Spooky season is upon us.
With the weather getting cooler, the sun going down sooner and Halloween slowly creeping up on us, it is time to once again break out the weighted blanket and a true crime documentary.
While streaming giants such as Netflix, Hulu and Max offer a plethora of options, it’s not always easy to pick the right film to fit the vibe you are seeking that night.
From events as recent as the bombshell-ridden Murdaugh trial to revisiting Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy’s killing sprees, there are all sorts for documentaries that will make your skin crawl.
Knowing that finding the best film or television show could make or break, your night, The Post has assembled a guide to help you with choosing the right thing to watch.
Find below The Post’s guide to the best murder mystery and serial killer true crime documentaries.
The Keepers — Netflix
This 2017 Netflix documentary is sure to send shivers down your spine and will most likely keep you up at night wanting to know what happens next.
Based on the unsolved murder of beloved nun Cathy Cesnik, “The Keepers” follows filmmakers as they attempt to solve the mysterious murder of the Baltimore native who disappeared in November 1979 only to be found dead two months later.
The official description of the show reads “This docuseries examines the decades-old-murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik and its suspected link to a priest accused of abuse.”
Cesnik was not the only person to mysteriously turn up dead.
Another woman named Joyce Malecki, who had disappeared before Censik, was found strangled, stabbed and found submerged in a body of water at the Fort Meade Army base.
In July 2023, the FBI announced they would exhuming Malecki’s body after the organization declared they were following an unspecified lead possibly connecting the two cases.
“The FBI gave us no indication other than to say the purpose of the exhumation is to collect evidence,” Kurt Wolfgang, executive director of Maryland Crime Victims’ Resource Center, told WBAL-TV. “Our best speculation is that they may be looking for DNA evidence to match it up with a potential suspect they may already have.”
Despite running only one season, each of the seven episodes lasts close to an hour.
The Ted Bundy Tapes — Netflix
This limited series covering the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy is an absolute must for those who are wanting truly embrace the Halloween spirit.
Netflix’s 4-episode special covers the origins of Utah’s most infamous killer and his 4-year killing spree across 7 states.
“Present-day interviews, archival footage and audio recordings made on death row form a searing portrait of notorious serial killer Ted Bundy” the official description reads.
This is not the only Ted Bund-themed show on the streaming platform, the Zach Efron-led “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,” is also available to stream on the site
Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes
Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer takes center stage in this bone-chilling Netflix series which captures the cold-blooded murder confessing to his heinous crimes.
“Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer confesses to his gruesome crimes in unguarded interviews, offering an unsettling view into a disturbed mind, the show’s official description reads.
Despite only running for one season, each of the three spine-tingling episodes runs close to one hour.
If listening to Dahmer talk about his crimes isn’t enough, the streaming giant offer two other killer docuseries: “Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes” and “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes”
Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty— Max
The scandal that rocked South Carolina is now available for you to watch and develop your own theories on what actually happened that night
Max’s “Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty” takes an in-depth look at the gruesome deaths of Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and her son Paul, 21, which occurred in June 2021.
The highly publicized murder and subsequent trial gripped the US after several bombshells about the socialites were revealed including the mysterious death of the family maid in 2018, which Alex Murdaugh, 55, claims was an accident.
Max’s look into the ongoing trial boasts three hour-long episodes.
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills — Hulu
This 1996 documentary follows the horrendous murders of three young boys who were found hogtied and naked in a ditch in Brandon, Mississippi.
Spanning from actual murders to the trial of the three teenagers suspected, “Paradise Lost” includes several interviews with the defendants, their lawyers and several members of the West Memphis community that was rocked by the grizzly murders.
The documentary was actually so successful, that it managed to spawn two more films “Paradise Lost 2: Revelations” in 2000 and then “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” in 2012.
The Staircase — Netflix/Max
This 2018 miniseries follows the 2004 case of author Michael Peterson and the mysterious death of his wife, Kathleen Peterson, who allegedly died after she fell down the staircase of their North Carolina home,
“Accident or Murder,” Netflix’s description of the show reads. “After the mysterious death of this wife, author Michael Peterson watches his life go under the microscope.
The runtime for each of 10 episodes runs close to 50 min.
For those who get enthralled by the story, Max also offers its own 8-episode take on the chilling homicide.
The Girl in the Picture —Netflix
This documentary is anything but picture-perfect.
Based off of the 2004 book “Finding Sharon” and “A Beautiful Child,” Netflix’s 2022 documentary film centers around the disappearance of Sharon Marshall, who was abducted by a federal fugitive named Franklin Delano Floyd.
The nearly 2-hour-long film delves into the girl’s mysterious disappearance as well as a shocking ending no one will see coming.
Netflix calls the case a “mystery that unfolds like a nightmare.”
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst — Max
Max’s chilling six-episode documentary follows the many twists and turns of infamous real estate heir Robert Durst who allegedly murdered his own wife, Kathleen McCormack in 1982.
The series also follows the 2000 execution style death of his confidant Susan Berman and dismemberment of Durst’s neighbor, Morris Black.
“This six-part series sheds new light on real-estate scion Robert Durst who has been accused of three murders, but never convicted,” the series’ official description reads.
Each episode, which runs from a half hour to 50 minutes, takes an in-depth look at each of the late real estate heir‘s victims as well a detailed analysis over the forensic aspects of the case.
Sins Of Our Mother — Netflix
The very real story of “Doomsday Mom” Lori Vallow comes to viewers living rooms after the Idaho woman bruatlly slaughtered 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan as well as conspiring to kill Tammy Daybell, her fifth husband’s previous wife.
“When Lori Vallow’s kids vanished, the search for them unearthed a trail of suspicious deaths, a new husband who shared her doomsday views – and murder,” Netflix’s official description of the harrowing series reads.
Despite having only three episodes, each runs between 30-50 minutes and will definitely leave you wanting more.
Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields — Netflix
The very real life mystery of the Texas Killing Fields is available for your viewing in a one season special that is guaranteed to leave you wanting more.
Netflix’s gripping series tells the story of 35 women who died mysteriously along a 25-acre stretch of land between Houston and Galveston, TX between the 1970s and 1990s.
“An overgrown field and a stretch of highway connect a series of grisly murders spanning several decades as grieving families search for answers,” the official profile for the show reads.
Each of the show’s three episodes runs about 50 minutes.
“The Texas Killing Fields” also serves as the first of two other “Crime Scene” documentaries.
“Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer” and “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel” are also available on Netflix.
