Top 5 true crime documentaries that ruled through 2025

True crime documentaries were one of the most dominating genres of 2025 and this year's releases made sure to go straight for the gut, exposing faulty systems, media manipulation, the dangers of trust and the unsettling truth that justice is rarely clean. From murder mysteries and chilling investigations to power figures and their falls, these titles ruled conversations, timelines, and late night spirals.

As the year comes to an end, we are looking back at some of the best true crime documentaries that we saw on television that unraveled complex cases and twisted our perception of the incidents that shaped these stories.

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Amy Bradley is Missing

Netflix's Amy Bradley is Missing stands out in a year overcrowded with true crime documentaries because of how it understands that apart from just the story, the people left behind by it are just as important. Instead of leaning into twists and turns and reenactments, the show stays grounded in grief, uncertainty and the exhausting weight of not knowing, making it one of the most compelling watches of the year.

More importantly, the show really honors her parents by centering the documentary on them without exploiting them. You feel the years stretch by in quiet rituals, half-believed signs, and the stubborn refusal to give up. Among true crime documentaries, this one resists turning tragedy into entertainment and instead asks you to pay attention, to stay uncomfortable, and to remember that unresolved cases do not end when the credits roll.

Available to watch on: Netflix

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Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke

Hulu’s The Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke earns its place among the best releases of the year because it refuses to treat trauma like content. In a landscape crowded with true crime documentaries chasing shock value, this one slows down and looks directly at the damage fame, control, and belief systems can cause behind closed doors.

It explored how she abused her children behind closed doors, and the show uses home footage with everyone's experiences for the documentary, making it a difficult, but important watch, especially in the wake of recent developments in social media influence. The series employs footage from her family, who speaks up about the violence going on behind closed doors.

The documentary also understands the bigger picture, that this is not just a story about one abusive parent. It is about YouTube culture, performance parenting, and how the promise of authenticity online can mask exploitation.

Available to watch on: Hulu

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Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer

Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer delves deeper into the Gilgo Beach Murders, a case that has haunted Long Island for more than a decade. The series tells the story through the murdered women and the people they left behind, instead of focusing on the killer. The disappearance of Shannan Gilbert led to the discovery of multiple bodies and then failures and alleged corruption of the law enforcement system contributed to the case's delay in justice.

What makes it one of the best documentaries of the year is its moral clarity. Among true crime documentaries, this one resists sensationalism and doesn't turn violence into a spectacle. Director Liz Garbus keeps the focus on the victims and the people around them who have fought so long for justice.

In a genre crowded with noise, Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer proves that true crime documentaries can be both devastating and responsible, without ever losing their humanity.

Available to watch on: Netflix

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American Murder: Gabby Petito

American Murder: Gabby Petito explores the 2021 disappearance and murder of Gabby Petito, a 22 year old travel vlogger whose trip with her fiance Brian Laundrie turned into a tragedy. Told through texts, body cam footage, social media posts and interviews with her friends and family, the series reconstructs her final weeks with a clarity that is painful and thought provoking. It traces how a carefully curated social media presence hid a deeply abusive relationship.

The documentary effectively reenters into Gabby's voice, her aspirations and the warning signs people have missed around her life. It's one of the most emotionally intelligent true crime documentaries made this year, and with the chilling footages, it makes it an even more disturbing watch.

The series is also quietly instructional. It exposes failures in law enforcement, the danger of romanticizing control, and the limits of social media visibility. As far as true crime documentaries go, this one lingers because it is intimate, enraging, and deeply human.

Available to watch on: Netflix

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Sean Combs: The Reckoning

Sean Combs: The Reckoning examines one of the most talked about cases in celebrity in recent years, examining the power, rise and unraveling of hip hop mogul Sean Diddy Combs in what is now one of the most talked about true crime documentaries. Spanning across decades, the series traces his journey as a musician while exposing his allegations of abuse, sexual misconduct, and exploitation that followed him behind the scenes. Through interviews with survivors, former employees and other artists, it shapes how celebrity worship culture and the power of fame and the trouble of silence allow such behavior to persist over years.

Director Alexandria Stapleton, spoke about the show and told Tudum,

“This isn’t just about the story of Sean Combs or the story of Cassie, or the story of any of the victims, or the allegations against him, or the trial. Ultimately, this story is a mirror [reflecting us] as the public, and what we are saying when we put our celebrities on such a high pedestal. I hope [this documentary] is a wake-up call for how we idolize people, and to understand that everybody is a human being."

As one of the most popular true crime documentaries this year, it also asks bigger questions about celebrity worship, and the high pedestal we place them on, and how power dynamics and blind fandoms can sometimes put a curtain on exploitative behavior that many are willing to forgive.

Available to watch on: Netflix