22 Best True-Crime Documentaries and Shows on Hulu

This docuseries follows Larry Ray, who briefly moved into his daughter's room at Sarah Lawrence College in 2010. At first, he seemed poised to serve as an advisor of sorts for his daughter's roommates and friends, but eventually he persuaded many of them to move into a New York City apartment with him — and things grew chilling from there. Ray exercised extreme control over the students, and wound up physically and psychologically abusing them. In 2022, he was convicted of 15 criminal counts, including extortion, racketeering, and sex trafficking charges. Hulu's depiction of the events is all the more chilling due to the real footage it features, which showcases what really happened in that New York City apartment.

Watch "Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence" on Hulu.

This anthology docuseries explores real homicide cases and uses interviews and primary sources to explain how they were solved. It's a fascinating look into real-life detective work that's also sure to keep you up at night.

Watch "How I Caught My Killer" on Hulu.

This documentary explores the rise and fall of Jerry Falwell Jr., a televangelist who played a significant role in moving evangelism towards the political right. It also prominently features Giancarlo Granda, a pool attendant who alleges that Fallwell manipulated him and coerced him into having sex with his wife.

Watch "God Forbid: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty" on Hulu.

"The Jewel Thief" follows criminal mastermind Gerald Blanchard, who spent decades pulling off elaborate heists and even stole an Austrian crown jewel, which he later returned. Blanchard himself tells his story in this documentary, which also features friends, family, and former teachers and provides a unique portrait of a one-of-a-kind thief.

Watch "The Jewel Thief" on Hulu.

This series explores Hillsong, a megachurch that was a hotspot for celebrities such as Justin Bieber at one point, and dives into accusations of misogyny, exploitation, and abuse that led to the church's downfall. "The Secrets of Hillsong" is all the more fascinating because it features intimate interviews with Carl Lentz, the church's head pastor who fell from grace after his infidelity and other misdeeds came to light.

Watch "The Secrets of Hillsong" on Hulu.

Along with Netflix's "Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened", Hulu's "Fyre Fraud" was the other documentary that captured the Internet's attention. It's a true-crime comedy about the failed music festival that became a sensation with the help of social media. Festival attendees, including many very high-profile names, paid thousands of dollars for luxury accommodations and instead received prepackaged sandwiches and FEMA tents. The organizer, Billy McFarland, was charged with a count of wire fraud and sentenced to six years in prison. He and his team also faced at least eight lawsuits, including one seeking $100 million in damages.

Watch "Fyre Fraud" on Hulu.

First kicking off in the '90s, "Forensic Files" is a true-crime cult favorite that follows how scientists trace crime with physical evidence. Hulu doesn't have the entire show (just seasons 7 through 14), but it does include a voluminous enough library of episodes that will turn you into an amateur forensic scientist. Each episode is about 20 minutes long, so it's an easy show to binge through despite its decades-long run. After making your way through the original series, which is narrated by Peter Thomas, be sure to check out "Forensic Files II", which started airing new episodes on HLN in 2020.

Watch "Forensic Files" on Hulu.

This twisty A&E legal show is about cases that have long been unsolved. Detectives use new forensic technology and social media to examine witnesses and leads in order to come to startling conclusions. Although Hulu only has two seasons of this series, you'll still have twenty 40-minute long episodes to dig into. In fact, what you'll find on Hulu is actually Blumhouse Television's 2017 revival of the original "Cold Case Files" (which first aired in 1999). Infamous cases covered include the Halloween murder of a young girl named Shauna Howe, and the murders of high school sweethearts Tim Hack and Kelly Drew.

Watch "Cold Case Files" on Hulu.

Erik and Lyle Menendez are the primary focus of this five-part A&E true-crime documentary. In 1989, the brothers were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering their wealthy parents. First aired in 2017, "The Menendez Murder: Erik Tells All" is a limited series in which Erik discusses the case in an in-depth interview. Dubbed the "trial of the century," the widely televised story featured a twisted turn when the brothers' defense said that the brothers, then 18 and 21 years old, killed their parents after years of sexual abuse.

Watch "The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All" on Hulu.

"The Murder of Laci Peterson" is a limited docuseries about the case of a missing eight-month-pregnant Modesto woman whose absence prompted a widespread search. When her body was found in the San Francisco Bay, police looked at Scott, her husband. A&E revisits this widely publicized case with profiles from Scott (now sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole) and his family. It also features interviews with renowned experts such as lawyer Gloria Allred and journalist Maureen Orth. True-crime fans really don't want to miss out on this six-episode epic.

Watch "The Murder of Laci Peterson" on Hulu.

Investigation Discovery's "Deadly Women" focuses on female murderers, figuring out their motives by weighing forensic evidence and exploring the psychology of female killers. As with many true-crime projects, each case is explored with re-enactments and interviews. And yes, the lead experts in the series are also women: Dr. Janis Amatuzio is a forensic pathologist who comments on the evidence, and Candice DeLong is a former FBI agent who provides the psychological framework of each case. Hulu doesn't have every episode (and there are nearly 200 of them), but it does feature three full seasons for a pretty solid marathon.

Watch "Deadly Women" on Hulu.

This series follows an in-depth investigation of the brutal "Fallen Angel" case, in which a teenager was shot to death and found naked at a neighborhood park. The first episode follows rookie detective Andre Lowe as he struggles to crack the murder mystery. Along with this central case, we also get deep dives into other killings around Atlanta. This series is really an extension of "The First 48" franchise, which is based on the premise that if detectives in major cities can't find a lead in 48 hours, their chances of solving a case are cut in half.

Watch "The First 48 Presents: Homicide Squad Atlanta" on Hulu.

If you were first introduced to "Unsolved Mysteries" through the Netflix revival series and the subsequent podcast, check out the original run! Hulu's collection includes seven whole seasons that are packed with witness stories about disappearances, murders, and the occasional seemingly paranormal event. Some infamous cases covered in the first season alone include the D.B. Cooper plane-hijacking disappearance and the Son of Sam killings. Presented by Robert Stack (plus other notable figures), "Unsolved Mysteries" is really the perfect show to watch if you're a spooky enthusiast, an amateur sleuth, or just a lover of the true-crime genre.

Watch "Unsolved Mysteries" on Hulu.

Journalist Elizabeth Vargas unpacks the disturbing JonBenét Ramsey cold case in this 2019 documentary, taking a closer look at new leads and DNA tests. Around Christmas time in 1996, 6-year-old JonBenét was found strangled in her family-home basement in Boulder, CO. Before discovering her body, her parents found a ransom note and reported her as missing. Her case especially captivated media attention because Ramsey and her mother, Patsy, had been known in the child-beauty-pageant circuit. The true-crime documentary breaks down several intruder theories and features an interview with John Ramsey, JonBenét's father.

Watch "Hunting JonBenét's Killer: The Untold Story" on Hulu.

"Untouchable" follows the fall of disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who became known as one of the most powerful abusers in the film industry with the rise of the #MeToo movement. The documentary profiles accusers, journalists, and colleagues to develop a harrowing story about Weinstein after over 80 women came forward with allegations about his sexual misconduct. It features interviews with figures like Rosanna Arquette, Ronan Farrow, Caitlin Dulany, Paz de la Huerta, and others. Along with in-depth interviews with his accusers, the documentary also puts into context Weinstein's rise to power by tracing how he and his brother, Bob, shifted the film industry.

Watch "Untouchable" on Hulu.

"The Most Dangerous Animal of All" is a four-part FX miniseries based on a memoir of the same name. The series follows Gary L. Stewart, a man who was abandoned by his father when he was just an infant. In his search for his biological father, Stewart came to believe that his dad, con man Earl Van Best Jr., was actually the notorious Zodiac Killer, the serial killer who brutally murdered at least five victims — the perpetrator claimed to have killed 37 — in Northern California during the '60s. The docuseries isn't just a rehash of the book, however. Director Kief Davidson actually fact-checks Stewart's claims throughout the series, while also profiling the memoirist.

Watch "The Most Dangerous Animal of All" on Hulu.

In 2017, a 24-year-old Floridian man named Randy Herman Jr. killed 21-year-old Brooke Preston, his best friend and longtime roommate, by stabbing her 25 times. The twist here is that Herman, who made the call to report her murder, claimed that he had no recollection of killing Preston. He said that he had been sleepwalking while stabbing her — but was this only a convenient story? Director Skye Borgman (who also helmed Netflix's "Abducted in Plain Sight") digs into Herman's past, unpacking his sleepwalking claims and his late father's murder-suicide. We also see how his defense lawyer worked on his insanity plea in court.

Watch "Dead Asleep" on Hulu.

In "Wild Crime", Special Agent Beth Shott examines the case of Toni Henthorn, who mysteriously fell to her death in Rocky Mountain National Park. Shott especially takes a closer look at Toni's husband, Harold Henthorn, who was with her at the national park during their anniversary. The details just didn't add up — it was rather suspicious that the couple had gone to a dangerous part of the Rockies despite little experience climbing. And right after Harold texted someone that their trip was going great, he called the authorities. On top of all of that, the circumstances of his first wife's death definitely raised suspicions as well.

Watch "Wild Crime" on Hulu.

Things are never what they appear to be, so sometimes the least likely suspect may be the actual person behind the crime. As its title suggests, Investigation Discovery's "Unusual Suspects" follows unexpected tips that lead to unlikely culprits. For a twisty true-crime fix, tune into eight whole seasons of the legal show right now on Hulu. The complicated cases run the gamut — you've got everything from a mother who claims to have been wrongfully accused of killing her son to detectives who investigate their own department when one of their own is murdered.

Watch "Unusual Suspects" on Hulu.

National Geographic's "Underworld, Inc" is all about the black market, which is potentially worth hundreds of billions of dollars just in the US alone. The documentary series weaves together narratives from workers, suppliers, and law enforcement enmeshed in these dealings. The episodes look at everything from a backyard gun workshop in the Philippines to a brothel in New York. The series features two whole seasons that cover topics such as knockoffs, gambling, moonshining, and the organ trade. Learn all about how these worlds impact key players, as well as the people on the fringes of their activities.

Watch "Underworld, Inc." on Hulu.

Yes, you can now catch a full seven seasons of "20/20" on Hulu. The show breaks down investigative reports of high-profile events with in-depth interviews and a character-driven narrative format. Now presented by David Muir and Amy Robach, it's taken a true-crime and celebrity-scandal spin over the last few years, although it's officially about human-interest stories. In recent episodes of "20/20", we see newer stories about the cases surrounding Gabby Petito and Ghislaine Maxwell. That said, the ABC show often revisits and contextualizes older murder cases, such as the terrifying Happy Face Killer and JonBenét Ramsey cases.

Watch "20/20" on Hulu.

This three-part miniseries follows the captivating story of Steven Stayner, who vanished in 1972 and returned to his family seven years later as a 14-year-old. It also follows the story of his older brother Cary, now imprisoned for murdering four women.

Watch "Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story" on Hulu now.