Each year, what viewers expect fromtrue crimecontinues to expand. Whether it’s a fresh take on a well-known case or coverage of a crime that nobody’s heard of, there’s always a new series coming out based on a true event. Recent shows have also started giving airtime to crimes that don’t involve violent, gruesome acts. Just as many people tune in for series that delve into cults, scammers, conspiracies, and more.
2024 isn’t over yet and already this year has added a list of great shows in this space. These are programs that both true crime connoisseurs and those who typically avoid the genre would love, as supported by strong viewership numbers. From documentaries to dramas, recent cases to historical moments, now is a great time to be interested in true crime. Here are the best true crime series 2024 has offered us (so far).
15True Crime Story: Smugshot
True Crime Story: Smugshothighlights entitled criminals who believed they were too smart or too rich to be caught and punished for their crimes. In one episode, two parents in California seek revenge on the PTA president in their son’s school. In another case, fishermen celebrated for their catches have questions that need answering after things start not lining up.
A Lighter True Crime Series
Some of the crimes covered inTrue Crime Story: Smugshotare so ridiculous they are quite funny, though that’s not to say serious topics aren’t covered - the third episode discussed a fatal drunk driving case (though it goes in directions most wouldn’t expect). Even seasoned true crime viewers and listeners need a bit of palate cleanser every now and then, which this docuseries provides.
Stream on AMC+
14Catch Me a Killer
Catch Me a Killeris based on the autobiography of forensic psychologist and police investigator Micki Pistorius. Her work in the late ’90s helped apprehend several serial killers in her native South Africa. The first episode starts off on a heavy note, with the Station Strangler who was believed to have killed over twenty boys. It was Pistorius' involvement in the case that eventually led to putting an end to this terrifying reign.
Why It’s Great
Pistorius is played by Charlotte Hope, perhaps best known for her role as Myranda inGame of Thrones. Here, she taps into Pistorius well, showing her at the start of her career and how she must harden herself in order to get the job done. As this isn’t a documentary and thus real footage isn’t used, it puts a bit of distance between the truly horrific cases covered, while still informing viewers of each crime.
Stream on Prime Video
13Sin City Murders
Las Vegas is known for its gambling, drinking culture, and the adage “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” This is a prime setting for loads of crimes to take place, which is whatSin City Murdersfocuses on. The glitzy facade of Las Vegas is given a grittier sheen as gruesome homicide cases are covered over ten episodes. Whether it’s evidence found in casinos, hotels, or the deserts that surround the strip, each episode explores a different case and law enforcement’s attempts to crack it.
A Darker Side of Vegas
Sin City Murdersmay use the same standard setup as many true crime series, but the setting gives it a unique edge. The combination of rampant alcohol and drug use, combined with ample locations to dispose of evidence gives officers challenges specific to Vegas. The series uses a mixture of reenactments and actual footage from the days the crime took place, as well as interviews with people involved in the case.
Stream on Peacock
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12Hollywood Con Queen
Sometimes, if an opportunity sounds too good to be true, it is. The victims in theHollywood Con Queenlearned that the hard way. A woman referred to in the documentary series as the Con Queen targets actors, makeup artists, photographers, and other talent who want to work in showbiz. The Con Queen scams them out of money, sexually exploits them, and more, all while claiming to be “the nicest crime you’d ever know.”
A Case That Flew Under the Radar
Investigative journalist Scott Johnson wrote a book,The Con Queen of Hollywood: The Hunt for an Evil Genius,about this case. He also walks viewers through this three-part series, with each episode clocking in around an hour. It’s a fascinating deep dive into a case that wasn’t plastered all over the news, despite impacting people across several countries and continents. Thisruthless con artistmanaged to find success and seemingly had no qualms about ruining people’s lives in the process. But did they get away with it? Tune into the show to find out.
Stream on Apple TV+
11Baby Reindeer
Baby Reindeer
A seemingly innocent interaction with a customer turns into a chaotic journey as the life of aspiring comedian Donny spirals out of control and brings up the past.
WhenBaby Reindeerpremiered on Netflix, it debuted at number five. Through word of mouth, it then climbed to number one and was later nominated for eleven Emmy Awards. This black comedy that got the world talking is about a comedian and writer named Donny Dunn (played by Richard Gadd). Before he makes it big, he’s working at a pub in London where he meets a woman named Martha. She develops an unhealthy obsession with him and begins to stalk him online and in person.
Real-Life Consequences
The story is based on Gadd’s own experience with a fan. While the concept doesn’t appear that high, the wild things Martha does, as well as Donny’s past experiences, are what elevates this out of generic territory. This series wasn’t released without controversy. Viewers were eager to discover the identity of Martha and other untoward characters, and those who they suspected were the inspiration led topolice involvement and lawsuits.
Stream on Netflix
True crime is not only a thing of the present, as evidenced by the historical dramaManhunt, which revolves around the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. In the show, Lincoln’s friend and secretary of war Edwin Stanton leads the charge to apprehend the man responsible. The search takes him across the United States and even to Canada. But even when he draws closer to the suspected culprit, John Wilkes Booth, more questions arise that form a tangled web of conspiracy.
A Sweeping Historical Drama
Much of Manhunt is historically accurate, with a few adjustments made to better suit the format. Some historians claim that Edwin Stanton was less of a key player in the investigation than in the show. Additionally, with so many conspiracy theories central to the story, some are surely unreliable. But it’s impeccably shot and acted and will appease both historical and true crime fans.
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9Daughters of the Cult
Daughters of the Cultexplores the lives of Anna and Celia LeBaron, daughters of alleged cult leader Evril LeBaron. Evril was the leader of a Mormon fundamentalist group called the Church of the First Born Lamb of God. Evril had thirteen wives and made his followers kill others in the name of God. His daughters were groomed by older men to be wives before they hit double digits and witnessed countless other disgusting acts. Across five episodes, viewers learn more about Evril, his daughters' lives within the cult, and their eventual escape.
Growing Up in a Nightmare
Whenever the abuse of children is thrown into a story, of course, it’s going to be a hard watch. Anna and Celia’s account of their childhood and father sounds like a true nightmare, and the accompanying photographs and videos to support some of their claims are shocking, to say the least.
This isn’t a story many people know about, but they should. If these events were in a horror movie, some would claim they were too far-fetched and unrealistic. Given that it’s real makes it all the more chilling.
Stream on Hulu
8Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer
Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer
Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer is a fascinating new perspective on the woman whose crime hunting innovations changed history. To stop serial killers, psychiatric nurse and professor Dr. Ann Burgess must first learn to think like one. With unprecedented access to the mastermind behind the development of modern serial-killer profiling, the series tells Burgess’ tenacious story and her compassion for victims which puts her at the center of solving America’s most infamous true-crime cases.
Individuals who closely follow true crimehave likely heard of Ann Burgess. She is a researcher who worked with the FBI in the Behavioral Science Unit. However, she didn’t start her career that way. Burgess was a nurse, professor, and mother when the FBI enlisted her help decoding the minds of serial killers. Much of her work centered on trauma, especially after sexual assault. The criminals she interviewed and studied most would recognize, but the focus here is truly on Burgess and her groundbreaking work.
A Woman Everyone Should Know
Actresses Elle and Dakota Fanning served as executive producers to this three-parter. Both critics and fans of the true crime space are calling for more shows and films that don’t center on the perpetrators. While understanding killers is key to the premise ofMastermind: To Think Like a Killer, it does not glamorize them in the slightest. The show also makes a point to bring light to cases that didn’t receive as much media attention.
7Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini
One of the most perplexing true crime cases to come out of 2016 was the kidnapping of Sherri Papini. She was out for a jog in her neighborhood when she vanished. Her husband, Keith, became concerned when he didn’t find her at home. He tracked her phone to a nearby street, where it was discarded along with her earphones. A manhunt ensued. Keith gave tearful pleas hoping his wife and mother of two children would be returned to him.
Stranger Than Fiction
And she did. A few weeks later, on Thanksgiving, she returned with a bizarre story about what happened.Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papinicovers the case and the aftermath with direct interviews from Keith years after everything came out. This story is so wild that even if you listened to numerous podcasts or YouTube deep dives on it, you’re likely to discover even more details from this docuseries. It was executed so well that itbroke records at Huluand received an overwhelmingly positive response.
6The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping
The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping
A spotlight has been shone on the “troubled teen industry” and how it can lead to cult-like and abusive behavior. Paris Hilton gave this previously ignored subculture attention with her memoir and later documentary.The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnappingfurthers this discussion by centering on a behavior modification facility in upstate New York called the Academy at Ivy Ridge.
Brainwashing on All Sides
There are many sinister things about this place, not the least of which being it posing as a boarding school. However, as Katherine Kubler and other former “students” testify, it was much more than that.
Kubler also served as director and executive producer of this three-part series. The series dives into the outrageous tuition prices that fed on parents' worst fears, manipulation of family members, harsh punishments, and morecultish brainwashing techniques. It’s clear that those who attended the academy still struggle with what transpired.
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