I've always hated horror films. (American Horror Story, Jump Scare, etc.) because of the unexpected gore that seems to exist just to make you jump. ) So, when I want to feel a little scary, I watch true crime shows. They can be gruesome, but they are a little less visceral (and less jumpy) because of the archival footage and the "based on a true story" stuff. Besides, crime dramas based on true stories force us to confront the darker side of human nature and give us the knowledge that those who might commit the most heinous crimes are simply walking among us without drawing our attention to the horrors of their hearts. In other words, it's a win-win.

Over the past few years, we have seen, and will continue to see, many documentary and dramatized true crime shows that are creepy, nail-biting, and unrealistic. This list is the best of the best and most compelling in the genre, and if you're looking for something new, check out our guide to the best true crime series and documentaries of 2022. (CW: Murder, Suicide, Assault, Sexual Assault, Child Abuse).

What it's about: if you grew up in the 90s, you probably remember the insane murder trial against a pro football player who killed his wife and another man, but it's worth watching this riveting mini-series to remember what really happened. It's a cliché, but in this case, truth is stranger than fiction.

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What it's about. If you're looking for a dramatization of a real-life serial killer, David Tennant gives a bone-chilling performance as Dennis Nilsen. This Scottish serial killer preyed on men and boys in London in the 70s and 80s, and Tennant does an excellent job of portraying Nilsen's almost blank demeanor when he is finally caught.

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What it's about. The film heralds the beginning of a well-researched and interesting true crime renaissance: Robert Durst is accused of three murders and speaks directly to the producers about what happened. Robert Durst is accused of three murders and speaks directly to producers about what happened.

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What it's about. In theory, it couldn't be more compelling: for the first time, FBI agents in the 1970s are tasked with interviewing and profiling a serial killer. But in David Fincher's hands, it is a compelling television drama that tells the story of why Manson, Speck, and other of the most prolific killers of all time did what they did.

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What's It About: NFL football player Aaron Hernandez follows his rise, fall, and death by suicide after he was sentenced to life in prison for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd in a three-part Documentary.

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What it's about: Ted Bundy's longtime girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall, her daughter Molly, and other survivors break their silence about the notorious serial killer for the first time.

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What's It About: Louisiana pharmacist Dan Schneider's search for his son's killer ultimately leads him to fight a "pill mill" doctor who is contributing to the town's opiate crisis.

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What it's about. The film is based on the 30-year crime spree of a young man accused of murdering his mother. Each episode includes an interrogation taken from the actual case file, so each time the viewer becomes a detective himself, gaining a deeper understanding of the case. Peter Sarsgaard, David Strathern, and Vincent D'Onofrio star.

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What's It About: The lives of fashion designer Gianni Versace and murderer Andrew Cunanan are the focus of the classic series, from their origins to their fateful meeting. Season 2.

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What's It About. This documentary focuses on Abdul Rahman Muhammad, a historian who has devoted more than 30 years to investigating the Malcolm X assassination.

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What's It About: A six-part miniseries detailing the 2013 abuse and eventual murder of Gabriel Fernandez, an 8-year-old boy from Palmdale, Calif.

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What's It About: Joe Exotic, the eccentric owner of the G.W. Zoo in Oklahoma, has long been controversial for his treatment and breeding of his big cats. His famous confrontation with Big Cat Rescue CEO and advocate Carol Baskin eventually escalated, and Exotic was convicted of federal murder-for-hire for allegedly hiring a hit man to kill Baskin.

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What's It About: This documentary focuses on Sonja Farak and Annie Dookhan, the criminal drug lab chemists who tampered with evidence and led to tens of thousands of drug counts being dismissed.

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What's It About: A documentary that gets to the bottom of the unsolved murder of over 30 black children in Atlanta between 1079 and 1981.

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What's It About: Based on the work of the Innocence Project, each episode of this series focuses on a different false accusation.

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What's It About: Each episode of this series focuses on a famous trial and dissects how media coverage affected the outcome of the case.

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What's It About: Based on James Patterson's 2016 book of the same name, this four-part series tells the stories of Epstein survivors and how he used his power and influence to and how he used his power and influence to commit crimes.

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What's It About: Dirty John became an anthology series in 2020, with the second season focusing on the story of Betty Broderick, a woman convicted of murdering her ex-husband and his second wife in 1989 It focused on.

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What's It About: True crime writer Michelle McNamara unmasks the Golden State Killer.

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What's It About: The bizarre TV show beloved in the 80s, 90s and 2000s is getting a reboot on Netflix. The creators of the original show will be on board, and while we don't know what stories will be featured in each episode, there will definitely be crimes, and maybe even ghosts. Fun fact about "Unsolved Mysteries": it actually solves a lot of mysteries.

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What it's about: a documentary that follows the FBI as they investigate and then arrest five New York families, the Gambinos, Columbos, Bonannos, Lucchese and Genovese.

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What's It About: A nine-part series that delves deeply into NXIVM and its leader, Keith Raniere.

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What's It About: A series about 53-year-old Dale Wayne Sigler, convicted of murder in 1991, as he adjusts to life outside prison after being paroled.

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What's It About: This documentary follows Steven Avery, a Wisconsin man who was released from prison after serving 18 years for a crime he did not commit and was charged with another murder soon after his release.

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What's It About: A four-part film based on the real-life case of the Central Park Five, from the night the five teenagers were arrested in 1989 to their exoneration in 2002.

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What's It About: This mini-series is an adaptation of the story of an 18-year-old woman who reported being sexually assaulted at knifepoint, only to have her report revoked when investigators did not believe her. Her case is subsequently investigated by two female detectives from another state who are investigating a serial rapist.

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What it's about. The saga of how Theranos, a single-drop blood analysis company founded by Elizabeth Holmes, defrauded investors and patients.

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