Masterpost of True Crime Documentaries (Part 1)
1. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father: This one should be watched with extreme caution. This case fucked me up for weeks. Available on YouTube (should be a free copy) and Netflix.
2. Soaked in Bleach: Even in you don’t know much (or care) about Kurt Cobain or his “suicide”, this documentary is interesting and dark enough to hold you captivated. You’ll want to know what the fuck is really going on after the first 20 minutes.
3. H.H. Holmes America’s First Serial Killer: While the narrator of this documentary almost puts you into a coma with his voice, the substance of the documentary is horrifying. It’s not my absolute favorite doc, but it’s a good, basic one to start out with, if you don’t know anything about H.H. Holmes. I recommend you pair it with the book “Devil in the White City”. Available on Netflix.
4. One Night in Bhopal (BBC): Covers the gross negligence of the Union Carbide company that lead to the Bhopal gas tragedy which left 8,000 dead instantly and over 150,000 injured or disabled. Some graphic content. Available on YouTube.
5. Devil’s Playground (2002): Though this one isn’t as focused on true crime, it deals with a clash of cultures and is pretty heavy. Several Amish teens agree to be filmed as they go out into the English world to celebrate rumspringa. Some aren’t ready for their new-found freedom. Drug use and language. Watch it here.
6. Born Into Brothels, Calcutta’s Red Light Kids (2004): Shows the dark underbelly of Calcutta’s red light district, where young girls in poverty are forced into sex work as early as possible, sometimes sold or “passed on” by their mothers, to brothel Madams, who are too old or sick to carry on their own work. Some graphic content. Available on YouTube.
7. Interview with a Cannibal (Armin Meiwes): A look at the life of a German man who sought out a willing human participant to kill and eat. This doc builds a decent (and fair) psychological profile of Meiwes. Graphic. Available here.
8.) The Missing 43: What happened to 43 students who vanished without a trace in Southern Mexico? Vice News attempts to uncover an underworld that knows exactly what happened. Watch here.
9.) Jonestown: Paradise Lost: Follows the rise and fall of cult leader, Jim Jones, who convinced a nearly thousand-strong congregation to commit horrible atrocities, including sexual abuse, drug-forcing and ultimately, suicide. Watch here.
