Creepiest Documentaries Ever

What it’s about: In 2007, 3-year-old Madeleine McCann vanished during a family vacation at a resort in Portugal. Her parents were at a restaurant with friends and had left Madeleine and her two siblings back in the room, sleeping. They checked on the children throughout the night, and that’s when they realized something was wrong: Madeleine was gone. Over the next few weeks, several damning accusations were made, stories stopped matching up, and even the head of the investigative unit was under investigation himself. Madeleine became the most high-profile missing child in the entire world, and this documentary series will show you why.

Where you can watch it: Netflix

—abigaeljoyceanderson

What it’s about: Open water is scary. It’s even scarier when you’re trapped 100 meters below the surface, with no heat or light. That’s exactly what happened to Chris Lemons in 2012. He was working on a ship, doing repairs at the bottom of the North Sea, when harsh weather caused the vessel to drift off and break his breathing cable. This gripping documentary uses interviews and security footage from the ship to retell the events of that day. It’ll leave you gasping for air.

Where you can watch it: Netflix

—sianb4405

What it’s about: This real-life Sister, Sister meeting will immediately warm your heart, but then it’ll be torn to pieces. The documentary starts with Bobby Shafran, who, after leaving for college in the 1980s, finds out he’s an identical twin. Then things get even weirder. After their picture gets posted in the paper, a third guy comes forward, and they realize they’re actually triplets. After questioning ~why~ they were split up in the first place, their families discover that they were unknowingly part of a government-sponsored study. I won’t spoil anything else for you, but just know that this movie will make you feel completely uneasy.

Where you can watch it: Hulu

—abigaeljoyceanderson

What it’s about: In the 1970s, a 12-year-old girl from Idaho was kidnapped by her family’s neighbor and best friend…twice. There are so many twists and turns in this movie, including a love affair with the girl’s parents and her kidnapper, so, yeah, just watch it.

Where you can watch it: Netflix

—heatherp12

What it’s about: In 2009, Diane Schuler was driving 85 mph on the highway in the wrong direction when she collided with another car. Eight people were killed, including Diane, her daughter, and three of her nieces. The medical report revealed that Diane was heavily intoxicated at the time of the crash, but her husband insisted that she would never drink excessively. This documentary retells the events leading up to the 2009 crash and tries to uncover what really happened.

Where you can watch it: HBO Max

—l4a6879caf

What it’s about: Alicia Esteve Head claimed to have been on the 78th floor of the World Trade Center during the attacks on 9/11. She had gripping testimony about surviving the attack and even revealed that her fiancé died in the other tower. Later on, she became the president of the World Trade Center Survivors’ Network support group. But there was one problem: Head wasn’t actually in either of the buildings on the day of the attacks. In fact, she wasn’t even in the country — she was at school in Barcelona. So, who was Alicia Esteve Head? I guess you’ll have to watch the documentary to find out.

Where you can watch it: Amazon Prime Video

—georger46e

What it’s about: Joyce Carol Vincent died in her London apartment in 2003. However, her body wasn’t discovered until almost THREE YEARS later. Vincent set up automatic payments on her rent and apartment bills, so no one noticed that she had died until a few fines built up. Her body had deteriorated so much that by the time they discovered her, she looked “mostly skeletal.” Even more heartbreaking, they found wrapped Christmas presents next to her corpse, which were unmarked and never delivered. This documentary does a deep dive into how all of that happened.

Where you can watch it: Amazon Prime Video

—isabellem49

What it’s about: Brian Wells, a pizza delivery driver in Pennsylvania, robbed a bank with a bomb strapped around his neck in 2003. He claimed he was being forced to commit the heist, and if he didn’t follow through, the real criminals would detonate the bomb. This true crime documentary series follows the investigation into the “pizza bomber” case and aims to figure out if Wells was indeed a victim or a conspirator of the crime.

Where you can watch it: Netflix

—chinar

What it’s about: Haunted houses are thrilling. One second, they’re making you laugh, and the next they’re giving you nightmares. But some people make it their life’s mission to take them even further with “extreme horror simulations.” This fun yet terrifying documentary gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the scariest haunted houses in the world, as well as the people who create them.

Where you can watch it: Amazon Prime Video

—laurynl4c

What it’s about: Sister Catherine Cesnik was a teacher at Archbishop Keough High School in Maryland when she disappeared in 1969. Two months later, her lifeless body was found near a garbage dump. Cesnik had previously suspected the school’s priest of sexual assault, so this compelling documentary series investigates what really happened to her, questioning whether or not it was a cover-up by the police.

Where you can watch it: Netflix

—rachelrae

What it’s about: Most people know about the unsolved murder of JonBenét Ramsey, a child pageant queen who was killed in her own home in 1996. This documentary retells those events via a casting process for a fake movie about the murder, where real-life actors portray the people (and, yes, even JonBenét) who were involved in the crime and investigation. It’s a strange, innovative, and compelling glimpse into the unnerving case.

Where you can watch it: Netflix

—barriv

What it’s about: John du Pont was a multimillionaire who built a training facility for the US Olympic wrestling team. He became obsessed and paranoid with one wrestler in particular: Dave Schultz. This chilling documentary uses interviews and never-before-seen footage to showcase the downfall of John du Pont, who ultimately murdered Schultz. You might remember this story from the 2014 true crime drama Foxcatcher, in which Steve Carell and Mark Ruffalo both received Oscar nominations for portraying the two real-life people.

Where you can watch it: Netflix

—littlethadd1019

What it’s about: Jeffrey Dahmer is infamous for committing rape, murder, and dismembering more than a dozen boys and men. This documentary focuses on the summer of Dahmer’s arrest in 1991, and it includes interviews with the lead detective on the case, the medical examiner, and even Dahmer’s next-door neighbor.

Where you can watch it: Amazon Prime Video

—ivyt43a

What it’s about: A 13-year-old boy and his 4-year-old sister were at home with a babysitter in 2007. The boy strangled and stabbed his little sister 17 times, killing her. This documentary follows their mother as she tries to piece together how everything unfolded and what the consequences for her son — whom she still loves — should be.

Where you can watch it: Amazon Prime Video

—laurenc42

What it’s about: Issei Sagawa shot and killed a woman in his apartment. He believed he would be able to absorb her beauty if he ate her, so he ate different parts of her body over a two-day period. He also had sex with her corpse and later tried to dispose of the leftovers in a lake in France, where he lived. He awaited trial for two years, was declared insane, and the charges against him were dropped. He was deported to Japan, where he couldn’t be legally detained, and over time he became a mini-celebrity. He remains free to this day. This short documentary follows those events.

Where you can watch it: YouTube and Dailymotion

—annakopsky

What it’s about: This documentary is a punch straight to the gut. It was originally created to be a love letter to Andrew Bagby, who was murdered by his ex-girlfriend, Shirley Jane Turner, in 2001. Then, Turner revealed she was pregnant with Bagby’s son. This cinematic scrapbook ultimately turned into a gripping true crime documentary that will stick with you for years.

Where you can watch it: Amazon Prime Video

—lastparismango22