If you are tired of CSI and other crime TV Shows, check out our list of the best crime documentaries on Hulu. At least you will know that this isn’t something made up to keep you on your toes.
The fact that crime documentaries are almost always based on true events is a part of their appeal. Also, the topics these documentaries investigate are full of tension and keep the viewers on the edge of their seats. But these documentaries are not easy to make, especially if they are about a complicated case or the directors don’t have access to all the facts and people involved. This is why some crime documentaries turn out really good and engaging and others turn out to be a complete disaster; there is rarely a middle ground.
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Crime documentaries are interesting, but you shouldn’t spend too much time watching them, for your own safety. There are some studies (although ones which used small sample sizes) which indicate that watching crime documentaries causes real fear. After people see a crime documentary about a serial killer, for example, they begin to wonder whether that could happen to them or in their neighborhood. The same studies showed that fictionalized TV shows and even news coverage of the same crimes didn’t have the same effect. However, if you are dwad set on watching crime documentaries about violent events and are positive that they won’t have a negative effect on you, then check out our list of the 15 Best Serial Killer Documentaries on Amazon Prime Hulu and Netflix.
A joint venture of Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS), Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA), and Twenty-First Century Fox Inc (NASDAQ:FOX), Hulu was founded in 2006 and launched in 2007. Time Warner Inc (NYSE:TWX) now owns a 10% stake in the venture as well. Hulu carries programming from a multitude of television channels and companies, including A&E, CBS, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Discovery Communications. The platform also produces its own original programming. Hulu is planning to launch a live television streaming service later this year.
In order to get our list of best crime documentaries on Hulu, we have searched through a complete catalog of Hulu documentaries available on Something to Stream. After identifying documentaries related to the subject of crime, we ranked them according to their IMDb rating. The best rated gained entry onto our list. From serial killers to celebrity felons, there is lots of interesting stuff; let’s check them all out.
19. Charles Manson: The Man Who Killed The 60s
IMDb rating: 5.5
If you want to know more about Charles Manson and why is he still one of the most-talked-about criminals in the United States, then you should start with this documentary. It investigates the history of his crimes and the influence that they had at the time.
18. American Meth
IMDb rating: 5.7
Although it isn’t exactly Breaking Bad, this documentary narrated by Val Kilmer will give you good insight into the meth mania that took over the United States and the consequences that it left behind.
17. The Jeffrey Dahmer Files
IMDb rating: 6.4
This documentary takes a different approach to making crime documentaries using scene recreation and a bit of fiction to show the life of American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in the year he was arrested. The documentary also features archival footage and interviews with police investigators and medical examiners.
16. Killer Legends
IMDb rating: 6.4
This documentary ranks 16th in our list of best crime documentaries on Hulu. It takes on four urban legends and explores the true stories that may have served as inspiration for those legends. From the Candyman, who killed a kid on Halloween, to The Baby-Sitter, who gets taunted and then killed by her tormenter, the stories are really haunting.
15. Cropsey
IMDb rating: 6.4
Another documentary that starts with an urban legend of Cropsey, a bogeyman who is believed to have kidnapped children in New York. From that, the documentary shifts focus to Andre Rand, a convicted child kidnapper and potential serial killer.
14. H.H. Holmes: America’s First Serial Killer
IMDb rating: 6.5
This documentary tells the story of one of the first documented serial killers in history, H.H. Holmes. Holmes built a hotel where he brought his victims and killed them in the most horrific ways. Although Holmes confessed to 27 murders, it is believed that the number was a lot bigger, potentially surpassing 200.
13. The Dog
IMDb rating: 6.5
The Dog follows the life of John Wojtowicz, the man who served as inspiration for the movie Dog Day Afternoon, which stars Al Pacino. In 1972, Wojtowicz attempted a bank robbery in Brooklyn, hoping to get enough money so his partner at the time could undergo a sex change operation.
12. Cocaine Unwrapped
IMDb rating: 6.7
After watching this documentary, you will have a clearer picture about the ins-and-outs of cocaine production. The documentary also focuses on the human lives that are affected by cocaine, from those producing it to those using it. You will also be able to see interviews with high-level politicians who give their opinion about the war on drugs. It is definitely one of the best crime documentaries on Hulu.
11. Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee
IMDb rating: 6.8
John McAfee built a software empire by producing what is thought to be the first antivirus software created for commercial purposes. After that, he moved to Belize, where he continued to pursue other ventures. In 2012, his neighbor was found murdered and authorities wanted to question McAfee, but he fled back to the United States. The documentary explores his life and his role in the crime, while also discovering other crimes that McAfee was involved in but never prosecuted for. And now, let’s see what else we have in our list of best crime documentaries on Hulu.
10. You Belong to Me: Sex, Race and Murder in the South
IMDb rating: 6.9
This documentary talks about Ruby McCollum, an African-American woman who killed a white doctor in 1952. During the trial, McCollum claimed that the man she killed had raped her numerous times and made her carry his child. She was sentenced to death, but after appeal, the sentence was overruled. This documentary investigates the crime she committed, featuring interviews with her family members and people involved in the case.
9. Tattooed Tears
IMDb rating: 7.1
We are continuing our list of best crime documentaries on Hulu with Tattooed Tears that explores the California Youth Authority prison, and follows the stories of four people. These young inmates share the reasons why they ended up in such a place, and give viewers personal insight into their struggles to survive such a harsh environment.
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8. A Murder in the Park
IMDb rating: 7.1
They say “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” and this documentary will show you why that may well be true. It follows a man named Anthony Porter, who was accused of killing two teenagers in 1982. Porter was supposed to be executed in 1999 for the crime, but an independent investigation by professors and students from Medill School of Journalism brought new evidence that supposedly proved Porter was innocent and pointed to Alstory Simon as being the murderer. In another twist of events, it turned out that Simon was also innocent. The documentary explores the case and examines whether Anthony Porter was in fact guilty.
7. Into the Abyss
IMDb rating: 7.3
After numerous nature documentaries, legendary director Werner Herzog stepped into the crime genre. His documentary Into the Abyss follows two men who were convicted for three murders, with one of them being sentenced to death. You will be able to see the interviews with them, their families and the people who worked on the case.
6. The Mind of Mark DeFriest
IMDb rating: 7.3
Another documentary on our list of best crime documentaries on Hulu that will make you wonder about the judicial system in the United States. When he was a teenager, Mark DeFriest took working tools from his late father. He did so because his father left them to him in his will, but his stepmother called the police and he was sentenced to four years in prison, since the will wasn’t confirmed by the court and his act was considered stealing. The court didn’t want to change the decision even after psychiatrists labeled him as mentally ill. What followed was a series of successful and unsuccessful escape attempts by DeFriest that led him to a prison stay of 34 years. The documentary explores his case and follows his parole hearing.
5. Women on Death Row
IMDb rating: 7.4
This documentary ranks 5th in our list of best crime documentaries on Hulu. It focuses on women who are on the death row list in the United States. Through interviews, you will be able to hear about their personal life, their side of the stories about the crimes they committed, and how they feel about their sentence and impending execution.
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4. Prison Fighters: 5 Rounds to Freedom
IMDb rating: 7.6
I always thought that fighting for freedom was a thing of the past, but I guess I’m wrong. This documentary follows the “Prison Fighting Program” in Thailand, where the inmates are given a chance to fight in a tournament, with the winner getting his freedom back (it sure sounds like a cliche martial arts movie or fighting game’s plot). The primary focus of the documentary are two men, one of them being a former champion of Thailand’s traditional fighting skill Muay Thai.
3. Peace Officer
IMDb rating: 7.6
William “Dub” Lawrence was a former sheriff who organized and trained the first Swat Team in his native state of Utah. That same team was responsible for killing his son-in-law. Since then, Lawrence has devoted his life to investigating cases were police killed people. This documentary follows his investigations but also explores the history of Swat Teams in the United States. And now, let’s see the top two entries on our list of best crime documentaries on Hulu.
2. The Thin Blue Line
IMDb rating: 8.1
In other cases, outside opinions can do some good. This documentary from 1988 investigates the case of Randall Adams, who was convicted of murdering a police officer in 1976 and sentenced to death, before the sentence was changed to life in prison. The documentary concludes that there were lots of misinterpretations and mistakes by investigators in the original case, and that Adams was innocent. Following the release of the documentary and the resulting interest from the public, Adams’ case was reopened and he was subsequently released from prison. However, he still wasn’t happy about the documentary that saved his life and even sued the director, Errol Morris.
1. O.J.: Made in America
IMDb rating: 9.0
The top spot on our list of the best crime documentaries on Hulu is reserved for one that became a must-watch piece in the United States. It is also an Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary Feature. This documentary follows the life of the famed former NFL running back, whose story shocked Americans and often split their opinions along racial lines. He was accused of murdering his wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman in 1994, followed by one of the most publicized trials in the country’s history. After he was found not guilty, he still ended up in prison 13 years later for armed robbery. Although he was sentenced to 33 years in prison, he could get out on parole by the end of 2017.
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