The Most Disturbing True-Crime Documentaries on Netflix—Ranked by How Long They’ll Haunt You

True crime isn’t just a genre—it’s an obsession. But not all documentaries are created equal. Some shows give you chills. Others leave you unable to sleep. And then there are the few that stay with you for days, lingering in your thoughts and making you question everything.

We’ve ranked the most disturbing true-crime documentaries on Netflix based on one thing: how long they’ll haunt you after the credits roll.

⚠️ These stories are real. Viewer discretion is seriously advised.

1️⃣ Don’t F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer (2019)

🔹 Disturbance Level: 🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥 (5/5)

🔹 Why It Haunts: From animal cruelty to a chilling on-camera murder, this story unfolds like a horror film—but it’s terrifyingly real. The internet sleuths who cracked the case will impress you, but the killer’s depravity will haunt you.

2️⃣ The Family Next Door (American Murder: The Family Next Door, 2020)

🔹 Disturbance Level: 🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥 (5/5)

🔹 Why It Haunts: The murder of Shanann Watts and her two daughters by her husband Chris is captured through real text messages and police bodycam footage. It’s devastatingly personal and deeply unsettling.

3️⃣ The Keepers (2017)

🔹 Disturbance Level: 🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥 (5/5)

🔹 Why It Haunts: A nun is murdered. Decades later, former students uncover a horrifying web of abuse and cover-ups involving the Catholic Church. The implications are chilling and infuriating.

4️⃣ Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes (2019)

🔹 Disturbance Level: 🟥🟥🟥🟥 (4/5)

🔹 Why It Haunts: The cold charisma of Ted Bundy is horrifying. Listening to his own voice calmly describe unspeakable acts is pure psychological terror.

5️⃣ Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer (2021)

🔹 Disturbance Level: 🟥🟥🟥🟥 (4/5)

🔹 Why It Haunts: Richard Ramirez committed his crimes with no pattern or mercy—he targeted anyone, anywhere. The randomness of it all makes it terrifying.

6️⃣ The Confession Tapes (2017)

🔹 Disturbance Level: 🟥🟥🟥🟥 (4/5)

🔹 Why It Haunts: People confessing to crimes they didn’t commit—and going to prison for them. This series will have you doubting the justice system itself.

7️⃣ The Ripper (2020)

🔹 Disturbance Level: 🟥🟥🟥 (3/5)

🔹 Why It Haunts: Peter Sutcliffe’s murders and the police mishandling of the case expose systemic misogyny that cost lives.

8️⃣ The Confession Killer (2019)

🔹 Disturbance Level: 🟥🟥🟥 (3/5)

🔹 Why It Haunts: Henry Lee Lucas’s lies weren’t just bizarre—they let real killers escape justice while hundreds of cases were “closed.”

9️⃣ Killer Sally (2022)

🔹 Disturbance Level: 🟥🟥 (2/5)

🔹 Why It Haunts: A bodybuilder couple’s abusive relationship ends in murder. It blurs the line between self-defense and premeditation in disturbing ways.

🔟 The Staircase (2004 / Netflix rerelease)

🔹 Disturbance Level: 🟥🟥 (2/5)

🔹 Why It Haunts: Was it a freak accident, a murder—or a theory involving an owl? The ambiguity of Kathleen Peterson’s death still splits viewers to this day.

🧠 How Long Will It Stay With You?

If you’ve watched any of these, you know: these stories aren’t just “entertainment.” They’re raw, real, and often a reminder of the darkest parts of humanity.

💬 Which of these documentaries disturbed you the most? Did we leave out one that kept you up at night? Let’s talk in the comments—and don’t forget to share this with a fellow true-crime junkie!