The 13 Creepiest True Crime Documentaries to Watch This Halloween

On social media Shanann Cathryn Watts and Christopher Lee Watts looked like the perfect family. They had two lovely daughters and a long trail of posts documenting their day-to-day lives much like any other modern American family. That illusion was shattered when the pregnant Shanann Watts and her two daughters, Bella and Celeste, disappeared in August of 2018. This search for the truth and the many lies Christopher Watts told in the process will leave you second-guessing any smiling post that pops up on your Facebook feed.

Watch American Murder: The Family Next Door on Netflix

Jan Broberg Felt’s multiple kidnappings aren’t disturbing because they happened. They’re disturbing because of how preventable they were. On two occasions in the 1970s Felt was kidnapped by family neighbor and friend, Robert Berchtold. Felt was only 12 years old the first time and 14 the second time. Berchtold was able to get away with these heinous crimes because he groomed not just Jan but the entire Broberg family. Both of Broberg’s parents have admitted to having sexual relationships with Berchtold, a detail that “B” used to gain their trust before using it to exploit them. The resulting documentary is a harrowing look into how the safest place for a child, their family, can be used against them.

Where to stream Abducted in Plain Sight

Few documentaries are more twisting or chilling that Erin Lee Carr’s deep dive into the murder of Dee Dee Blanchard. In June of 2015 Blanchard was found dead in her home after authorities were tipped off by a series of shocking Facebook posts. Her young, cancer-diagnosed daughter was nowhere to be found during this initial search. But nothing about this story was quite what it seemed. This documentary will leave you questioning every assumption you make about true crime cases.

Watch Mommy, Dead and Dearest on HBO Go and HBO Max

David Farrier and Dylan Reeve’s documentary is one of the few selections on this list that has nothing to do with murder. While searching for an interesting story, New Zealand journalist Farrier stumbled on a collection of videos that all involved grown men being tickled for a sport called “competitive endurance tickling.” He reached out to the creator of these videos, hoping to file a quirky lifestyle piece. Instead, what he stumbled upon was a dark world of conspiracies filled with fetishes, blackmail, and shady financials. It’s a must-watch for all true crime fans.

Where to stream Tickled

What does it look like when an online legend is taken too far? In May of 2014 two 12-year-old girls, Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser, led their best friend into the woods. They then proceeded to stab Payton Leutner 19 times as part of a ritual to prove that the online urban legend Slenderman was real. It’s difficult to decide what’s the most disturbing part of this case: the attackers’ young ages, their intense violence, or the fact that this horrific crime was inspired by something these girls found online.

Watch Beware the Slenderman on HBO Go and HBO Max

This true crime staple shouldn’t be at the top of your list if you only have a couple of hours to spare. But if you have the time it’s worth the watch. In 2001 Kathleen Peterson was found dead in her home. Though her body placement suggested that she fell down the stairs there was a shocking amount of blood for her death. The Staircase holds a microscope to Michael Peterson, Kathleen’s husband and a crime author who is suspected of murdering Kathleen. Even if you believe Michael Peterson is innocent, his unblinking monologues will chill you to the bone.

Where to stream The Staircase

This 2009 documentary may feel a bit slow by today’s standards but what it lacks in speed it makes up for in spookiness. What starts off as an examination into a long-running urban legend transforms into a documentary about the real criminal who inspired those legends. Learning about Andre Rand’s kidnapping past is unsettling, but it’s the fear he inspired in Staten Island that elevates his reign of terror.

Where to stream Cropsey

This is another example of a documentary’s subject being more unnerving than their accused crimes. The HBO docuseries centers around the brutal murders of three people: Kathie Durst, writer Susan Berman, and Morris Black. All three of these victims can be traced back to New York real estate heir Robert Durst. As grisly and unexplainable as these murders are, it’s what happened in The Jinx’s final episode that has cemented this docuseries as one of the all-time best in true crime.

Watch The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst on HBO Go and HBO Max

Bart Layton’s film documents one of the most heartless crimes a person can commit. In 1994 Nicholas Barclay disappeared at the age of 13. To the relief of his family, Barclay seemed to return. Only the returning son wasn’t Barclay all but Frédéric Bourdin, a French con artist who has spent his life impersonating missing children. The documentary chronicles Bourdin’s shocking trail of crimes, trying to figure out what led to this callous criminal career that preys off grieving families.

Where to stream The Imposter

Everything about the 2009 Taconic State Parkway crash was bizarre. Thirty-six-year-old Diane Schuler drove 1.7 miles in the wrong direction before colliding head on with an SUV. Eight people were killed in the resulting crash including Schuler, her daughter, and her three nieces. Though everyone claimed that Schuler was a normal, upstanding citizen, her toxicology reports and the resulting accidents proved otherwise.

Have you ever wondered what leads people to join a cult? That’s what Will Allen’s chilling film explores. Prior to making Holy Hell Allen spent 22 years part of the Buddhafield cult. Through his unique lens and the footage Allen shot as the organization’s videographer, this documentary shows exactly what made this leader so compelling.

Where to stream Holy Hell

Most people will never find themselves up close and personal with a serial killer, but this is the next best (or worst) thing. During his reign of terror Ted Bundy was responsible for the deaths of at least 30 women, making him one of America’s most notorious serial killers. Using archival footage and audio recordings Bundy made while he was on death row, director Joe Berlinger pieces together a deep dive into the man who has inspired so many nightmares.

Watch Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes on Netflix

Anyone who’s too online knows that there’s one cardinal rule of the internet: don’t fuck with cats. So when a video emerged of an unknown man torturing and killing a kitten, people were immediately outraged. This Netflix docuseries follows the investigations of a group of armchair detectives who dedicated their lives to tracking down this animal abuser, all in the hopes that they could stop him from moving onto bigger victims.

Watch Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer on Netflix