10 Best True Crime Documentaries On Netflix

10. The Staircase

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year, you'll have heard at least something about Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's deep dive on loss, secrets and murder mystery. The series was actually launched in 2004, but made its way to Netflix in 2018. Anyone who watched will attest it's been worth the wait.

There's a humanity to The Staircase that's missing from most of the other documentaries included here. That's what sets it apart.

Michael Peterson's tearful and distressed 911 call to emergency services in 2001 after his wife had fallen down the stairs is affecting to hear. This is real human tragedy laced with an undercurrent of whodunit, and it all comes together in an engaging way.

Though Staircase is a bit slow during the early hours, it picks up about halfway through and doesn't let up until all 13 episodes are done. That's the sign of a winning story, even if it does come with a pang of sadness over what happened to Kathleen.