There’s only one thing more chilling than a series about a toe-curling crime: a series about a toe-curling crime that actually happened. Knowing that the horrific events playing out on your screen were part of someone’s real-life story ups the viewing stakes considerably.
Whether you remember the cases happening in real time or you’re just hearing about them, true crime series and documentaries have an uncanny way of heightening our senses. We feel the pinpricks of fear on behalf of the victims, the rush of adrenaline as police race to catch the perpetrators, and the pangs of doubt in complex cases, as well as the inevitable stabs of sympathy and rage on behalf of the victims’ families and loved ones.
The best true crime series and documentaries of 2026 will evoke all of the above and more as they examine some of the biggest cases in history from every possible angle. Whether these real-life capers are your comfort shows (no judgment!) or you’re a newbie to the genre, our top picks are sure to reel you in. A word of advice? You might want to leave the night light on as you work your way through this list of docuseries, dramatized shows about real-life cases, and feature-length docs coming soon on streamers like Netflix and HBO Max. (Psst—if you're looking for even more great true crime to consume, check out our book and podcast suggestions as well.)
The Best True Crime of 2026 to Watch Now
'Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart'
Release date: January 21 on Netflix
24 years after being taken from her Salt Lake City home by a man wielding a knife, an adult Elizabeth Smart is sharing, in her own words, the personal hell she endured as a 14-year-old girl being held captive against her will. Through archival footage and never-before-seen materials, she also shares the lengths she and her family have gone to find peace following her harrowing nine-month ordeal.
'The Hillside Strangler'
Release date: January 18 on MGM+
Years before the Night Stalker was terrorizing the streets of L.A. and providing the blueprint for Mia Goth’s feisty Maxxxine, there was the Hillside Strangler, or rather, the Hillside Stranglers: two nightmarish cousins named Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono Jr., who kidnapped and tortured 10 young women between October 1977 and February 1978. Buono Jr. died in prison in 2002, but Bianchi is interviewed on-camera for the first time in this new, four-part docuseries—and he claims he’s innocent.
'Handsome Devil: Charming Killer'
Release date: January 20 on Paramount+
Paramount+’s Handsome Devil holds a mirror up to our society’s dark obsession with vanity. Its subject? Wade Wilson (a.k.a. the Deadpool Killer), a convicted Florida murderer with Joker-like tattoos on his face, whose courtroom photos gained him legions of female fans around the world despite his heinous crimes.
'The Investigation of Lucy Letby'
Release date: February 4 on Netflix
Was former neonatal nurse Lucy Letby a sinister serial killer or a victim of unfortunate circumstances? That’s the question at the heart of this Netflix documentary, which explores the untimely deaths of seven babies under her care. Showcasing new footage from Lucy’s arrest and an interview with the mother of one of the victims, it examines the doubt that has been cast on Letby’s seven murder convictions and seven attempted murder convictions in the wake of her 2023 case.
'Murder in Glitterball City'
Release date: February 19 on HBO Max
This two-part HBO doc bookends a toxic relationship between two men with the murder of an unsuspecting guest in their home in a seemingly quaint area of Louisville, Kentucky. When both men blame each other for the killing that occurs during a one-night stand gone wrong, which one is really to blame?
'Lost Women of Alaska'
Release date: February 25 on ID and HBO Max
Octavia Spencer takes another crack at crime with her newest Lost Women installment, the franchise for which kicked off in 2023 with Lost Women of Highway 20. This time around, the Oscar winner is delving into the 2018 and 2019 murders of Alaskans Veronica Abouchuk and Kathleen Jo Henry. As Spencer said in a press release: "Lost Women of Alaska confronts the devastating intersection of race and systemic failures that perpetuate violence against Indigenous women."
'Twisted Yoga'
Release date: March 13 on Apple TV
Romanian yoga teacher Gregorian Bivolaru promised lectures on consciousness and sexuality in his yoga schools. Instead, his students claim they were subject to human trafficking, kidnapping, and rape. While Bivolaru, who denies all charges, remains in police custody awaiting trial, his alleged victims are speaking out about the horrors they say they endured at Bivolaru’s hands.
'The Predator of Seville'
Release date: March 27 on Netflix
In a foreign country, Gabrielle Vega found herself in a terrifying position: drugged and raped by her travel guide, Manuel “Manu White” Blanco. When she came forward with her story four years later, she opened a floodgate of accusations against the man who fooled exchange students into believing he was a friendly face.
'The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson'
Release date: April 3 on Netflix
Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson was a star in the world of cycling before she was murdered by Kaitlin Armstrong, the jealous girlfriend of Wilson’s ex. More than simply regurgitating her final days, Truth and Tragedy celebrates her life through the eyes of those who loved her most.
'Should I Marry a Murderer?'
Release date: April 29 on Netflix
What would you do if you found out your fiancé was a murderer? That’s the dilemma at the center of this Netflix documentary about the death of 63-year-old cyclist Tony Parsons, who was struck by drunk driver Alexander "Sandy" McKellar and removed from the scene of the crime to die. When McKellar confesses his crimes to his future bride-to-be, Caroline Muirhead, she’s forced to choose between her loyalty to the love of her life and her moral compass.
'The Crash'
Release date: May 15 on Netflix
Mackenzie Shirilla was convicted of double murder after crashing her car into the side of a brick building at 100 MPH and killing her two passengers. But what really happened that fateful day? Here, she publicly tells her story for the first time.
“It was extraordinary, after months of research…to finally sit down and put to Mackenzie all the questions everybody else has been asking," producer Angharad Scott told Tudum. As for whether she was a loving girlfriend with a medical issue that clouded her judgement at the worst possible time or a jilted lover on a kamikaze mission to destroy her would-be ex, director Gareth Johnson says: “We’ve given the audience everything they need to come to their own conclusions about what happened.”
'The Yogurt Shop Murders'
Release date: May 22 on HBO
One month after The Yogurt Shop Murders debuted on HBO in August 2025, the Texas cold case that inspired it was reopened with new under-fingernail DNA evidence. HBO released a follow-up finale episode in May, revealing the perpetrator of the 34-year-old crimes against teenage yogurt shop employees Eliza Thompson, Jennifer Harbison, Harbison’s 15-year-old sister Sarah, and 13-year-old Amy Ayers, who were bound, sexually assaulted, shot, and set on fire in a local yogurt shop.
'The Murder of Rachel Nickell'
Release date: June 4 on Netflix
23-year-old British model Rachel Nickell’s life ended on July 15, 1992, when she was publicly attacked in London’s Wimbledon Common while out for an afternoon stroll with her 2-year-old son and her dog. With her toddler as the only witness to the sexual assault and brutal stabbing that she endured, Nickell's case, which is examined in this new Netflix documentary, took 16 years to solve and involved a wrongful conviction before the dark truth was finally brought to light.
'The Witness'
Release date: June 4 on Netflix
This dramatized version of Nickell’s murder explores the fallout that occurred when 2-year-old Alex witnessed his mother being violently stabbed to death 49 times in the park. Told from the perspective of both Alex and his father, André Hanscombe, the series consulted both men for its retelling, which focuses on their lives post-tragedy.
'Maternal Instinct'
Release date: June 12 on Netflix
Maternal Instinct purposely avoids presenting the perspective of its main subject, Taylor Parker. In 2020, Parker faked her own pregnancy, then killed her pregnant friend Reagan Simmons-Hancock, cutting her unborn baby from her womb in an effort to maintain her lie. Explained director Jessica Dimmock, who focused her documentary on Parker's victims: “To give her any extra time to spin and lie just did not feel like the film I wanted to make. I wanted to hear from all of the people whose lives she damaged and broke forever, and not give her any more room to talk.”
The Best True Crime Coming Soon in 2026
'Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story'
Release date: TBA on Netflix
If you binged Monster: The Ed Gein Story at lightning speeds, get the popcorn ready: Netflix has confirmed a fourth installment of Ryan Murphy's true-crime anthology is due out in 2026. The streaming service has also announced that Ella Beatty (Feud: Capote vs. The Swans) is poised to play the series’s first female "monster" when she steps into the shoes of Lizzie Borden, the famous prime suspect in the gruesome axe murders of her father and stepmother, Andrew and Abby Borden. The Ed Gein Story stars Charlie Hunnam and Vicky Krieps will return in new roles, along with frequent Ryan Murphy players like Rebecca Hall, Billie Lourd, and Sarah Paulson, as well as Jessica Barden, rounding out the cast.
