The 3 Best True-Crime Shows On Netflix

BY MARC MOSS

True crime. There’s just a unique feel to the genre. It holds the stuff of nightmares, the horror of witnessing frightening events happen, and merges it with the sense of history in the fact that these horrific events actually did happen. There’s a true sense of fear and foreboding that is borne out of such a cocktail of reality and crime.

The fact that these events are real is what gives the true crime genre a really scary effect because you know that these things can, indeed, happen. So, whether you’ve been a long-time fan of this particular genre or you’re simply curious as to what this genre has in store for you, read on. Here is a list of the three best true-crime shows that you can find on Netflix to get you started.

The Staircase

The Staircase is a 2004 French television series that documents the trial of Michael Peterson who was convicted for the murder of Kathleen Peterson, his wife. His trial was documented by camera crews soon after Peterson’s indictment. The series first aired on July 22, 2004. The crew later returned to film Peterson and his family in 2012 to 2013 to cover the developments that transpired during the case. Three new episodes were released thereafter, thus completing all 13 episodes of the true crime Netflix series.

What’s even more riveting was that there was another death in which Michael Peterson was the last person to have seen the person alive. The death of Elizabeth Ratliff is another circumstance that roused so much suspicion that the court asked expert witnesses to re-examine the circumstances of Elizabeth’s death.

Making A Murderer

This true crime series is a narrative on Steven Avery, a man who served 18 years in jail because he was wrongfully convicted for the sexual assault and attempted murder of Penny Beernsten (emphasis on the word “wrongfully”). The series also documents how Avery was subsequently tried and convicted for the murder of Teresa Halbach. This series was filmed over 10 years and explores the aftermath of these convictions and further case developments. The series was so widely viewed and controversial that it even led to the petition for the pardoning of Steven Avery, which amassed over 500,000 signatures.

The Keepers

The latest in the line of Netflix true crime series takes on the unsolved murder of Cathy Cesnik, a nun who accused a priest of sexually assaulting her former students. The series was critically acclaimed and was widely praised for its harrowing and realistic portrayal. It takes viewers on a path that shows the kind of evil that humans are capable of, as well as the extent to which some people are willing to go in order to bury their secrets. The series is as heartbreaking as it is riveting and is a must-watch for all fans of the genre.

And well, the joy that can be derived in unsolved mystery series is the fact that viewers aren’t led to a definitive conclusion, but are instead allowed to interpret what they have seen and to also come up with their own conclusions. Ain’t that fun?