In case you’re looking for some good documentaries that can be watched for free, our list of the 25 best crime documentaries on YouTube is a perfect starting point.
Crime documentaries are definitely not for everyone. They often revolve around unsettling subjects and can feature scenes that may cause you some serious nightmares. On the other hand, they are very interesting, since most of them are based on true events. When you watch a movie, no matter how terrifying or unsettling it is, you always know that the movie is a product of someone’s imagination. But when you watch a documentary that features some horrific crimes or scary things, it is different. This is why the authenticity of crime documentaries is their main appeal.
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Crime documentaries sometimes have significance besides just presenting a certain criminal or event to the audience. They can have a serious impact on peoples’ lives. For example, there are some documentaries that are credited for finding new pieces of evidence in criminal cases and helping wrongfully convicted people prove their innocence. Examples of these documentaries include The Thin Blue Line and Making a Murderer. Crime documentaries have also been credited for finding out who committed certain crimes or found new pieces of evidence that helped the progress of crime investigations. One example of such a documentary is HBO’s acclaimed documentary miniseries The Jinx. If these types of documentaries are not what you are looking for, then you will most certainly find something interesting on our list of the 25 Best Full Length Documentaries to Watch on YouTube for Free.
Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL)‘s YouTube now has 1.3 billion users globally, and about 300 hours of video are uploaded to the platform every minute. It’s also become a hotspot for the documentary crowd, with thousands of documentaries being hosted on the platform, as well as the heated debate that tends to go along with many of them in their comments sections (you’re better off never reading comments to any videos on YouTube, lest you want to lose your faith in humanity).
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In order to create our list of the best crime documentaries on YouTube, we decided to turn once again to IMDb’s database of documentaries. We narrowed the list to documentaries that were labeled as crime documentaries and sorted it according to each film’s IMDb rating. Then, starting from the top-rated ones, we checked each documentary for their availability on YouTube. During that process, our list took form and we were able to get the best documentaries you won’t have to pay to watch. We didn’t take into consideration documentaries that were shorter than 30 minutes or had less than 10 ratings on IMDb. Let’s begin then the countdown of the best crime documentaries on YouTube then, starting on the next page.
25. The Murder of Fred Hampton
IMDb rating: 7.4
In the first part of this documentary, you will be able to get better insight into the life of American activist Fred Hampton. The second part of the documentary explores his death and makes the claim that his death was actually a murder committed by police officers. To make their case, the filmmakers use scene reenactments, interviews, and other evidence.
24. The Confessions of Bernhard Goetz
IMDb rating: 7.5
In 1984, Bernhard Goetz shot four men in a New York subway out of fear he would be robbed. This documentary features his side of the story and confessions he made about his crime. After the trial, the jury found him guilty only of carrying an unlicensed weapon.
23. Crime Wave: 18 Months of Mayhem
IMDb rating: 7.5
This documentary made by the History Channel talks about a crime spree that took place in the United States from 1933 to 1934 and lasted 18 months. It explores the events and people involved, including some of the most notorious criminals in the history of the country.
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22. Too Young to Kill: 15 Shocking Crimes
IMDb rating: 7.5
Although this is a collection of shorter documentaries, all of them are available on YouTube. They examine the cases of young people who have committed murders, with each documentary focusing on one particular case. Filmmakers explore the motivations of the offenders and the consequences of their actions.
21. Frame 394
IMDb rating: 7.5
This documentary talks about Daniel Voshart, a man from Canada who stumbled upon a video of a police officer shooting a black man in the back. The man was unarmed, and it seemed that he did nothing to provoke such action. After watching the video, Voshart dedicates himself to finding out the identity of the police officer by studying the video.
20. Dream/Killer
IMDb rating: 7.5
Ryan Ferguson was convicted to 40 years in prison in 2005 for a murder that he allegedly committed when he was 17. This documentary explores his story and follows the efforts of his father to prove his son’s innocence.
19. The True Story of Killing Pablo
IMDb rating: 7.5
Forget Narcos, this entry on our list of the best crime documentaries on YouTube will get you familiar with Pablo Escobar in the right way. It follows his life, from the point he became a drug lord until his death in 1993.
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18. The Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre
IMDb rating: 7.6
This documentary talks about events that happened on February 14, 1929, when seven men were murdered in Chicago. Since the men were members of the North Side Irish gang, it is believed that the murders were planned by Al Capone, who wanted to seize control of Chicago’s streets and considered this gang a threat to his goal.
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17. The Invisible War
IMDb rating: 7.6
The Invisible War talks about the rapes and other sexual assaults happening in the United States military. The documentary shares the stories of victims and explores their struggles while seeking justice.
16. The Frank Matthews Story
IMDb rating: 7.7
Crime and mystery mix in this intriguing documentary that tells the story of Frank Matthews, who was believed to be the biggest drug dealer in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. After his arrest in 1973, he posted bail and then disappeared without a trace. The documentary features some never-before-seen interviews and footage related to Matthews.
15. How to Make Money Selling Drugs
IMDb rating: 7.7
Although this documentary looks like a guide for drug dealing at the beginning, don’t take the advice too seriously. The documentary revolves around the War on Drugs in the United States and tries to give better solutions to solving the problem of illegal drugs.
14. The Central Park Five
IMDb rating: 7.7
This documentary tells the story of five young men who were accused of assaulting and raping a 28-year-old woman in 1989. They were found guilty and received prison sentences ranging from 5-to-15 years. In 2002, another man confessed to the rape, with DNK analysis proving his guilt, although he was never processed for the crime due to the statute of limitations.
13. The Fear of 13
IMDb rating: 7.7
Nick Yarris is a man who spent 21 years on death row for a murder he didn’t commit. He was released in 2005 after DNK analysis proved his innocence. In this documentary, Yarris himself talks about his life, the years he spent in prison, and his fight for the truth.
12. The Iceman Confesses: Secrets of a Mafia Hitman
IMDb rating: 7.8
This documentary talks about Richard Kuklinski, who was a notorious contract killer for the mafia. By his own words, he killed over 100 people, although he was trialed and sentenced to prison for just 5 of them. The documentary features a lengthy interview with Kuklinski during which he describes the crimes he committed.
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11. Scared Straight!
IMDb rating: 7.9
I think this entry on our list of the best crime documentaries on YouTube could be considered to be telling a positive story. It talks about the Scared Straight program in the United States, where convicts from maximum security prisons talk about the harshness of prison life to kids in order to make them stay out of trouble.
10. Cocaine Cowboys
IMDb rating: 7.9
This documentary ranks 10th in our list of best crime documentaries on YouTube. It explores how Miami became the “cocaine capital” of the United States in the ’70s and ’80s. It also focuses on the conflicts between drug cartels and law enforcers.
9. Murder on a Sunday Morning
IMDb rating: 8.0
Another documentary that talks about wrongful accusations of innocent people. Brenton Butler was 15-years-old when he was accused of murdering a tourist. Although he admitted committing the murder at first, the confession later turned out to be coerced. Besides exploring his story, the documentary also follows the efforts to prove his innocence. Murder on a Sunday Morning won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2002.
8. Tower
IMDb rating: 8.0
We are continuing our list of best crime documentaries on YouTube with Tower, that talks about events from 1966 when an armed man killed 16 people at the University of Texas. The documentary combines archival footage with interviews and animations.
7. Anthrax War
IMDb rating: 8.1
This documentary explores the 2001 anthrax attacks that took place a week after 9/11 and resulted in 5 deaths and 17 people being infected. It also questions the official investigation of the FBI concerning the attacks and examines biological terrorism.
6. Derren Brown: The Great Art Robbery
IMDb rating: 8.1
I don’t know this really counts as a crime documentary, but it will be a good break from the examination of violent crimes featured on our list of best crime documentaries on YouTube up until now. This documentary follows Derren Brown, a British illusionist who bets an art collector that he will successfully steal one of his most prized paintings.
5. The Thin Blue Line
IMDb rating: 8.1
Thought to be one of the greatest documentaries ever made, The Thin Blue Line that ranks 5th in our list of best crime documentaries on YouTube tells the story of Randall Adams, who was accused of murder and sentenced to death, despite actually being innocent. The documentary itself played a major part in proving Adams’ innocence.
4. Alien Boy: The Life and Death of James Chasse
IMDb rating: 8.3
This documentary tells the story of the death of schizophrenic singer James Chasse, who died in 2006 after being arrested by the police. The focus of the documentary is on the role the police played in his death.
3. Who Bombed Judi Bari?
IMDb rating: 8.4
American environmental activist Judi Bari and her friend Darryl Cherney were injured in 1990 after a bomb planted beneath their car went off. The police and FBI accused Bari and Cherney of terrorism, claiming that the bomb was theirs and that they wanted to perform a terrorist attack. Ultimately, they were freed from accusations, though the police never bothered to investigate anyone else. The documentary explores these events and their aftermath.
2. Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills
IMDb rating: 8.4
This documentary talks about three teenagers who were accused of murdering and mutilating three boys in 1993. The documentary introduces viewers with facts about the case and covers the trial that followed. It also points out the suspicions pieces of evidence that were used in the trial. Two more follow-up documentaries were released further examining the case.
1. Loyalty & Betrayal: The Story of the American Mob
IMDb rating: 8.7
We hope you didn’t go anywhere, since there is one entry left on our list of the best crime documentaries on YouTube. If you like stories about gangsters and mobsters, then this is something you can’t miss. This documentary focuses on the history of organized crime in the United States, telling the stories of notorious crime figures like Al Capone, Bugsy Siegel, and John Gotti. The documentary features interviews, archival footage and other content that enables viewers to get better insight into their lives and crimes.
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