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As the streaming wars have strengthened, so has true crime. What used to be a niche genre reserved for late-night cable marathons has now blossomed into a force of film and television all on its own. This year in particular saw another evolution of the genre. Whereas before our true crime documentaries were happy to just tell audiences about these horrifying sagas, 2021’s best installments challenged even the best known narratives.
The documentaries and docuseries that enthralled us were the ones that re-contextualized everything. From possible gross miscarriages of justice to thoughtful examinations of police competence, these entries challenged us at every turn. Here is the best of true crime 2021 has to offer.
'Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal'
If you religiously followed 2019’s college admissions bribery scandal, there’s not much that Operation Varsity Blues can offer you. As far as documentaries go, it’s fairly by the books, and it offers little to no new information. But wow, Chris Smith’s reenactment-filled documentary sure if fun. It’s not the best of its kind, but it does an entertaining job of covering one of the wildest scandals in recent years.
'Bad Sport'
There’s a good chance you’ve been sleeping on this Netflix gem. Each episode of this six-part series tells a different criminal saga in the world of professional sports, and each one is wilder than the last. Who doesn’t want to watch a documentary about a major weed dealer who became a race car driver on the side or a blatant cheating scandal during Olympics-level figure skating? Bad Sport shows that pushing people to their physical limits may take a toll on their morals as well.
'Murder Among the Mormons'
Directors Jared Hess and Tyler Measom’s docuseries may have a compelling title, but the crime at its center isn’t exactly one of murder. Instead, it’s one of forgery and the mass exploitation of an entire religion. The series follows Mark Hofmann, a Mormon who claimed that he found several sacred texts connected to the Church of Latter Day Saint. His path of scams led to him detonating multiple bombs and murdering two people. It’s a stranger-than-fiction story that questions its central figure’s lack of empathy.
'Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer'
Richard Ramirez was a terrifying serial killer and kidnapper. From 1984 to 1985, he haunted the greater Los Angeles ares, targeting his victims seemingly at random and killing at least 15 people. Tiller Russell and James Carroll’s four-part series doesn’t lend its focus to this killer but rather to the meticulous police force that eventually arrested him. During a time when police missteps dominate the news, Night Stalker offers the rare and necessary guide to a case law enforcement handled well.
Watch Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer on Netflix
'The Way Down'
Marina Zenovich expose on Gwen Shamblin Lara and her diet program Weigh Down Workshop isn’t fun. There are no zany founders or delightfully wild stories to lift the mood. There’s only a woman who ruthlessly exploited two of her victims’ biggest insecurities: their weight and their religious devotion. Shamblin Lara died earlier this year, meaning that one of her most prevalent legacies is one of mass pain.
'John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise'
Most true crime fans know the story of John Wayne Gacy. But rarely has this terrifying saga been told as thoroughly as director Rod Blackhurst handles it. Under his direction, the estimated 33 murders Gacy committed weren’t merely the work of a single unhinged man. They happened because of this man and the countless systems of power that turned a blind eye to his wrongdoings. Devil in Disguise extends the blame for this legendary crime spree to include Chicago itself. It’s difficult to think of the Gacy case the same way ever again.
'LuLaRich'
Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby Nason’s docuseries is a bit of an odd addition to this list because the company at its center, LuLaRoe, settled out of court. But LuLaRich makes a strong case that, if the actions this company took weren’t illegal, they were at least morally wrong. What started as a great way for people to make extra money selling leggings quickly devolves into a horror story plagued by tales of debts, obscene worker deadlines, upset customers, and garages piled high with unsold merchandise. It’s an economic thriller that shows just how addicting yet toxic multilevel marketing companies can be.
'The Lady and the Dale'
There’s nothing quite like a good scammer, and that’s exactly who Elizabeth Carmichael was. In the 1970s, she founded the Twentieth Century Motor Car Corporation and created a car known as “The Dale”, a three-wheeled, fuel-efficient car. But as The Dale became more popular, Carmichael became more suspicious. No matter what direction you think this true crime saga will go, prepare for it to veer off course. This is one wild ride.
'The Phantom'
Director Patrick Forbes’ Tribeca film isn’t so much a true crime story as it is an examination into a possible mass failure of justice. In February of 1983, Wanda Lopez, a gas station attendant, was murdered. It was a crime that Carlos LeLuna was charged for and that eventually led to his execution by lethal injection six years later. The Phantom seriously considers whether DeLuna’s claims about his own innocence were true. It’s a captivating film that dives into one of our collective fears: What if you were charged for a crime you never committed?
'Allen v. Farrow'
Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering’s four-part docuseries is above all else heartbreaking. In 1992, director and Hollywood darling Woody Allen was accused of sexually assaulting his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow. Thus launched one of the most contentious and brutal celebrity crime stories in modern history. Allen v. Farrow assumes audiences already know Allen’s side. Instead, it’s far more interested in extending Dylan Farrow the same platform Allen has received through years of meticulous interviews placed in top publications. Ultimately, the allegations against Allen were rejected by a judge. But this series makes this already murky case feel all the muddier.
