The Best True Crime Documentaries On Hulu
True crime documentaries are all the rage right now. While it may seem like Netflix has the monopoly on true crime documentaries, the truth is, there are a few great ones on Hulu.
More than a few, in fact. Here’s our pick for the top five, now streaming.
‘The Act’
The Act has a lot of people talking. The documentary series follows a new case each season and season one starts out in a dramatic way. Season one features a disturbingly haunting case. The season begins with the murder of Dee Dee Blanchard. Blanchard was killed at the hands of her daughter, Gypsy. But as time goes by, we see the events that led Gypsy to kill her own mother.
The series dives into Blanchard’s lies and manipulation and reveals that Gypsy is the victim of horrendous abuse. Her mother goes to great lengths to fake her daughter’s illness as a result of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Though the series is clear what crime was committed and why, the true intrigue of the series is delving into human psychology and the complex relationship the two women share.
‘Tales of the Grim Sleeper’
Tales of the Grim Sleeper focuses on the real-life case of Lonnie Franklin. Franklin was sentenced to death for the killings of 10 women between 1985 and 2007. The serial killer earned his nickname due to the 14-year gap between 1988 and 2002 where Franklin apparently did not commit any murders.
Beyond the crime, the documentary film takes a look at the criminal justice system. Franklin committed his first murder in 1985 and his last in 2007, but it wasn’t until 2010 that police finally captured him. The film questions why it took so long to find the murderer and whether anything has been done to change the system since Franklin’s conviction.
‘Killing for Love’
Killing for Love follows the love story between Elizabeth Haysom and Jens Söring. But before you jump to conclusions, this story doesn’t turn out the way you think it’s going to. Elizabeth Haysom and Jens Söring are not the victims of this case. Instead, they are both killers.
People across the country watched the story play out as their case became the first criminal trial to be broadcast on national TV. The couple had their own story to tell when it came time to answer to the crime of killing Elizabeth’s parents. Decider says that Killing for Love is “the best true crime doc you haven’t seen,” noting, “Both Jens and Elizabeth have credibility issues, each have reason to sway the court of public opinion, and both are highly intelligent individuals capable of deceit and manipulation. It’s the true-crime documentary trifecta.”
‘The Last Defense’
The Last Defense is produced by How to Get Away with Murder‘s Viola Davis. The series takes a look at two death row cases and the evidence that led the case to where it is. Davis says, “The docuseries is important so people can understand, it is not always fair. It wakes people up. It gives a face, a heart, an image of those people that we have dehumanized in the past.”
The Last Defense makes you question, “Did prosecutors get it right? Were these people guilty.” The goal of the docuseries is to give you the evidence and let the public be “the last defense.”
‘Homicide Hunter’
Homicide Hunter is a long-running true-crime series, originally airing on Investigation Discovery Television (ID). It follows the cases of detective Joe Kenda who worked for the Colorado Springs Police Department from 1973 until the time he retired in 1996.
Kenda solves the once thought to be unsolvable cases. Each episode features witness testimonies, case evidence, and law enforcement interviews. Dive deep into the cases and see what it takes to solve a Colorado Springs murder case.
