The 10 Creepiest Documentaries On Netflix

It’s difficult to tell what’s more disturbing about Myles Kane and Josh Koury’s documentary about a disturbing motel owner — the fact that this owner spied on his customers for over thirty years or the calm acceptance with which journalist Gay Talese treats this story. Voyeur follows Talese as he works on a New Yorker story and book about Gerald Foos chilling story. Hearing Foos talk about spying on countless couples is creepy in and of itself, but the way his story is accepted, not just by Talese but top editors and the mainstream public through response to the New Yorker article, questions how we value privacy.

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Directed by Bart Layton, The Imposter watches more like a horror movie than a documentary. After a child from a Texas family goes missing, the Barclays think their relative has returned to them. However, they soon learn that it’s not the missing Nicholas that they’ve let into their life but Frédéric Bourdin, a French con artist who has impersonated several missing children throughout the years. The documentary attempts to make sense of Bourdin’s many crimes and how he was able to get away with them for so long.

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What starts off as a nostalgic look at the New York club scene of the ‘80s quickly delves into a story about drug abuse and murder. While examining the rise of the Club Kids and nightlife culture, director Ramon Fernandez sets his sights on Michael Alig, a notorious party boy who was accused of committing a grisly crime. The full effect of the documentary is more sad than shocking, but the film does an excellent job showing how a consequence-free party environment led to something far darker.

Stream Glory Daze: The Life and Times of Michael Alig on Netflix

Brian Knappenberger’s latest documentary isn’t creepy because of the trial at the center of the film but because of that trial’s implications. Nobody Speak attempts to pull apart Hulk Hogan’s case against Gawker media and examine how this case came to be, what Peter Thiel’s involvement was, why this lawsuit led to the Gawker’s bankruptcy, and what this means for the state of independent media as a whole. Despite your opinions on Gawker, the documentary is a shocking look at what it actually looks like when a company is in the middle of a conspiracy. During an administration that has been openly hostile to the media, Nobody Speak is an essential watch.

Stream Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press on Netflix

If you’re looking for an insane documentary to watch when you’re already feeling a little scared at 3 in the morning, Unacknowledged is it. Directed by Michael Mazzola, the movie uses interviews from former military officers to argue that the government has been hiding evidence about aliens for years. There’s also an elaborate conspiracy theory that claims Marilyn Monroe was murdered because she found out about aliens from JFK. You don’t even have to believe in extraterrestrials to enjoy this bonkers documentary.

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One of the biggest pop culture shocks of this year is that a docu-series led by a group of determined civilians that exposed a mass church coverup didn’t receive more attention. Ryan White’s The Keepers starts by exploring the murder of Cathy Cesnik, a beloved nun and Catholic high school teacher from Baltimore. However, as they uncover more and more facts about Sister’s Cathy’s disappearance, the women at the center of this series expose a community-wide cover up involving sexual assault. It’s a deeply disturbing documentary that is one of this year’s best gems.

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If you haven’t seen the viral sensation that is Netflix’s Making a Murderer, do yourself a favor and remedy that now. Directed by Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos , the docu-series follows Steven Avery, a Wisconsin man who served almost two decades in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. However, shortly after he’s released, Avery becomes the center of another huge case — the murder of Teresa Halbach. Throughout its 10 episodes, the series explores whether or not Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey committed the crime and what it looks like when a police force plants evidence.

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Though these two documentaries were released over a decade apart form each other, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s two documentaries watch as two sides of the same coin. In Jesus Camp, the filmmakers explore the Charismatic Christian summer camp and in the process question the nature of the evangelical Christian community as well as what impact these communities have on their young followers. One of Us also deals with extreme religion, this time focusing on the lives of three ex-Hasidic Jewish people from Brooklyn. As Ari, Luzer Twersky, and Etty tell their stories, the documentary unravels disturbing connections between this community and sexual assault and domestic violence.

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Rod Blackhurst and Brian McGinn’s documentary takes a retrospective look at one of the biggest international trials of the century. The film follows the case of Amanda Knox, an American student who was twice convicted and later acquitted of the murder of Meredith Kercher during a study abroad trip that took a horrible turn. However, Amanda Knox is chilling not because of its central crime but because of the media’s response to this case. Through interviews with Knox, her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, the Italian prosecutor, and others, the doc reveals how this case sparked a media frenzy that forever changed Knox’s life.

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Tiller Russell’s documentary about corruption in the NYPD watches like a real life version of an HBO drama. The Seven Five follows Michael Dowd, a former officer who committed a litany of crimes while he was employed by the NYPD including running his own cocaine ring with his partner. This documentary shows that widespread corruption isn’t just a note in a history textbook or and elaborate Hollywood plot. It can occur right under our noses.

Stream The Seven Five on Netflix