Are you ready for the 15 best serial killer documentaries on Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix? They will surely make you question the human race.
Now, the definition of a serial killer isn’t unanimous. While it is often considered that a serial killer has to commit three or more murders in order to be identified as such, the FBI’s definition for a serial killer includes those who have committed two or more murders. In some cases, the bottom line is four, or even five murders! The one thing that fits in all of the serial killer definitions is that those murders have to be committed by one person, in a longer period of time, and that there should be a “break” between the murders. Serial killings shouldn’t be mistaken for killing sprees or mass murders. Killing sprees are defined as murders that took place over a short period of time in various locations while mass murders could be described as killings taking place over a short period of time in one location. The killings in the circumstances of war are viewed separately and considered as war crimes.
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The reasons for why people become serial killers are still the subject of arguments. Some believe that those reasons have roots in biology and that a serial killer is born that way. Others argue that it has to do with social and emotional problems and that serial killers are moved by certain events and experiences in their lives. For obvious reasons, the latter theory has more backers. Many of the serial killers throughout history were victims of child abuse in their early years or experienced other unfortunate events that left serious imprints on their psychological state. Contrary to popular belief, most serial killers are highly intelligent people. Before we move on to the topic, you also may want to check these 11 Best Serial Killer Documentaries on Netflix.
The battle between the three video streaming platforms has intensified on the documentary front, as each looks to add poignant, harrowing, and enlightening documentaries to their libraries. Hulu, which started as a joint venture between Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS), Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA), and Twenty-First Century Fox Inc (NASDAQ:FOX), is used by about 12 million people as of late-2016. Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)‘s Prime Video is now included in its Prime Membership in hundreds of countries (more than 200 all told), though its library of documentaries outside of the U.S is not overly large. Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) remains the clear leader in content, especially for those living outside the U.S, and has 93.6 million subscribers worldwide as of December 31, 2016.
To compile our list of the 15 best serial killer documentaries on Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix, we took recommendations from various sources like Reddit, The Hook Mag, and Serial Killer Shop. Then we checked the availability of the titles on these streaming services. Those that were available on one or more were ranked according to their IMDb rating, thus forming our list. Check them out, beginning on the next page.
15. Angel Maker: Serial Killer Queen
IMDb Rating: 4.9
Available On: Amazon Prime
Amelia Dyer has gone down in history as one of the cruelest serial killers. It is believed that she was responsible for the murders of up to 400 infants. She would pose as a nurse willing to adopt infants or take care of them for a substantial financial reward. After she received the money, Dyer would then kill the children or let them starve. During her lifetime, she was accused of just one murder and sentenced to death by hanging. This documentary tells her shocking story.
14. Jack the Ripper: Prime Suspect
IMDb Rating: 5.4
Available On: Netflix
Jack the Ripper was one of the first modern serial killers who received widespread media attention. It is believed that he killed at least five prostitutes in 1888, but the number of victims is believed to be bigger. To date, he remains unidentified, although there were multiple suspects. This documentary that ranks 14th in our list of best serial killer documentaries on Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix tries to reveal the identity of the serial killer by using modern technology.
13. Albert Fish: In Sin He Found Salvation
IMDb Rating: 5.8
Available On: Amazon Prime
This documentary tells the story of American serial killer named Albert Fish, who was also a child rapist and cannibal. Although only five murders were connected to him, the number of his victims is probably higher. At one point, Fish even claimed that the real number of his victims was close to 100. He was executed in 1936 by electric chair. To give better insight into Fish’s crimes, the documentary uses archival footage, interviews, and scene recreations.
12. Interview with a Serial Killer
IMDb Rating: 6.0
Available On: Netflix
Arthur Shawcross, or Genesee River Killer, was a serial killer who was sentenced to life in prison for murdering 11 women, with most of his crimes taking place from 1988 to 1989. Before he committed those murders, he was also accused of murdering two children, but eventually was released. It is believed that the total count of his victims is 12. In this documentary, a psychologist interviews Shawcross and tries to get better insight into why he committed the murders and whether he felt guilty about them. And now, let’s see what else we have in our list of best serial killer documentaries on Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix.
11. Serial Killer Culture
IMDb Rating: 6.0
Available On: Amazon Prime
There are lots of people fascinated by serial killers, from artists to collectors of serial killer memorabilia. This goes so far that there is an entire black market where people buy and sell items that have belonged to serial killers or were used in murders. This documentary explores this fascination and interviews collectors and artists.
10. I Survived BTK
IMDb Rating: 6.0
Available On: Netflix
Dennis Rader is a serial killer currently serving ten life sentences for committing the same number of murders. He is also known under the name BTK, which was his signature and stands for “bind, torture, kill”. He committed his murders between 1974 and 1991. His modus operandi included sending letters to police and media, where he would describe his murders in detail. This documentary follows Charlie Otero, who discovers that Dennis Rader killed four members of his family.
9. Killer Legends
IMDb Rating: 6.4
Available On: Hulu
Although not completely focusing on serial killers, this documentary will surely terrify you. It revolves around numerous urban legends about killers and tries to explore if there is any truth to them. The documentary that ranked 9th in our list of best serial killer documentaries on Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix includes a story about serial killer clowns and about a serial killer who targeted babysitters.
8. Bayou Blue
IMDb Rating: 6.4
Available On: Amazon Prime
This documentary ranks 8th in our list of best serial killer documentaries on Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix. It talks about Ronald Dominique, who admitted raping and killing more than 20 men from 1997 to 2006 in the Bayou Blue area in Louisiana. According to Dominique, he was afraid that the men he raped would go and report him to the police, so he murdered them instead. He is currently serving eight life sentences after agreeing to confess to all of his murders, so he would avoid the death penalty. Incredibly, he was briefly an independent candidate in the 1992 Presidential elections.
7. Carl Panzram: The Spirit of Hatred and Vengeance
IMDb Rating: 6.4
Available On: Amazon Prime, Netflix
In this documentary, you will be able to see that serial killers are not born, but become like that along the way. It follows the life of Carl Panzram who, by his own words, killed 21 people and committed more than 1,000 acts of sodomy. The documentary tries to shed some light on the reasons for Panzram’s action while also exploring his friendship with a prison guard who ultimately encouraged him to write an autobiography.
6. H. H. Holmes: America’s First Serial Killer
IMDb Rating: 6.4
Available On: Amazon Prime, Netflix
With more than 200 murders, H.H. Holmes is one of the most prolific serial killers among those mentioned on our list of the 15 best serial killer documentaries on Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix. This documentary will give you better insight into his state of mind and guide you through the complexity of Holmes’ killings. The documentary mostly revolves around the killings he committed in his notorious killing castle.
5. The Jeffrey Dahmer Files
IMDb Rating: 6.4
Available On: Hulu, Netflix
This documentary ranks 5th in our list of best serial killer documentaries on Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix. It revolves around the Milwaukee Cannibal, real name Jeffrey Dahmer, who killed and raped 17 men and boys over a period of 13 years, from 1978 to 1991. Dahmer was also known for the dismemberment of his victims and cannibalism. The filmmakers explore the crimes of Dahmer by visiting the locations of his murders and through archival footage and interviews with medical examiners and police officers.
4. Cropsey
IMDb Rating: 6.4
Available On: Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix
The main subject of this documentary that’s up next on our list of best serial killer documentaries on Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix, is Andre Rand, a man who is thought to be a serial killer, although those allegations were never proven. Rand is currently serving a 50-year sentence for kidnapping two children, but it is believed that the number of kidnappings was larger and that he killed all of his victims. The documentary examines the cases and talks with people close to Rand in order to get better insight into his life. Rand originally agreed to give an interview to the filmmakers, but ultimately changed his mind.
3. Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer
IMDb Rating: 7.0
Available On: Amazon Prime, Netflix
If you have watched the movie Monster with Charlize Theron, then you will be familiar with Aileen Wuornos, a serial killer who murdered seven men and was sentenced to death in 2002. When she was put on trial, she claimed that all of those murders were in self-defense and that the men raped her or tried to rape her. This documentary that ranks third in our list of best serial killer documentaries on Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix, follows filmmaker Nick Broomfield as he attempts to get an interview with Wuornos, while also exploring the fairness of her trial.
2. Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer
IMDb Rating: 7.2
Available On: Amazon Prime, Netflix
This is a sequel to the previous documentary and it examines the circumstances under which the trial of Aileen Wuornos took place and questions the decision to execute her. The documentary also contains an interview with Wuornos that took place one day before the execution.
1. The Iceman Tapes: Conversations with a Killer
IMDb Rating: 7.7
Available On: Netflix
We hope you didn’t get scared off, because we have one more entry on the list of the 15 best serial killer documentaries on Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix. Richard Kuklinski was a contract killer who was sentenced to two life sentences for five murders. The real number of his murders is believed to be well over 100. Although he isn’t a true serial killer, because he lacks some of the characteristics, the documentary about him was recommended a lot, so we decided to feature it. The main coverage of the documentary is a lengthy interview with Kuklinski in which he goes into details about his acts.
Disclosure: None
