The nine Netflix true crime shows you have to watch

NETFLIX is carving out a niche as the home for gripping true crime docuseries. Here are the must-see ones according to critics — including many you’ve probably never heard of.

NETFLIX can be overwhelming to navigate at the best of times, but for fans of true crime, there’s a wealth of great programming to be found on the streaming service — you just have to know where to look.

True crime docuseries like Making A Murderer and Wild Wild Country have made headlines, but there are others in the genre that are just as strong, but haven’t received the same public attention. Here are the nine very best true crime shows on Netflix, ranked by their Rotten Tomatoes Critic Scores.

THE CONFESSION TAPES

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100 per cent

The Confession Tapes examines just how false confessions happen.

Why would someone confess to a crime they didn’t commit? This docuseries explores that very question by investigating criminal cases in which confessions were coerced, involuntary, or false.

TIME: THE KALIEF BROWDER STORY

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100 per cent

Kalief Browder had serious jail time — despite never committing a crime.

This six-part docuseries from Jay-Z follows the tragic story of Kalief Browder, a teenager who spent over three years in prison despite never being convicted of a crime. Browder’s fight for justice will absolutely wreck you, so make sure you have tissues handy.

MAKING A MURDERER

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98 per cent

Steven Avery in Making A Murderer.

Making A Murderer is basically true crime canon at this point. The riveting series explores the murder of Teresa Halbach and the eventual trial of Steven Avery and his teenage nephew Brendan Dassey. Both men were convicted of the crime, but the docuseries convinced many Americans that they were innocent and inspired a global debate about wrongful conviction.

WILD WILD COUNTRY

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98 per cent

Ma Anand Sheela, Wild Wild Country’s antihero.

Wild Wild Country is Netflix’s hottest true crime series of 2018. It has everything: cult members wearing orange, bioterrorism, a free-sex policy, and a power-hungry undersecretary named Ma Anand Sheela. Stefon would love it.

THE KEEPERS

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96 per cent

The murder of a nun sees allegations of conspiracy in The Keepers.

This true crime docuseries investigates the unsolved 1969 murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik, a nun at Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore. As the scandal unfolds and different theories are revealed, former students express their belief that the murder was part of a cover-up to protect a priest that Sister Cesnik suspected of sexual abuse.

THE STAIRCASE

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93 per cent

The Staircase originally aired in 2004 — Netflix bought the series and produced new instalments.

The Staircase starts off slowly, but once you learn about the shocking death of Kathleen Peterson, you’ll be hooked. Kathleen’s husband Michael Peterson was charged with her murder, and the multi-part docuseries follows him throughout the entire legal process — a process that lasted almost two decades.

WORMWOOD

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91 per cent

If secret government conspiracies have you hooked, you’ll love Wormwood.

Part documentary, part dramatic recreation, Wormwood is a must-see for true crime fans. The six-part series explores the mysterious death of scientist Frank Olson, who is suspected to have been a victim of the government’s secret drug experiment, MK Ultra.

EVIL GENIUS

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 76 per cent

Don’t be fooled by the series’ comparatively low Rotten Tomatoes score — it’s a gem.

A score of 76 per cent does not do this ridiculous (in the best way possible) docuseries justice. The four-part series examines the infamous “Pizza Bomber” case, and as the show delves deeper into the mystery, things only get weirder. Homemade explosives, love triangles, scavenger hunts and cane guns — Evil Genius has it all.

CAPTIVE

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75 per cent

Famous hostage situations are examined in Captive.

If you’re a history (and hostage) buff, Captive is the show for you. This docuseries recreates the most infamous hostage crises in history and explores each harrowing situation through the eyes of the victims.

This story originally appeared on Decider and is republished here with permission.

Originally published as The nine Netflix true crime shows you have to watch