"I think I'm running out of True Crime shows," I said at the dinner table the other night.
"Sure looked like it," my husband said.
Earlier, as I was prepping the coconut shrimp and pineapple rice, I'd searched Netflix for something soothing to enjoy. You know, a crime show. But Netflix was just showing me one after another that I'd already seen. So I'd gone with Bikram, the story of the yoga guru who took America by storm and—shocker—turned out to be a sexual predator and a con man.
It wasn't a bad documentary, but it was a little already done. If you're a True Crime fan, which I would wager you are since you're reading my stuff, you understand what I mean.
I could go into my theory on why I think so many people like me turn to the macabre to decompress after a long day, but I think the obsession has already been pretty excellently explored in the HBO miniseries I'll Be Gone in the Dark.
And I could wax philosophical about how serial killers, who I'm obviously fascinated with and have been for most of my life, rose to prominence for a very good reason during the civil rights movements for racial and gender equality... but that cultural subtext is laid out pretty plainly in Skip Hollandsworth's The Midnight Assassin and John E. Douglas's Mindhunter, among a slew of other books.
Anyway, I was stuck watching Bikram while I made dinner. I gotta say, the smell of raw shrimp didn't exactly complement the visuals of a bunch of mostly naked people doing sweaty yoga.
I think I got into true crime in my preteens. Let's blame all those Goosebumps books for it, but I honestly don't know what sparked it. All I know is that whenever I caught a snippet of 20/20 or Dateline while I station surfed (we didn't have the channel with the schedule of shows back then; we still had to refer to the newspaper for a listing), I would stop immediately if I saw anything relating to a missing person or a brutal murder. Unsolved Mysteries and Rescue 911 were also go-tos.
I'm sure the pop of moral superiority was part of the appeal at first. "I would never get myself murdered like that," or "What an evil person! Lock him up and throw away the key!" Those sentiments feel great, especially when you're in the throes of puberty and very little makes sense anymore.
But then you get older and realize things are complicated, and not only is that okay, it's actually more interesting! Woohoo! And so a True Crime girl became a True Crime woman.
Like I said, though, I'm running out of options. I'm sure there are more amazing documentaries and books that I haven't found yet, but I don't know what they are.
So: If you have a recommendation, a True Crime book or show that I absolutely must watch, I beg of you: leave a comment and tell me! If I haven't seen it, I'll be in your debt, and if I have seen it, we can geek out about it together.
10 Best True Crime Shows to Look Inside the Mind of a Killer
Most true crime fans aren’t in it for the gore. They’re usually in it despite the gore. What’s the appeal, then? For me, it’s the psychology.
What makes someone feel justified in ending another person’s life? I’m not talking about in self-defense—we all understand that.
What justifications and beliefs go into a cold-blooded murder, particularly a premeditated one?
Not all true crime shows dig into this extensively or even at all. But if you like getting into the mind of a murderer, these 10 shows are must-sees for you.
I Am a Killer (Netflix)
This series is a crash course in killer psychology. With each episode interviewing a different convicted killer, you get a sampling of the various explanations and justifications for taking a life. The most interesting part? Figuring out who is being honest and who is bullshitting for the sake of leniency.
I also love this show because of the patterns and motifs that arise from this much data. Rough childhood, sexual abuse, bleak prospects for the future—after hearing the same story over and over again, you might even find yourself feeling unexpectedly sympathetic toward the inmates, and that’s no small feat for a show on this topic.
Dream/Killer (Netflix)
Think you understand the human brain? This documentary will stretch your understanding of it. A reporter is murdered, and the one who’s fingered for the crime thinks he had a dream about it happening, but that’s it. This one is a windy road of forced confessions, framing, and a dad who seeks justice for his boy. And the biggest win of it all: it includes everyone’s favorite wrongful conviction lawyer from Making a Murderer Season 2: Kathleen Zellner.
The Jinx (HBO)
What a wild ride this one is. With extensive interviews with the accused killer himself, you get a clear view into the mind of Robert Durst, loser son of a real estate mogul. Every so often, the universe treats us to a little bit of true crime that leaves our mouths hanging open, and The Jinx is one of those times. The investigation is a mess, the criminals are often too stupid to live, and the fact that anyone got away with anything is hardly more than a stroke of unbelievable luck. I won’t say more about this one other than it caused my husband and me to holler, gasp, and run confused circles around our living room while we watched. Don’t miss the last episode.
The Confessions Killer (Netflix)
Not only does this one give you insight into the psychology of a killer, it exposes how the desperation of well-meaning law enforcement to get justice for their victims can lead to a grade-A clusterfuck. Henry Lee Lucas, the accused serial killer, does plenty of talking in this one. He talks and talks and talks, admitting to hundreds of murders and playing on the hopes and confirmation bias of the detectives, sheriffs, and rangers who come to him looking for answers. Why would someone admit to hundreds of murders? You’ll have to watch this show and figure it out.
The Bundy Tapes (Netflix)
Ted Bundy is the go-to serial killer in the American public’s consciousness. Those uninitiated to true crime will give you his name first when you ask them to name a serial killer. They might not know anyone else, but they know Bundy. This series goes even deeper into his life, including facts about the case I’d never heard before. Listening to Bundy’s thoughts in his own words is truly chilling. Boy, is he a complete liar and sociopath. There are plenty of things we’ll never know about this man, but reading between the lines in this documentary might be as close as we’ll get…
Crazy, Not Insane (HBO)
…or will it? Among the cold-blooded killers Dr. Dorothy Otnow Lewis interviewed in her storied career, the most notorious was Ted Bundy himself. Bundy was viewed for a long time as an anomaly due to his claim that he came from a stable family and suffered no abuse as a child. This documentary presents the most elegant solution to that conundrum: Bundy was lying. Perhaps the most interesting hypothesis put forward by this documentary that follows Dr. Lewis’s many interviews with killers is that multiple personality disorder (MPD) is behind most of the brutal slaying we hear about in the news. Could a disorder many psychologists still don’t acknowledge as real be what’s behind the violence? Take a peek into a killer’s mind through Dr. Lewis’s eyes and judge for yourself.
Killer Inside: Mind of Aaron Hernandez (Netflix)
It’s not every day that a celebrity is arrested for a double murder. Thankfully. With serious OJ Simpson vibes running throughout, this documentary digs into the double life of Aaron Hernandez. It’s always interesting when the friends and family are split between, “He was the nicest guy ever,” and “I can see him doing this.” Either way, you get to watch a young man’s ascent in into the spotlight… while harboring a secret that was clearly eating him up. Ultimately a tragedy, this series will leave you with plenty to think about.
Into the Abyss (Netflix)
It’s always a treat when the legendary documentary filmmaker Werner Herzog decides to tackle a complicated subject. Focusing on a triple homicide in my home state of Texas—notorious for a liberal and proud use of the death penalty—Herzog interviews the two boys (now men) convicted of the slayings, as well as the families of the victims. Are we getting the truth from the killers? Will state-sanctioned murder bring those hurting the peace they seek? What really sets this documentary apart is the outsider view Herzog, a German, brings to a subject as complicated and American as capital punishment. No oversimplification to this one, folks. Get ready for messy emotions.
Nail Bomber: Manhunt (Netflix)
This show follows a different kind of killer, a more impersonal one, and because of that, it creates an interesting contrast to the others on this list. The nail bomber’s is a variety of hate that Americans like me are much more familiar with: white supremacy justifying death on a large scale. No intimate violence when you’re dealing with a bomber, which means the psychology behind it is completely different. The motivation differs. But there are some fascinating similarities in attitude between the nail bomber and many of the serial killers you’ve read all about. And you get to hear all about it through the bombers own letters.
Sophie: A Murder in West Cork (Netflix)
As far as true crime can be humorous, this one is. At least I thought so. When you first see the person who (it’s later revealed) is the alleged murderer, he’s not presented as such, and yet, I found myself saying, “That guy looks like a fucking serial killer.” The murder is almost secondary to the real story here of how someone who so clearly murdered a woman got away with it. You’ll hear plenty from the killer himself… only you won’t know it’s him until later on. If you’ve been studying your killer psychology, you should have no problem fingering the perp before the evidence is all laid out.
Is there one that I missed that should have been on the list? Drop me a comment to let me know.