Society has a deep-rooted interest in serial killers, with their disturbing stories and crimes inciting both terror and fascination in the masses. Delving into the minds of these notoriously frightening figures is often difficult to stomach, but many documentarians set out to educate people on the atrocities these criminals have committed in an attempt to gain answers and perspective. Witnessing these depraved and violent individuals and learning about their backgrounds, heinous crimes and innocent victims is an intense and heart-heavy journey for many viewers. From Ted Bundy to Jeffrey Dahmer, “Killer Clown” John Wayne Gacy, and America’s first serial killer H.H. Holmes, filmmakers have provided insightful and disturbing profiles on these vile murderers.
Updated: November 2022: To keep this article fresh and relevant by adding more information and entries, this article has been updated by Wishka Tilakaratne.
Netflix created the true-crime documentary miniseries Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, which chronicles the tenacious efforts of two detectives in 1985 to capture and put an end to Richard Ramirez’s gruesome crime spree. In recent years, Ted Bundy has become the focus of numerous projects, with the killer’s long-time girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall, and her daughter Molly coming forward after 40 years to discuss their personal experiences in the 2020 docuseries Ted Bundy: Falling For a Killer.These are some of the best serial killer documentaries.
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12 World’s Most Evil Killers
Pick TV
World’s Most Evil Killers, as suggested by the title, focuses on the most disturbing serial killers society has come across. The series that started off in 2017 is still being continued, with the sixth season being released in 2021. Each season consists of 8-10 episodes, with each episode running for about an hour. The interesting element of this particular show is how it brings in numerous lawyers, criminologists, writers, and forensic scientists to analyze the stories of these killers. From the crimes committed to the evidence collected and the backgrounds of these killers, the show attempts to give an overall examination and analysis of each selected murderer. For someone who is interested in a speed-up version of Ted Bundy’s story or Velma Barfield’s story, this show is the ideal segue. Also, since the ending of the episode draws in what happened to the killer at the end, there is a conclusion to almost every story.
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11 The Ripper
Netflix
The case of Jack The Ripper is a well-known mystery around the globe. The killer that went on a murder rampage in the late 1880s was never recognized. However, The Ripper is NOT about Jack The Ripper. Rather, it is about serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, who has taken notes from Jack The Ripper’s murders; in turn, is named the Yorkshire Ripper. By bringing in investigators, journalists, family members of the victims, and the survivors, the series tracks down Sutcliffe’s murders, which were predominantly sex workers in the red light districts. The show also focuses on the possible negligence on the part of the police, which caused many debates about this particular case. In a way, The Ripper is not only focused on a serial killer but on society as a whole, making it an intriguing watch that leaves a lot to think about.
10 Killers Behind Bars: The Untold Story
Channel 5
Yet another British TV Documentary series that focuses on several serial killers. However, unlike many other serial killer documentaries, this particular one brings in a Professor of Criminology. David Wilson, who used to teach at Birmingham City University, uses his expertise in the field and knowledge to analyze the evidence and clues gathered during the investigations of several infamous serial killers in England. Thus, the show focuses on unraveling certain missing parts of several murder cases as the show does not merely spit facts but instead illustrates how these cases are handled or could have been handled.
9 Cropsey
Cinema Purgatorio & Breaking Glass Pictures
After exploring the inspiration behind the New York City urban legend known as the “Cropsey,” filmmakers Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio made the chilling discovery that the boogeyman figure of their childhood is not nearly as terrifying as the real-life evil lurking in the shadows. The 2009 documentary Cropsey delves into the background of Staten Island child kidnapper and suspected serial killer Andre Rand, analyzing evidence that potentially links the murderer as the source of the disturbing legend.
Many people as well as the detectives in the case have surmised that Rand was possibly involved in Satanism and the Satanic panic of the 1980s and ‘90s. Cropsey garnered widespread critical acclaim upon its release, with critic Roger Ebert describing it as, “a creepy documentary with all the elements of a horror film about a demented serial killer, and an extra ingredient: This one is real.”
8 I’ll Be Gone in the Dark
HBO
The 2020 true-crime documentary series I’ll Be Gone in the Dark is based on the Michelle McNamara novel of the same name, in which the late author examines the unsolved crimes of the notorious Golden State Killer who caused widespread panic and fear in San Francisco during the ‘70s and ‘80s. The film also focuses heavily on both the life and dedicated efforts of McNamara, as she immerses herself in the horrific crimes carried out by the murderer as she writes her book; the novelist died from an accidental overdose in 2016 and her husband (actor and comedian Patton Oswalt), researcher Paul Haynes, and true crime writer Billy Jensen joined forces to complete her work in McNamara’s honor.
She coined the name Golden State Killer in 2013, and when Californian authorities arrested Joseph James DeAngelo in 2018, authorities used the name McNamara conceived. Upon his arrest, Oswalt wrote in an Instagram post, “You did it, Michelle. Even though the cops are never going to say it, but your book helped get this thing closed.”
7 Night Stalker: The Hunt For a Serial Killer
The Netflix 2021 true-crime documentary miniseries Night Stalker: The Hunt For a Serial Killer depicts how the infamous serial killer Richard Ramirez was captured and brought to justice, chronicling the valiant efforts of homicide investigator Frank Salerno and detective Gil Carrillo to identify and apprehend the murderer. The four-part program examines the Night Stalker case through the use of crime scene photos, archival footage, and candid interviews with Salerno and Carrillo, as well as the media who covered the frightening crimes at the time.
The documentary not only addresses Ramirez’s grisly murders but also the sexual assault and child abduction cases that would later be tied to him, and shines a light on the methods, knowledge and experience the detectives used in order to put an end to Ramirez’s violent 1985 killing spree.
6 H.H. Holmes: America’s First Serial Killer
Facets Video
Exploring the life and crimes of con artist and serial killer H.H. Holmes and the lore surrounding his “Murder Castle,” the 2004 biographical documentary H.H. Holmes: America’s First Serial Killer details the horrific exploits of the 19th century murderer at his Chicago hotel, where he allegedly carried out his chilling atrocities. At the time, the yellow press had labeled the building as Holmes’ “Murder Castle,” claiming that the site was a deadly labyrinth equipped with secret trap doors and torture chambers, yet these claims were proven false (though they nonetheless influenced art throughout the years, including the American Horror Story season, Hotel).
Though Holmes confessed to 27 murders, he was convicted and sentenced to death for only one, that of his business partner and former accomplice Benjamin Pitezel. The gripping picture sheds a light on the realities surrounding Holmes’ crimes while debunking the long-established myths, and features footage of his childhood home, expert interviews and reenactments.
5 Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer
Recounting the heinous murders, trial, and eventual execution of serial killer Ted Bundy through the eyes of his long-time girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall and her daughter Molly, the 2020 true crime docuseries Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer provides audiences with riveting interviews with surviving victims, reporters, and police officials involved in the case. After having retreated from the public eye for nearly 40 years in an effort to distance themselves from the notorious murderer, Elizabeth Kendall and Molly share their personal experiences with Bundy and provide insight into the mind of the man suspected of killing more than 36 women. The serial killer series garnered praise for its refreshing focus on Bundy’s victims, with Decider writing in their review, “True-crime obsessives, take note. Falling for a Killer may have a soap-operatic title, but so far, it promises to be a refreshing iteration of the Ted Bundy saga.”
4 Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer
DEJ Productions
The great Nick Broomfield directed the 2003 documentary Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer, which serves as the follow-up to his 1992 film that featured his attempts to interview the murderer. The picture centers on Aileen Wuorno’s deteriorating mental state and the controversial decision and judgement to execute her despite her being of unsound mind. The Florida highway prostitute was convicted of robbing and killing six of her male clients, later claiming that the victims had sexually assaulted or attempted to assault her, and that she shot them in self-defense.
After 12 years on death row, Wuornos was executed by lethal injection on October 9, 2002; Broomfield interviewed the serial killer throughout her final days. The filmmaker would later speculate on the overall state of mind of Wuornos, having mused, “I think this anger developed inside her. And she was working as a prostitute. I think she had a lot of awful encounters on the roads. And I think this anger just spilled out from inside her. And finally exploded. Into incredible violence.”
3 The Jeffrey Dahmer Files
IFC Films
The Jeffrey Dahmer Files chronicles the summer of 1991 in which serial killer and sex offender monster Jeffrey Dahmer was apprehended and arrested in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The 2012 independent documentary features fictionalized reenactments and deeply detailed interviews with the case’s lead detective Patrick Kennedy; medical examiner Jeffrey Jentzen, and one of Dahmer’s neighbors, Pamela Bass.
Initially released under the name Jeff at the SXSW film festival, the chilling documentary was later picked up by IFC Films and renamed its current title, with its president Jonathan Sehring commending director Chris James Thompson, saying he “has made one of the creepiest documentaries of the year that lingers in the mind long after the film has ended. He’s approached the well-known subject of Jeffrey Dahmer in a new and inventive way that managed to completely unnerve us.”
2 Tales of the Grim Sleeper
Recounting the Los Angeles murder spree of serial killer Lonnie David Franklin Jr. from 1984 to 2007, the 2014 documentary Tales of the Grim Sleeper was written, produced, and directed by the aforementioned Nick Broomfield and delves into the at least 10 murders committed by Franklin. Coined the “Grim Sleeper” by the media due to his 14-year break from crimes during the period of 1988 to 2002, the killer was convicted and sentenced to death for his violent crimes. Broomfield expertly analyzes how the killer was able to go free for so many years, dissecting the classism and racial prejudice against his victims, which led authorities to treat prostitutes as less than human and to not care about the crimes.
Upon its widespread release, Broomfield’s documentary earned rave reviews and was even shortlisted for the 2015 Academy Awards, with Yahoo! TV proclaiming, “A fascinatingly disturbing true-crime documentary, Tales of the Grim Sleeper isn’t just about a serial killer, but a film about race and class and the value—or lack of it—that society places on certain women.”
1 John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise
Peacock
Told from the eerie perspective of John Wayne Gacy himself, the serial killer and pederast infamously known as the Killer Clown, the 2021 crime documentary John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise features recordings of the notorious murderer as he details his gruesome crimes through chilling confessions; Gacy was convicted of 33 murders and sentenced to death on March 13, 1980, and later executed in 1994.
Viewers and critics were engrossed by the docuseries, with many lauding it for its compelling commentary from Gacy and its ability to make sure the killer’s notoriety never overshadowed his victims and their families. Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times applauded the Peacock original, writing, “Whether you’re well-versed in the Gacy story and are old enough to remember how it played out in horrific fashion over the years, or the case is barely familiar to you, Devil in Disguise stands as the definitive history.”
