If you happen to can't do the time, don't do the crime. However when you have the time to observe the crimes, Netflix has a slew of documentaries price exploring. The streamer continues to curate stellar initiatives, with an ever-expanding roster of choices from American Homicide: Gabby Petito to Madoff: The Monster of Wall Avenue.

The wheels of justice flip slowly. Thank goodness EW's record of the 32 finest true crime documentaries on Netflix is right here to get your authorized gears grinding.

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Amanda Knox (2016)

The saga of Amanda Knox has been one of the vital public instances of the fashionable age. This 2016 documentary chronicles her journey from being convicted for the 2007 homicide of her roommate Meredith Kercher to her expertise of being smeared by the press and her eventual acquittal. Knox tells her story in her personal phrases, alongside interviews together with her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito (additionally convicted and acquitted) and others concerned within the case, all talking on to the digicam. —Kevin Jacobsen

The place to observe Amanda Knox: Netflix

Administrators: Rod Blackhurst, Brian McGinn

02 of 32

American Homicide: Gabby Petito (2025)

The story of an aspiring van life vlogger who went lacking whereas touring the nation together with her fiancé in an RV captivated America because it unfolded over the summer season of 2021. On-line, Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie gave the impression to be dwelling the dream. They had been two younger, enticing individuals in love, driving across the nation as Gabby tried to doc their journey on YouTube.

However behind the scenes, the younger couple was battling large points, and after Gabby is murdered and Brian disappears, the reality lastly comes out. A documentary that emphasizes the significance of figuring out the markers of home violence and controlling relationships, American Homicide: Gabby Petito serves as a tribute to an adolescent gone too quickly, and a street map that hopefully steers others away from embarking down an analogous path. —Ilana Gordon

The place to observe American Homicide: Gabby Petito: Netflix

Administrators: Michael Gasparro, Julia Willoughby Nason

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Amy Bradley Is Lacking (2025)

In March of 1998, Amy Bradley and her household left Virginia and boarded a Royal Caribbean cruise ship for a trip. Amy by no means got here house, and her physique was by no means discovered. Nearly 30 years have handed since Amy disappeared, however her household believes she continues to be alive and on the market someplace.

Amy Bradley Is Lacking is a three-part documentary sequence devoted to Amy’s case, the story of her life, and the work Amy’s household and mates have completed since she went lacking to attempt to convey her house. That includes interviews with Amy’s family members, the regulation enforcement officers devoted to her case, and the witnesses who declare to have noticed her through the years, the documentary can’t conclusively say what occurred to Amy, but it surely does supply some believable theories. —I.G.

The place to observe Amy Bradley Is Lacking: Netflix

Administrators: Phil Lott, Ari Mark

Forged: Iva Bradley, Mark Bradley, Brad Bradley

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Athlete A (2020)

This award-winning documentary follows the revelation that USA Gymnastics (USAG) physician Larry Nassar had been sexually assaulting numerous feminine athletes beneath his care. The exposé started when reporters at The Indianapolis Star bought a tip that they need to examine USAG. As the reality slowly got here out, gymnast Maggie Nichols (known as "Athlete A" on the time to guard her id) was key to shedding gentle on the abuses that had been happening for years, supposedly with a nod from a minimum of one of many group's higher-ups. One of many uncommon examples of true crime being inspiring, Athlete A is a precious report of latest historical past and a beacon of accountability. —Melissa Sherrard

The place to observe Athlete A: Netflix

EW grade: A–

Administrators: Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk

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Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator (2019)

Yoga’s evolution from a conventional Indian observe to Western train motion will be partially attributed to the rise of Bikram yoga. Bikram Choudhury — a world well-known yogi whose clientele within the Nineteen Seventies included everybody from Hollywood actors to Richard Nixon — based Bikram’s Yoga School of India in Los Angeles, and his recognition and instructor coaching packages helped foster the yoga well being development within the late-‘90s. Described by considered one of his former college students as a “cross between Mom Teresa and Howard Stern,” Bikram’s yoga empire got here crashing down amidst accusations of rape and sexual harassment that emerged within the twenty first century.

A movie directed by Eva Orner, Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator tells the story of Yogi Bikram’s rise and fall, as advised by the individuals who studied with him, the ladies who had been abused by him, and the followers who proceed to defend him. —I.G.

The place to observe Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator: Netflix

Director: Eva Orner

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Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami (2021)

This fast-paced, gritty docuseries dives into the drug wars of the Nineteen Eighties and the way cocaine — and the cash that adopted it — remodeled South Florida. The sequence describes the heyday of drug trafficking in Miami particularly, exploring how the kingpins held energy by means of scare ways and holding the physique depend sky excessive. With detailed interviews, crime scene photographs, and interesting tales, Cocaine Cowboys provides a behind-the-scenes look right into a world that appears distant. —M.S.

The place to observe Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami: Netflix

Director: Billy Corben

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Soiled Cash (2018–2020)

Company corruption is all the time entertaining, and Soiled Cash carries that torch additional. Every episode in its two seasons takes a deep dive into how greed, artistic accounting, and outright fraud may cause widespread harm whereas these within the know make out like bandits. True incidents just like the Volkswagen emissions scandal and the underhanded actions behind the expansion of Wells Fargo are delivered to life by means of interviews with each victims of those monetary crimes and those that dedicated them. It's as infuriating as it’s entertaining, and it's a good way to get a totally fleshed-out true crime story in fast hit episodes. —M.S.

The place to observe Soiled Cash: Netflix

Administrators: Alex Gibney, Jesse Moss, Erin Lee Carr, Kristi Jacobson, Brian McGinn, Fisher Stevens

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Escaping Twin Flames (2023)

Followers of Cecilia Peck’s Starz docuseries Seduced: Contained in the NXIVM Cult may wish to take a look at her latest undertaking, Escaping Twin Flames. Certainly one of two documentaries launched on the Twin Flames Universe cult in 2023 (the opposite is Desperately In search of Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video), Peck’s new three-part docuseries tells the story of a pair who transformed their success on YouTube into roles because the leaders of a cult focusing on individuals in search of love.

The accusations leveled on the cult are acquainted — abuse, management, indoctrination — however Escaping Twin Flames does a very good job of shining a lightweight on a little-known group that preys on individuals so decided to seek out love, they’re prepared to look previous the purple flags of the high-control group they had been in. —I.G.

The place to observe Escaping Twin Flames: Netflix

Director: Cecilia Peck

09 of 32

Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Financial institution Heist (2018)

It's not arduous to see how the 2003 homicide of Brian Wells — now often known as the "collar bomb" or "pizza bomber" case — nonetheless piques the curiosity of true crime fanatics even twenty years later. This four-part docuseries reveals that nothing is because it appears, provided that Wells could have truly been beneath duress himself when he tried to rob a financial institution in Erie, Pa. Tune in for the twisted timeline of occasions that led to a mindless homicide, and keep for the fascinating correspondence the administrators maintained with the alleged mastermind behind the robbery-gone-wrong. —M.S.

The place to observe Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Financial institution Heist: Netflix

Administrators: Barbara Schroeder, Trey Borzillieri

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The Household (2019)

For some individuals, few issues are scarier than a non secular cult — until that cult can also be pulling the strings behind a robust authorities. That's precisely what The Household claims is happening in Washington, D.C., as an influential group of Christian males known as the Fellowship Basis wields its affect to result in its favored objectives on a world scale. The five-part restricted sequence teases out the few identified particulars in regards to the group, shedding gentle on the various conspiracy theories that encompass its members, practices, and ambitions. If even simply some of the legal exercise alleged within the sequence is true, it's fairly diabolical stuff. —M.S.

The place to observe The Household: Netflix

Director: Jesse Moss

The 25 best documentaries streaming that capture memorable moments in time The 30 best true crime documentaries on HBO Max 11 of 32

The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker (2023)

After a video of Caleb "Kai" McGillvary animatedly recounting against the law he witnessed (and stopped along with his hatchet) whereas hitchhiking in California in 2013 went viral, the younger man turned a nationwide sensation. Nonetheless, because the in a single day highlight drew cheers from admirers of his heroism throughout the nation, it additionally caught the eye of authorities in New Jersey who thought Kai could also be answerable for a homicide on the east coast. This true crime documentary exhibits how the media's fast obsession with the Canadian fueled his rise to fame and performed a significant half in his 2019 homicide trial.

Even for those who haven't seen the video, you might need seen a meme, music, or one other piece of popular culture referencing Kai's memorable reenactment of "smash, smash, smash" — and The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker does an amazing job of telling the a lot bigger, darker story. —M.S.

The place to observe The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker: Netflix

Director: Colette Camden

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Icarus (2017)

This fascinating sports activities/political documentary is like following a thread that steadily reveals itself to be a tangled mess. Director Bryan Fogel unwinds this story in a gripping vogue, investigating unlawful steroid use amongst athletes in Russia by creating a relationship with the pinnacle of an anti-doping lab within the nation. The scientist, Grigory Rodchenkov, then drops a bombshell about his involvement in a doping program that allowed the nation to evade detection within the 2014 Winter Olympics.

This revelation quickly turns into a world scandal, leading to threats to Rodchenkov's life. The propulsive doc rightfully gained the Oscar for Finest Documentary Function, with Fogel stating in his acceptance speech, "We hope Icarus is a wake-up name — sure, about Russia, however greater than that, in regards to the significance of telling the reality, now greater than ever." —Okay.J.

The place to observe Icarus: Netflix

Director: Bryan Fogel

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Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Wealthy (2020)

Primarily based on the 2016 e book of the identical identify by James Patterson, this docuseries particulars the legal case towards convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein. Over 4 episodes, Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Wealthy explains how the billionaire leveraged his wealth, energy, and connections to proceed committing these crimes for years. That includes interviews with survivors, together with Maria Farmer and the late Virginia Giuffre; former workers members; and regulation enforcement, it's a harrowing story you assume you've seen play out within the information, however belief us — this docuseries reveals far more of the story. —M.S.

The place to observe Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Wealthy: Netflix

Director: Lisa Bryant

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Hold Candy: Pray and Obey (2022)

This isn't simply one other wild cult story. Hold Candy: Pray and Obey paperwork the meteoric rise and fall of Warren Jeffs, the chief and self-proclaimed prophet within the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), and the way he manipulated younger women into an abusive polygamous relationship with him. Administrators Rachel Dretzin and Grace McNally interviewed survivors to get to the guts of what occurred to so many ladies who thought they had been following a holy path — and what it took for them to lastly summon the braveness to flee. —M.S.

The place to observe Hold Candy: Pray and Obey: Netflix

EW grade: A–

Administrators: Rachel Dretzin, Grace McNally

15 of 32

Lengthy Shot (2017)

You probably have 40 minutes, you have got sufficient time to observe one of many wildest true crime tales on Netflix. Again in 2003, Juan Catalan was arrested for a homicide he didn’t commit. Catalan claimed he was at a Dodgers recreation when the crime occurred, and Catalan’s lawyer was decided to show his consumer’s innocence utilizing footage from a TV present that was filming on the stadium that very same day. The TV present in query? Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. Lengthy Shot is the story of how a sitcom saved an harmless man’s life — it’s the sort of premise you’d count on to see as a storyline on Curb, solely that is real-life, high-stakes stuff. —I.G.

The place to observe Lengthy Shot: Netflix

Director: Jacob LaMendola

16 of 32

Lover Stalker Killer (2024)

Legal instances don’t get far more diabolical than the one portrayed in Netflix’s 2024 documentary Lover Stalker Killer. A romantic tryst that descends right into a life-ruining nightmare that may have you ever critically debating deleting your courting profiles, Lover Stalker Killer is a real crime story that checks off each field within the style. With out delving too far into the specifics, the documentary chronicles the fear inflicted by one particular person upon their former romantic accomplice after the connection fails.

The occasions unfolded in Nebraska through the 2010s, and for those who haven’t heard the story of Cari Farver earlier than, don’t Google: simply activate Lover Stalker Killer and put together for a wild — and heartbreaking — journey. —I.G.

The place to observe Lover Stalker Killer: Netflix

Director: Sam Hobkinson

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Madoff: The Monster of Wall Avenue (2023)

Chronicling the crimes of disgraced financier Bernie Madoff, the four-part docuseries particulars how he pulled off one of many greatest Ponzi schemes in historical past, taking Wall Avenue for a journey we'll be referencing for many years to return. Utilizing interviews with victims, former workers, whistleblowers, investigators, and never-before-seen footage of depositions given by Madoff himself, it's clear that he's a grasp of manipulation, although the filmmakers level to the failure of regulators to behave on the various purple flags they noticed alongside the best way. —M.S.

The place to observe Madoff: The Monster of Wall Avenue: Netflix

Director: Joe Berlinger

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Making a Assassin (2015–2018)

Over two seasons, viewers are walked by means of the occasions that landed Steven Avery in jail for practically 20 years earlier than he was finally exonerated, solely to finish up again behind bars as soon as accused of murdering a younger photographer on his property. Nonetheless, issues will not be as simple as they appear, with the docuseries producing loads of publicity and calls to launch Avery, all whereas Wisconsin officers cry foul over its depiction of their work. —M.S.

The place to observe Making a Assassin: Netflix

Director: Moira Demos, Laura Ricciardi

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Our Father (2022)

So far as true crime documentaries go, this one exhibits how desires can truly turn into the stuff of nightmares with none homicide or gory mayhem. Our Father particulars the shock and horror a number of individuals skilled once they discovered they’re half-siblings fathered by Donald Cline, a preferred fertility physician in Indianapolis who used his personal sperm to impregnate dozens of sufferers with out their information that he was the donor. The movie takes us by means of the households' discoveries and divulges essentially the most unsettling fact of all: There's little, if any, accountability for this type of fertility fraud. —M.S.

The place to observe Our Father: Netflix

Director: Lucie Jourdan

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The Good Neighbor (2025)

Florida is thought for using a stand-your-ground regulation, a authorized coverage that gives residents the choice of using deadly drive somewhat than retreating as a way of self-defense. The regulation has confirmed controversial up to now, however in 2023, it was examined when 35-year-old Ajike Owens was shot by means of a locked door whereas ready to talk together with her neighbor.

The Good Neighbor provides an unvarnished accounting of the occasions main as much as and following Owens’ homicide utilizing physique cam footage collected through the police’s prior visits to the killer’s home. What emerges is a documentary free from editorializing — the story is advised by Ajike, her neighbors, the police investigating the conflicts, and the killer herself. The occasions within the movie are arduous to abdomen, however the systemic points the documentary highlights make The Good Neighbor a must-watch. —I.G.

The place to observe The Good Neighbor: Netflix

Director: Geeta Gandbhir

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ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke (2019)

Singer-songwriter Sam Cooke solely lived for 33 years, however throughout that point, he solidified his legacy because the "King of Soul." Cooke was killed in Los Angeles in 1964 by the supervisor of a motel; the courts later declared his dying a “justifiable murder.” On this episode of Netflix’s ReMastered, the docuseries focuses on Cooke’s affect in life as a musician and activist, the circumstances that led to his dying, and the theories surrounding the reality of what truly occurred on Dec. 11, 1964, on the Hacienda Motel in South Central Los Angeles. —I.G

The place to observe ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke: Netflix

Director: Kelly Duane de la Vega

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Sins of Our Mom (2022)

Sins of Our Mom shouldn’t be for the faint of coronary heart. By firsthand accounts, viewers are launched to Lori Vallow and her descent into intense non secular fanaticism, with beliefs that persons are stuffed with both "darkish" or "gentle" spirits (or worse, spiritless "zombies" she and her fifth husband had been tasked with killing off), that she might talk with angels, and that the world would finish in 2020.

Quickly, individuals began to show up useless or lacking, together with two of Vallow's kids — and this restricted docuseries examines the build-up and aftermath of the troubled mom's alleged crimes. Even those that are solely mildly all for true crime tales gained't be capable to flip away from this one. —M.S.

The place to observe Sins of Our Mom: Netflix

Director: Skye Borgman

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The Staircase (2004–2018)

This 13-episode true crime miniseries covers the homicide trial of Michael Peterson, a novelist who was accused of killing his spouse, Kathleen, of their house after police discovered her bloody physique on the backside of a staircase. The query dealing with regulation enforcement appears simple sufficient: Was Kathleen's dying a cold-blooded homicide or an trustworthy accident? However when Michael's secrets and techniques and a little bit of worldwide intrigue get thrown into the combination, issues begin to get hazy.

The household on the heart is left questioning every part as a documentary crew movies their journey proper from the beginning. With common acclaim and actual footage from the courtroom and household interviews over a number of years, The Staircase is without doubt one of the most intriguing true crime sequence on Netflix. —M.S.

The place to observe The Staircase: Netflix

Director: Jean-Xavier de Lestrade

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Sturdy Island (2017)

Yance Ford's Oscar-nominated documentary in regards to the 1992 homicide of his brother William is a deeply private story of racial injustice. Advised from Ford and his household's perspective, the movie delves into the homicide and subsequent trial, the place an all-white jury did not convict the killer, Mark P. Reilly, a white man. It's a tough watch, however one which continues to be related as America reckons with the sins of the previous.

As EW's critic wrote of the movie, "Sturdy builds a poignant, methodical portrait of loss. Telling William's story gained't convey him again, however a minimum of it’ll let the world know he lived." —M.S.

The place to observe Sturdy Island: Netflix

EW grade: B+

Director: Yance Ford

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The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo (2020)

This searing doc is all in regards to the persistence of a grieving mom and her tireless journey to hunt justice. Marisela Escobedo was a Mexican lady who turned a social activist after the homicide of her 16-year-old daughter, Rubí Frayre. She tracked down Rubí's killer, who subsequently confessed however was discovered harmless because of lack of proof, which sparked outrage and prompted Escobelo to maintain preventing for justice and get a circuit court docket to overturn the acquittal.

The movie delves into corruption throughout the Mexican judicial system whereas additionally delivering an emotionally wrenching expertise for the viewers, serving as a robust testomony to a mom's love. —Okay.J.

The place to observe The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo: Netflix

Director: Carlos Perez Osorio

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Tiger King (2020)

The drama that erupted between feuding large cat keepers "Joe Unique" and Carole Baskin captivated audiences simply because the COVID-19 pandemic introduced the world to a standstill. Viewers had been drawn into the world of the tiger commerce within the coronary heart of the nation, the weird characters that run the business, and the assorted crimes they commit of their energy wrestle. With accusations of every part from animal abuse to tried homicide (plus a bizarre intercourse cult), Tiger King is one wildly entertaining true crime sequence. —M.S.

The place to observe Tiger King: Netflix

Administrators: Eric Goode, Rebecca Chaiklin

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Until Homicide Do Us Half: Soering vs. Haysom (2023)

This twisty four-part docuseries chronicles the case of Jens Soering and Elizabeth Haysom, a pair charged with the 1985 murders of Haysom's dad and mom. Whereas Soering absolutely confessed to the murders, he would in the end change his assertion on the stand, implicating Haysom. The pair's conflicting testimonies made the case an enormous media sensation, with intensive protection within the a long time to return even after their convictions.

Until Homicide Do Us Half seeks to find out the reality behind all of it utilizing modern expertise and intensive analysis. Probably the most compelling parts is new testimony from Soering himself, who was interviewed for the sequence following his 2019 jail launch. —Okay.J.

The place to observe Until Homicide Do Us Half: Soering vs. Haysom: Netflix

Administrators: Andre Hörmann, Lean Leonhardt

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The Tinder Swindler (2022)

Some individuals be part of Tinder to seek out love; others be part of to seek out marks. In The Tinder Swindler, director Felicity Morris investigates how an Israeli-born man posing as a Russian diamond inheritor managed to con a number of ladies out of thousands and thousands of {dollars} by pretending so far them, earlier than asking for emergency funds. A movie that begins out as glamorous and aspirational as an Instagram influencer’s photograph album, The Tinder Swindler quickly takes a pointy flip into thriller territory.

Immediately addictive and terrifying sufficient to trigger viewers to rethink their on-line courting habits, The Tinder Swindler exhibits how simply sensible persons are rendered weak when love is concerned. —I.G.

The place to observe The Tinder Swindler: Netflix

Director: Felicity Morris

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Unknown Quantity: The Excessive College Catfish (2025)

In 2021, a scandal divided a small city in Michigan. A highschool woman and her boyfriend began receiving threatening texts from an unknown quantity — and nobody might work out who was sending them. The harassment continued for a 12 months, throughout which era the college, regulation enforcement, and FBI bought concerned. They finally found out the place the texts had been coming from, and the offender shocked everybody.

Unknown Quantity: The Excessive College Catfish is a type of documentaries that’s so outrageous, it will get individuals speaking. And for those who’ve by some means managed to keep away from spoilers, log out proper now and watch the movie earlier than that modifications. However even for those who’ve had the twist spoiled by the net discourse, the movie continues to be price watching: It's a type of tales that's so wild, you must see it to consider it. —I.G

The place to observe Unknown Quantity: The Excessive College Catfish: Netflix

Director: Skye Borgman

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Sufferer/Suspect (2023)

Research point out that almost all of girls who expertise sexual assault don’t report the abuse, and the documentary Sufferer/Suspect provides some perception into one cause why ladies keep silent. Led by investigative journalist Rae de Leon, Sufferer/Suspect tells the story of younger ladies who reported their abuse to the police, solely to seek out themselves charged with the crime of getting made a false report. A sobering account of the legal, authorized, and monetary burdens foist upon sexual abuse survivors who’re solely making an attempt to inform the reality, Sufferer/Suspect provides terrifying perception into one deeply flawed space of America’s justice system. —I.G.

The place to observe Sufferer/Suspect: Netflix

Director: Nancy Schwartzman

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Wild Wild Nation (2018)

Wild Wild Nation tells the story of the controversial Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, who got down to construct his utopia in rural Oregon, a lot to the chagrin of native residents and ranchers. As tensions escalate, so does the rising cult, leaving the encircling group cornered each bodily and bureaucratically till their jaw-dropping final resort. The universally acclaimed docuseries is wildly devourable, and goes one step additional by calling the viewers's personal values into query, testing the separation between church and state by turning all the superb on its head. —M.S.

The place to observe Wild Wild Nation: Netflix

Administrators: Maxclain Method, Chapman Method

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Wormwood (2017)

This artistic docudrama examines the life and aftermath following the mysterious dying of Frank Olson, a organic warfare scientist who labored for the CIA. Frank's son walks viewers by means of the unusual occasions that led to his father's demise in 1953, together with how the federal government's story about it advanced over time. And as soon as sources begin speaking about Venture MKUltra, viewers are in for fairly the journey. —M.S.

The place to observe Wormwood: Netflix

Director: Errol Morris

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