However, it quickly became clear that something about her story didn’t make sense. That led investigators to look closer at her situation.
What they ended up discovering is that the baby wasn't hers. She had brutally killed a pregnant woman named Reagan Hancock before using a scalpel to cut the unborn child from her womb. Parker would later be arrested for abduction and murder and then be sentenced to death.
The true-crime documentary film will go back in time to show her relationship and life leading up to the murder, and will even feature an interview from her boyfriend at the time, Wade Griffin.
Stay tuned to Netflix Life for more recommendations of new Netflix documentaries hitting the platform!
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