By now you’ve probably already binge-watched Making a Murderer and marathoned through all of the Sword and Scale podcast episodes months ago. You have no idea what to do with your life and you’re left with a void that only a horrific true story can fill. Thankfully today we’re going to take a look at five true crime documentaries currently available on Netflix that you may have missed.
Manson’s Missing Victims
Everyone knows the story behind Manson’s incarceration and how he ordered his followers – based on his bizarre racist conspiracies and hidden messages he believed were coded for him in the Beatles’ White Album – to murder seven people, but those who have studied the case believe there were many more victims. In this documentary, filmmakers piece together stories provided by former Manson “family” members and detectives involved with the case in an attempt to find the graves of Manson’s other victims.
Playground
If you think children being kidnapped and forced into sex slavery is something that only happens in third-world countries, then think again. This documentary explores the underage sex-trade in America and takes a closer look at policies designed to prevent foreign children from being imported into the country for the purposes of prostitution, yet neglect domestic children suffering similar fates. This eye-opening investigation is sure to spark a conversation.
Sins of My Father
For a time Pablo Escobar was public enemy number one, not only for the U.S. Government officials who wanted to make him the poster boy for the newly implemented drug war, but even within his home country of Columbia. Escobar’s son describes the agony his family went through as Escobar lived in exile, eventually surrendering to live in a country club-like prison of his own construction, before going on the run again. Now an adult, Escobar’s son Sebastian tells the story of Pablo Escobar from his own prospective and for the first time meets with the sons of some of Escobar’s victims in order to make amends for the unspeakable acts of his father.
The Act of Killing
In 1965-66 leaders of an Indonesian death squad, responsible for the deaths of nearly a million people, reenact their killings in theatrical fashions. While today these men would have been tried for war-crimes, at the time they were touted as heroes for helping to prevent the spread of communism. One of these leaders, Anwar Congo, went on to form a organization resulting from the death squad. An organization so powerful that they have complete control over Indonesian government affairs and some of Indonesia’s own government officials admit to being members. If you’re interested in viewing a surreal portrayal of war crimes and government corruption, then The Act of Killing is one film you can’t afford to miss.
Murder Maps
Murder Maps is a docu-drama series which takes a look at some of Britain’s most famous killers and demonstrates how police used early forensics to piece together clues in order to solve these cases. While the series only has four episodes currently available, for those with an interest in the evolution of forensic techniques this series is sure to be a hit. The dramatic re-enactments of the events don’t come off as campy, as we see in many of these types of series, and the stories are historically accurate.
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