Netflix has pretty much become a hub for watching true-crime dramas and documentaries. Unless you are watching the cable channels for older shows like Forensic Files on FireTV. Every year, the number of absolutely insane crime cases that get turned into Netflix documentaries seems to be growing. Now that we are in 2025, that number appears to be at its peak, with tons of stories from the dark side of children who are internet influencers, to revisiting cold cases from many years prior. The following are all the true crime documentaries on Netflix that have released in 2025 that I feet are really worth the watch.
American Murder: Gabby Petito
The murder of Gabby Petito was particularly alarming to me because she was an influencer that I would see on my For You Page pretty often. The vlogger, alongside her fiance Brian Christopher Laundrie, led a nomadic lifestyle in which they lived in their van and travelled the country. The two were on a trip that was expected to last four months, but Gabby was reported missing just over a month after the trip began. I even remember other TikTokers creating videos shortly after her reported disappearance recounting having interacted with Laundrie just days before or had come across the couple’s abandoned van.
The three-part docuseries focuses on Petito’s life outside of vlogging, allowing her family and friends to share their perspective of everything that occured leading up to her death. The Netflix documentary also encourages law enforcement to intitate the Gabby Petito Act during domestic violence investigations. This Act involves a series of 12 questions that can help law enforcement know of the severity of the situation.
Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing
Just like the Gabby Petito case, I remember sort of following the situation involving child influender Piper Rockelle and her momager, Tiffany Smith. The young girl was put in front of cameras from an even younger age, sparking a relationship with the internet that a child should never be exposed to. As Rockelle’s career grew, so did her mother’s grip on her management, creating a toxic environment for both her daughter and everyone involved in creating their content.
The three-part docuseries, Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing, uncovers all of the exploitation and manipulation that went on behind the scenes that involved various other young influencers. Not only was Smith involved as Piper’s manager, but also as the manager of others whom were dubbed the ‘Squad.’ This one of various true crime documentaries on Netflix that act as a period piece that really elaborates on the many ways that parents can abuse their successful children emotionally and financially.
Con Mum
Con Mum is only on here because it’s absolutely insane. Just like Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing, there was no murdering going on. However, it tells the story of a British pastry chef named Graham Hornigold who was conned out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by a woman named Dionne who claimed to be his mother. This is one of those stories that, as you read the description, you think to yourself, “this could never happen to me.” But then, as you watch it, you can begin to understand exactly how this woman was able to get away with as much as she did for as long as she did.
I think what was even more insane was the Netflix documentary’s twist at the most pivotal moment. It is both incredibly emotional and difficult to watch at times, but is a profound look into the lengths that some people are willing to go just to maintain an identity. Con Mum is also interesting for those who are interested in researching the real-world implications that its release had, since it was only just recently released.
Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer
Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer is one of the true crime documentaries on Netflix that goes over the grizzly tale of the Gilgo Beach serial murders. The murders themselves went on between 1993 and 2011, and it wasn’t until 2022 that police officially considered a suspect, Rex Heuermann. Despite how long the period during which the murders were happening was, it was only in 2010, when the disappearance of Shannan Gilbert was reported, that an investigation was made. Since them Heuermann has maintained his innocence, pleading not guilty to killing seven woman.
Up to this day, the entire case has been passed around, with new bodies being discovered and identified. The documentary series is told from the perspective of the various victims of the serial killer as well as the loved ones of those who passed, who are still fighting for justice. I found this series particularly harrowing because, much like the next one, it took so long for anyone to notice that something sinister was going on right under their noses.
Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story
The Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story is one of the most insane true crime documentaries on Netflix. The story revolves around the titular West couple, who led very interesting lives with their many shared children, some from different marriages. Despite having some children taken away by social services, the couple were still allowed to keep some children, introducing them to abusive lifestyles. One of their children, Heather, was killed at the hands of her father, and eight years later is when her body was discovered by police under the family’s back patio, unfurling a story of infidelity and hatred.
The docuseries is three episodes long and primarily consists of phone interviews and recordings that had previously never been revealed. It’s an incredibly well-told and rather overwhelming story, so I would advise that viewers tread with caution, as some trigger warnings include the sexual abuse of minors and deaths of children.
