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15 True Crime Docs on Amazon Prime Video You Might Lose Sleep Over
by
kalea martin
Everett Collection / Indomina/courtesy Everett Collection
You know that feeling you get when you see the words “Based on a True Story” at the end of a horror film, right before the credits roll? Well, these true crime documentaries will have you feeling all those chills and goosebumps the whole way through.
Gone are the days where true crime was a genre for lazy Sunday afternoons because if you try to watch these documentaries in the background or while you try to take a nap, it’s safe to say you’ll end up at the edge of your seat with your eyes peeled instead.
Looking for a film you won’t be able to stop theorising and texting about for weeks? Ahead are 15 of the best true crime documentaries currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Everett Collection / Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection
The Murder of Meredith Kercher
It took six years of trials to reach a final verdict on the murder of British study abroad student Meredith Kercher. This documentary chronicles her full story from the day she was tragically killed in her Perugia apartment leading up to the incrimination of her American roommate Amanda Knox.
Everett Collection / Oscilloscope Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father
In this heart-wrenching documentary, filmmaker Kurt Kuenne tells the story of his childhood friend Andrew Bagby, who was murdered by his pregnant ex-girlfriend Shirley Turner. Through a series of interviews with the people that were closest to Bagby, Dear Zachary unravels the complicated custody battle between Bagby’s killer and his grieving parents, while serving as a cinematic scrapbook for the son who never got the chance to know him.
Watch Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father on Amazon Prime.
Everett Collection / Indomina/courtesy Everett Collection
The Imposter
The Imposter recounts the twisted case of Frédéric Bourdin, who exploited one family’s grief over the disappearance of their 13-year-old son Nicholas Barclay to get the childhood he never had. In a series of interviews, Bourdin himself explains how he was able to successfully convince Spanish and American officials as well as many of Barclay’s family members of his identity despite being French with brown eyes and dark hair, instead of American with blue eyes and blonde hair.
Everett Collection / Courtesy Everett Collection
Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four
Southwest of Salem examines the wrongful convictions of Elizabeth Ramirez, Cassandra Rivera, Kristie Mayhugh, and Anna Vasquez, four lesbians who allegedly gang-raped two young girls. After 15 years of fighting for their innocence behind bars, a pivotal court hearing debunks the scientific evidence that had been used against them.
Watch Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four on Amazon Prime.
Everett Collection / MTV/Courtesy Everett Collection
I Don’t Like Mondays
After 16-year-old Brenda Spencer was charged with murder for the Cleveland Elementary School shooting, she infamously told officials, “I don’t like Mondays. This livens up the day.” This documentary explores Brenda Spencer’s case from her disturbing confessions to the conditionality of her imprisonment.
Everett Collection / Courtesy Everett Collection
Kidnapped: Natascha Kampusch
Narrated by the victim herself, this documentary recounts Natascha Kampusch’s abduction and her eight years of captivity at the hands of Wolfgang Přiklopil. Featuring rare footage from the dungeon she lived in from the ages of 10 to 18, Kidnapped reveals the horrific details of her case and the extent of her ordeal.