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The 9 True Crime Shows On Netflix With The Highest Rotten Tomatoes Scores

By Claire Spellberg @c_spellberg

Published July 9, 2018, 9:00 p.m. ET

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collage of Wild Wild Country, Making a Murderer, and The Keepers — Ranked by their Rotten Tomatoes Critic Scores!Photos: NETFLIX ; Illustration: Dillen Phelps

***The Confession Tapes***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Why would someone confess to a crime they didn't commit? This docuseries explores that very question by investigating criminal cases in which confessions were coerced, involuntary, or false.
[Stream The Confession Tapes]

***Time: The Kalief Browder Story***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
This six-part docu-series from Jay-Z follows the tragic story of Kalief Browder, a teenager who spent over three years in prison despite never being convicted of a crime. Browder's fight for justice will absolutely wreck you, so make sure you have tissues handy (and then call your Representatives!).
[Stream Time: The Kalief Browder Story]Netflix

making a murderer — ***Making A Murderer***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%
*Making A Murderer* is basically true crime canon at this point. The riveting series explores the murder of Teresa Halbach and the eventual trial of Steven Avery and his teenage nephew Brendan Dassey. Both men were convicted of the crime, but the docuseries convinced many Americans that they were innocent and inspired a global debate about wrongful conviction.
[Stream Making A Murderer ]Netflix

***Wild Wild Country***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%
*Wild Wild Country* is Netflix's hottest true crime series of 2018. It has everything: cult members wearing orange, bioterrorism, Golden Corrals, a free-sex policy, and a power-hungry undersecretary named Ma Anand Sheela. Stefon would love it.
[Stream Wild Wild Country]Netflix

***The Keepers***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
This true crime docu-series investigates the unsolved 1969 murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik, a nun at Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore. As the scandal unfolds and different theories are revealed, former students express their belief that the murder was part of a cover-up to protect a priest that Sister Cesnik suspected of sexual abuse.
[Stream The Keepers]Courtesy of Netflix

***The Staircase***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
*The Staircase* starts off slowly, but once you learn about the shocking death of Kathleen Peterson, you'll be hooked. Kathleen's husband Michael Peterson was charged with her murder, and the multi-part docuseries follows him throughout the entire legal process--a process that lasted almost two decades.
[Stream The Staircase]Netflix

***Wormwood***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Part documentary, part dramatic recreation, *Wormwood* is a must-see for true crime fans. The six-part series explores the mysterious death of scientist Frank Olson, who is suspected to have been a victim of the government's secret drug experiment, MK Ultra.
[Stream Wormwood]Zach Dilgard/Netflix

***Evil Genius***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 76%
76% does not do this ridiculous (in the best way possible) docu-series justice. The four-part series examines the infamous "Pizza Bomber" case, and as the show delves deeper into the mystery, things only get weirder. Homemade explosives, love triangles, scavenger hunts, and cane guns--*Evil Genius* has it all.
[Stream Evil Genius]Netflix

***Captive***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%
If you're a history (and hostage) buff, *Captive* is the show for you. This docu-series recreates the most infamous hostage crises in history and explores each harrowing situation through the eyes of the victims.
[Stream Captive]Mark Wolf/Netflix

true crime

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True crime is great for so many reasons–who doesn’t love a good whodunnit?–but over the past few years, I’ve really come to appreciate the genre’s commitment to escapism. No matter how crappy of a day you’re having, there’s a true crime series out there that will help put things into perspective. Watching a show about people wrongly accused of a crime, or religious cults committing acts of bioterrorism makes your break-up seem like a cake walk, doesn’t it?

Luckily, the fine people over at Netflix understand our need to escape reality (and hoo boy, is there a lot to escape from these days), and they’ve loaded up the platform with all the true crime you could ever want. Are you looking for a docu-series that will take about 90 different turns and leave you saying “WTF?!” Maybe you want something more uplifting, like the simple tale of a government-sanctioned drug experiment? Or what about a series exploring the deep flaws in our justice system? Netflix has all of this and more, so it’s time to start streaming.

But before you sit down with a bowl of popcorn and Reddit, make sure that you have enough time to binge each of these riveting true crime series in its entirety. True crime is best enjoyed in large quantities–why else would Netflix end each episode on a cliffhanger? There’s nothing worse than having to turn off a docuseries right after a cult plans to attack a government building (sound familiar?) because you have to go to a yoga class with a friend, so plan accordingly!

When faced with all this great content, it’s difficult to know where to start. That’s where we come in. We went through Netflix’s true crime offerings to find the best of the best. These are the 9 best true crime shows on Netflix, ranked by their Rotten Tomatoes Critic Scores.