Best True Crime Series to Binge This Weekend (US)
To get a weekend schedule that actually works, just combine the best docuseries, dramas that are based on real events and a few lesser-known titles. Start with The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, a mind-blowing investigation that still causes very strong reactions, especially with its late-series twists and follow-up episodes. Next, you will have Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, a very captivating, LA-noir exploration of the Ramirez case narrated by the detectives who caught him; this is simply perfect for late-night viewing that keeps one on the edge of the seat. Talking about corporate crime and the creation of modern myths, The Dropout tells the Theranos saga with creepy accuracy—couple it with Inventing Anna for a double feature of con artists that shows how charm and social media distort reality.
Are you more interested in cults and mind control? The Vow takes NXIVM apart from the inside, combining survivor testimonies with painstaking evidence and provoking difficult issues about consent and belief. Under the Banner of Heaven depicts a horrible murder case that was motivated by faith in a very chilling way and is supported by powerful acting and thorough research. If you prefer horror stories related to family and small towns, A Friend of the Family with empathy and dread recreates the almost-unbelievable Broberg kidnappings, while The Staircase delves into the areas surrounding a single suspicious death of truth, bias, and the mechanics of justice. Each of them is binge-worthy, conversation-starting, and based on verifiable records.
The weekend should end with some quick hitters. Fear City: New York vs. The Mafia portrays the wiretap-era capture of the Five Families and provides an easy-to-digest history lesson of New York City circa 1980s. For the opioid-epidemic era accountability, Dopesick creatively mixes legal thriller with a human tragedy and systemic critique—extremely relevant and very fast moving. If you want something that is not so old, just look at the current hubs of platforms: every month Netflix’s docuseries crime shelves change and Max highlights award-winning films that you might have missed. The lineup includes the most demanding cases, con artist psychology, cults’ dynamics, and legal systems under stress—this has been the major’s suspenseful offering that did not compromise on content, and it is all just a click away.
