Documentaries/shows like Making a Murderer

I’m a big fan of documentaries, but it is a genre which doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. So I really enjoyed seeing the Netflix-show Making a Murderer getting as much attention as it did. The case about Steven Avery has had quite an impact and for the right reasons. It is strange to see how that court case has resulted in a guilty verdict (whether or not he really did it isn’t even important) as there were enough reasons to have doubt. But what if you have finished it and are looking to other shows and documentaries like Making a Murderer, which are the ones you should be checking out? I’m here to help out, with a list of documentaries you should also check out.

The Staircase

If you found yourself binge watching Making a Murderer way past the time you were planning to go to bed, than this is a documentary series which is able to do the same. Writer Michael Peterson is suspected to have killed is wife, who has been found at the bottom of the stairs, covered in blood. Peterson claims to have found her like that. In this series his lawyers and family are followed during the trial. Every episode presents new material which will surprise you and have you doubt whether or not he is guilty.
[Full review]

West of Memphis/Paradise Lost

When three small boys are found dead, the police arrest three teenage boys. A story about satanic rituals are doing the rounds and the media give the case a lot of attention. The teenagers themselves say they are innocent, but the prosecutor presents their case well. A documentary which isn’t for everyone (there is some gruesome footage of the murdered boys for example), but which presents the case in a fascinating way. If you are interested in this case, it is best to first watch West of Memphis. If after seeing this you want to know more, than you should check out the Paradise Lost trilogy.
[Review Paradise Lost]/[Review West of Memphis].

The Jinx

The previous two documentaries mentioned above are about the innocence of the people involved. The Jinx is exactly opposite of that. Robert Durst is the subject of this series, a man who is part of a rich family and whose wife has disappeared under suspicious circumstances. It is not the first time he has had a run in with the law and after a couple of episodes you get to know more about his past. To prove his innocence Durst decided to cooperate, but you soon learn sides of him which makes you wonder whether or not he made the right decision to do so.
[Full review]

The Thin Blue Line

This documentary by Errol Morris from 1988 looks at the case of Randall Adams, who was convicted for a shooting, but claimed to be innocent. Morris convincingly proves that the testimonies used to convict him were false.

Muder on a Sunday Morning

When the wife of an elderly couple is murdered while on holiday in Florida, 15-year-old Brenton Butler is arrested within ninety minutes. He signs a confession and the case seems to be simple. During the trial other facts begin to surface though.
[Full review]

A Murder in the Park

Anthony Porter was once on death row, but got out of jail thanks to research from a team of students. Shortly after another man was arrested and convicted. The only problem is that Anthony Porter really was guilty. A documentary which shows that outside the courtroom things can go wrong as well, which then lead to conviction of an innocent person.

The Central Park Five

After seeing all these documentaries you can only come to one conclusion, which is that a lot of things go wrong in the justice system. Of course this is also work done by people where errors are made, but those errors can have a big impact on those involved. This was also the case for “The Central Park Five”, five teenagers who were suspected of raping a woman in Central Park. These weren’t nice kids, but they were wrongfully convicted and it cost them a lot of effort to fight that.

Give Up Tomorrow

This documentary isn’t set in America, but in the Philippines. On one of the islands two girls disappear and on another one, hundreds of miles away Paco Larrañaga is arrested for it. He initially isn’t worried about it as he has an alibi. A lot of friends were with him that evening and he also has pictures to prove it. Despite that he isn’t released and a trial starts that will change his life forever.
[Full review]

Serial podcast

If you don’t have the time to watch all these documentaries, but still want to hear something interesting about another case, than the Serial podcast is interesting. The first season takes a look at the murder of a student and the one who was convicted for it. That season recently received some updates and the second one is underway about a different case. You can find it here.

Are there any documentaries you are missing from this list?