American Nightmare is the first great Netflix docuseries of 2024. Sure, the year is still only a few weeks old, but the true-crime doc-series has shocked and hooked subscribers.
The series tells the horrific story of Denise Huskins, who, in March 2015 was kidnapped in the middle of the night from the home she shared with her boyfriend Aaron Quinn in Vallejo, Calif. Over the course of the series' three episodes, directors Bernadette Higgins and Felicity Morris, as well as the courageous testimonies from those involved, paint a terrifying picture of the man responsible, while also highlighting the police's appalling mishandling of the investigation. The series has left viewers "in a state of shock."
With an entire running time of around two hours and 15 minutes, viewers can easily binge American Nightmare in just one night. So what other similar Netflix crime docuseries can you follow it up with? Take a look below to find out.
Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami
Released back in 2021, Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami depicts the rise and fall of drug kingpins Sal Magluta and Willy Falcon. The hugely entertaining series features just six episodes, but in each installment will leave you open-mouthed at the incredible revelations. One example is that Magluta and Falcon appeared on ESPN as competitors in offshore powerboat championships as they built their drug empire, but there are plenty more glamorous and outrageous yarns. Especially since director Billy Corben gets incredible footage from the criminals, officers and jurors involved in their lives.
The Keepers
Somber and devastating, The Keepers dives into the unsolved murder of Catherine Cesnik. She was a nun who taught English and drama at Archbishop Keough High School, an all-girls school in Baltimore. Former students at the school believed her death at the age of just 26 was covered-up, as she suspected priest Anthony Joseph Maskell had been sexually abusing students. Directed by Oscar-nominee Ryan White, The Keepers is as harrowing as it is riveting, while the documentarian weaves the story in such an expert fashion that you're still ultimately left hopeful.
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey
Directors Rachel Dretzin and Grace McNally explore polygamy in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, focusing on the lives of former leader Rulon Jeffs and his son, Warren. Keep Sweet: Pray And Obey's four episodes include interviews with numerous former members from the Church, who detail how both Jeffs used their positions of power to commit heinous offenses against churchgoers. Dretzin and McNally are able to fully expose their crimes, and while the episodes are littered with incredibly hard to watch moments, they always manage to keep it fascinating and handle the material respectfully.
Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal
There are actually two seasons of Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, both of which were released in 2023. The first batch of three episodes begin with the death of teenager Mallory Beach in 2019, who died on a boat being driven by her friend Paul Murdaugh. A member of the prominent Murdaugh family, which has lived in Southern Carolina for centuries, Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal uses this incident to explore the family’s murky history. Two years later, more tragedy strikes when Alex Murdaugh is found guilty of killing his wife Maggie and their son Paul, with the second season of the show focusing on his trial.
The Most Hated Man on the Internet
Hunter Moore is the titular most hated man on the internet. You won't need all three episodes of the Netflix docuseries to see why, as it breaks down Moore's past and how he created the website Is Anyone Up?, a pornographic website that allowed users to anonymously submit explicit videos and photographs. Soon, people were using it to upload nude content of their former partners, as the site became primarily associated with revenge porn. While The Most Hated Man on the Internet could have benefited from the involvement of Moore, his absence only makes him more villainous, while celebrating the fearless Charlotte Laws, whose persistence helped to bring the site down.
All of these docuseries are available to stream right now Netflix.
