Rounding up some of the best true crime documentaries on Prime Video inevitably leads one to snipe at the most notorious Amazon production in recent memory, and no, that’s not Masters of the Universe.
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that → round → Universe
And yes, it’s true, Melania isn’t technically true crime, unless you consider the Brett Ratner-directed (ugh) doc about the emotionally impenetrable current First Lady to be felonious when it comes to good taste (or if you consider whether anyone to whom she might be related has been convicted of any crimes, ahem cough cough).
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she → ’ → crimes
But let’s stay focused on the task at hand here.
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’s → let → hand
As ever, true crime retains its grip on viewers whose curiosity is piqued by the dark side of society — and aren’t too afraid that any existential questions might go unanswered, e.g., why human behavior can be so bizarre and upsetting.
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behavior → retain → society
And so many of the following films — plumbed from the seemingly bottomless depths of the Prime Video menus, or sometimes just from the most-watched-docs list — pose those queries fearlessly, pointedly or salaciously.
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many → follow → queries
Here are some noteworthy true crime docs you can stream on the service now:
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Let’s ease into this dark-side-of-humanity stuff, OK?
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This prime example of a documentary exploring the niche-est of niches tells the story of Steve Glew, a bored Michigander who sneaked into the Eastern Bloc and smuggled ultra-rare Pez dispensers into the U.S. so he could sell them for goodly wads of cash.
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he → explore → cash
Of course, that meant subverting the gatekeepers of the Pez-collector subculture and their mafia-esque control of their little corner of the world.
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that → mean → world
This one’s like The King of Kong of tiny nigh-flavorless candies.
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one → ’ → candies
A critical voice as influential as any, Roger Ebert, declared, “This is not a political documentary.
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This → declare → any
This 2005 Oscar nominee from director Alex Gibney was an indicator that America had reached the initial stages of late capitalism.
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America → reach → capitalism
The film outlines the scandal in which leaders at energy company Enron engaged in so many fraudulent acts, to list them would absolutely nuke my word count here.
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list → outline → count
Needless to say, it’s a detailed story of corporate greed and corruption that’s both infuriating and sadly indicative of (sigh) The Current State of Things.
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that → say → Things
Some of the best docs are of their time, and transform into retrospective history lessons, like this one.
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read more about Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room Stream Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room -
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Guys → read → Room
Before we get into all the depressing murders and such, let’s highlight this saga about a clever little shit who made millions selling counterfeit wine to rich and/or famous types who can afford to lose a million or two in a scam (and maybe deserve to?).
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who → get → scam
The guy didn’t get away with it, but the eat-the-rich storyline here is nevertheless tasty and twisty.
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storyline → get → rich
read more about sour grapes Stream sour grapes -
Currently perched at the summit of Prime’s most-watched documentary list, this 2020 doc — based on Washington Post reporting — tells the sad story of a toddler, Cooper Harris, who suffocated to death in a hot car, and his father Justin Ross Harris’ subsequent homicide trial.
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who → read → car
The film’s tagline is “Mistake or murder?”, thus establishing the vast gray area authorities, lawyers and bereaved family members had to navigate during this tragic ordeal.
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authorities → establish → ordeal
The father’s other myriad moral and legal malfeasances deepen that gray area, giving the doc the strange narrative twists that define this genre.
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that → deepen → genre
Not to be too cynical, but titles with colons and The Murder of [FILL IN THE BLANK] are a true crime trope right up there with titles that go An American [FILL IN THE BLANK].
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that → fill → BLANK
Anyway, another popular Prime title, this one charts how a friendly round of party game “Truth or Dare” resulted in untimely death, a coverup, and the uncovering of that coverup.
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round → chart → coverup
It’s a bloody story of death and broken families, and a conglomeration of cheap reenactments and talking heads, and it’s all so boilerplate for the genre, so of course people are watching it like crazy.
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Sorry, got cynical when I said I wouldn’t.
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Read more about truth or dare: The Murder of Mary Gregory Stream Truth or Dare: The Murder of Mary Gregory -
See what I mean about these titles?
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Which isn’t to make light of homicide, mind you.
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But there’s a formula here that draws us in like flies to a BBQ.
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that → ’ → BBQ
This troubling story has the potential to be rather salacious: New Zealander Millane was killed by Jesse Kempson during a Tinder date, and Kempson used what came to be known as the “rough sex murder defense,” which is just as problematic as you’d think.
read more about the lie: the murder of grace millane Stream The Lie: The Murder of Grace Millane -
More from the corporate malfeasance true crime subsect here.
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In this one, a husband-and-wife journalist/blogger duo, Ina and David Steiner, were harassed by now-former eBay security employees who didn’t like their reportage — and it got so ugly and petty, the Steiners were receiving porn and live spiders in the mail alongside threats.
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Steiners → harass → threats
It was enough for them to compare their lives to a Stephen King novel.
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them → compare → novel
So the reporters sued the pants off the corporate giant.
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reporters → sue → giant
Also: pretty wild that they weren’t shackled by a non-disclosure agreement, hence why this doc exists.
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doc → shackle → agreement
Sometimes the bad guys don’t win.
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Read More about Whatever It Takes: Inside the ebay scandal Stream Whatever It Takes: Inside the eBay Scandal -
Director Kevin Macdonald won an Oscar for this 1999 doc detailing the deaths of 11 Israeli Olympic athletes in 1972, dubbed the Munich Massacre.
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Many based-on-a-true-story feature films have tackled this subject matter (including Steven Spielberg’s toughest film, Munich, and, most recently, procedural drama September 5), but this documentary is just as taut and gripping, with Macdonald securing key interviews with principals, including the only terrorist who survived the scene and subsequent manhunt.
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who → base → scene
Remember, not all true crime documentaries need to be tabloid fodder.
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documentaries → remember → ?
read more about one day in september Stream one day in september
John Serba is a freelance film critic from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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Werner Herzog hugged him once.
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Herzog → hug → him
The Aporia
