9 Best Serial Killer Documentaries on Netflix Right Now, Ranked

The dissection of true crime and murder is everywhere in media. From the decades of Law & Order and the plethora of procedural crime dramas to podcasts about crimes. Since Serial and Making a Murderer came into our lives true crime has skyrocketed in popularity and there’s been a steady increase in the number of projects in the genre. It seems like there’s always a new podcast, television show or movie joining the conversation. As a result of the popularity of the genre, Netflix offers many titles surrounding all the areas within the true crime genre.

Netflix released drama series Mindhunter, a series about the beginning of the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime unit, but there is far more content about serial killers on the platform. The streaming service has many documentaries that discuss infamous serial killers and explore what made these individuals commit the heinous crimes they are accused, arrested and, in some cases, executed for.

Here’s the best Netflix has to offer when it comes to serial killer documentaries right now.

9. Psychopath Killers Episode of Killer Kids

Killer Kids is all about murders committed by children. Each episode focuses on a specific type of crime, like occult killers, sexual killers, and psychopath killers. Specifically, in the Episode “Psychopath Killers,” French serial killer Guy Rampillon is discussed. Being abandoned by his mother and dealing with racism from a young age are discussed during the episode.

8. Aileen: Life & Death of a Serial Killer

Made as a follow up to 1992 documentary Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer the new film centers on the evidentiary hearing of convicted serial killer Aileen Wuornos. After the first film was used to discredit Wuornos’ original lawyer, filmmaker Nick Broomfield decided to make another. The follow centered on the last part of her life before her execution and a discussion about her mental state. Her erratic behavior makes the documentary hard to watch, but it’s also an undeniably powerful watch.

7. Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer

Inside The Mind Of A Serial Killer aims to delve into the minds of infamous serial killers. The series uses a mix of dramatic re-enactments, interviews and stock video/images to tell the stories of these murderers. Each episode focuses on a different killer. American Solider Eddie Leonski who killed in Austrailia and Cleveland Strangler Anthony Sowell are among the killers’ who have their crimes examined. The stories are compelling, but there are times when those being interviewed seem to share their opinion rather than just the facts.

6. Killer Couples

British series Killer Couples takes a look at those who kill in pairs. Crime Writer Mark Billingham untangles the stories of real-life crimes committed by killer duos. Notorious killer couple Ian Brady and Myra Hindley tortured and killed children then buried them on the moors. Theirs is just one of the four stories told in the series.

5. Interview with a Serial Killer

This crime documentary is all about The Genesee River Killer, who kill about a dozen people between 1988 and 1989. He was charged with 11 murders and wasn’t officially charged with his suspected twelfth victim. Through a bone-chilling jailhouse interview, Arthur Shawcross explains his crimes. The degree to which he is candid makes Interview With A Serial Killer hard to watch, as is the look in his eyes as he explains himself, but for fans of the genre Shawcross lays it all out there for the viewer.

4. H. H. Holmes: America’s First Serial Killer

H. H. Holmes: America’s First Serial Killer provides a look at a horrific part of American history with this exploration of America’s first serial killer. H.H. Holmes installed a torture chamber in his Chicago home in the late 1880s and killed 9 known victims, although the true number of victims is unknown and suspected to be much higher. Old images, expert interviews, and reenactments assisted in the telling of Holmes’ story. The documentary is full of facts, but it’s the narration by actor Tony Jay that makes the viewing experience stand out.

3. Killer Legends

Killer Legends tries to bridge the gap between urban legend and fact. Rachel Mills and Joshua Zeman explore the origins of several urban legends to get to the truth. The Hookman, The Candyman, The Babysiiter and the Man Upstairs and The Killer Clown are the four myths included. These have become tropes in horror films or the killers in the movies themselves, but they are all even casual horror fans are familiar with. It’s fascinating to watch the duo get to the bottom of these well-known tales.

2. Nurses Who Kill

Medical professionals are put under the spotlight in Nurses Who Kill, a series centered on nurses who use their positions to kill. The show uses medical criminal and psychological experts to look into why and how these nurses commit the killings. Serial child killer Beverly Alitt, Stephan Letter who is suspected of killing at least 28 elderly patients and Angel of Death Daniela Poggiali are examples of killers who have episodes about them. The focus on the medical industry gives the series a more specific focus and add to its intrigue.

1. Murder Maps

Find out how some of Britain’s most notorious serial killers were apprehended. Murder Maps uses dramatic re-enactments and historical sources to paint a picture of how the police arrested, these murderers. John Christie, who killed several people in his home then framed his neighbors, sadistic killer Neville Heath and The Blackout Ripper who used the chaos of the German Blitz to commit murders are among the serial killers included in the serial. The high quality of the re-enactments and the fact that the good guys win makes Murder Maps raise above the pack.