Movies - TV
The 20 Best True Crime Documentaries Ever Made
By ERIC LANGBERG
The Thin Blue Line
“The Thin Blue Line” tells the story of a man jailed for the murder of a policeman — which he may not have committed. Errol Morris makes the documentary even more compelling by using reenactments to restage various accounts of the crime, along with contradicting recollections of cops — leaving viewers wondering which version of the crime is true.
The Iceman Tapes
"The Iceman Tapes: Conversations with a Killer" involves interview footage of notorious mob hitman, Richard Kuklinski, recounting his crimes in the most unfeeling and dispassionate way, sending chills down our spines. The documentary’s black-and-white dramatic reenactments of Kuklinski’s murders make the whole thing even more disturbing to watch.
Paradise Lost Trilogy
This trilogy follows the case of three teenage boys who were sent to prison for assaulting and killing three children as part of their satanic rituals. The three films’ meticulous breakdown of each twist and turn in the case forms the blueprint for so many docuseries down the line.
The Staircase
"The Staircase" is a gripping tale of the death of an American woman named Kathleen Peterson and the trial of her husband Michael, a novelist who stood accused of her murder. The documentary gives viewers a deep insight into Peterson and his family, making us desperate to figure out if he is telling the truth or if he’s a cold-blooded killer.
The Imposter
Bart Layton’s "The Imposter'' tells the story of a man who claims to be the grown-up missing child of a Texan family, even though they suspect he is lying. With talking-head interviews and home-video footage, "The Imposter" also includes moody reenactments that contradict the narrative voiceovers — making it, what Layton called, “hyper-real or dream-like.”