Tag: murder shows

Show: Handsome Devils

Men who murder and steal from the women in their lives

About Handsome Devils

The title of Handsome Devils is a bit of a misnomer. Not all of the killers in the show are actually handsome, but they’re all devils in some way. These men have romantic relationships with their victims and either murder or embezzle money from them, or both.

In this fairly typical true crime show, surviving victims tell their harrowing stories, along with detectives and other victims’ family and friends. Add re-creations and police interviews, and it makes for the usual format.

The show is only 10 episodes, but many more of these types of cases exist. Find them on shows like Dateline, 20/20, or Casanova Killers.

True crime shows

The Show Elements

Seasons: 1 (2014-2015)

Where to stream: Discovery+, Amazon Prime Video

More shows like Handsome Devils: Casanova Killers, Dateline NBC, 20/20, American Greed

See also this list of true crime shows

✓ Police interviews
✘ Trial clips
✓ Narration
✓ Re-creations
✘ Experts
✓ Victims’ families and friends

Latest Posts

Show: Web of Lies

Technology leads to lies and a slew of terrifying crimes

About Web of Lies

A teen is bullied online to the point of suicide. Adopted children are placed inadvertently with child predators. A man is catfished by a woman for his money, then murdered. These are some of the cases in Web of Lies.

Web of Lies features disturbing stories of crimes connected to online deceit. It’s a different kind of true crime show, describing stories that revolve around the horrible things people do to each other when they can mask their true identity, pose as someone else on the internet or in text messages, or lie to cover up a crime. Not all of the crimes are murder; some of the most shocking episodes are cases related to sextortion, cyberbullying, trafficking, and online predators. They will make you afraid to ever use your computer or phone again.

Web of Lies centers on the mystery, sometimes the mystery of who the perpetrator is, but usually the mystery of what terrible thing befell the victim for going online and meeting someone who lied to them. Often the cases involve teens too naïve to know about the dark side of the internet, who then fall victim to online predators.

In addition to cases in the US, the show includes some Canadian and Australian cases. Recommended.

True crime shows

The Show Elements

Seasons: 7 (2014-2021)

Where to stream: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Max, Discovery+

More shows like Web of Lies: Deadly Influence: The Social Media Murders, #killerpost, Deadly Dates, Devil in the Web, Murder on the Internet, Web of Death, Web of Make Believe: Death, Lies and the Internet

See also this list of true crime shows

✓ Police interviews
✘ Trial clips
✓ Narration
✓ Re-creations
✘ Experts
✓ Victims’ families and friends

Latest Posts

Show: The Perfect Murder

Murder cases where the killer almost gets away with the crime

The Perfect Murder

About The Perfect Murder

The Perfect Murder advertises itself as a true crime show about homicide cases that are almost perfect. It seems like an interesting premise, but episodes merely describe murders where one piece of evidence helps detectives crack the case. Since many murders are solved this way, the title and premise are a bit of a stretch and serve only to draw viewers to a show that is mediocre at best.

In addition to a flimsy premise, the show also has terrible re-creations with bad acting and even worse dialogue. They include re-created “theories” by fictional detectives who speculate what might have happened to the victim, imagined as they consider various suspects and their motives, and these theories are often laughable.

A few episodes in the show qualify as “almost perfect,” such as a case where a man was wrongly convicted and spent more than a decade in prison until the real killer was caught, or cases that have gone cold for several years. Others are the usual types of cases solved through standard investigation techniques and key evidence, and many have been covered on other shows.

The verdict: Not worth the watch. Skip it.

True crime shows

The Show Elements

Seasons: 5 (2014-2019)

Where to stream: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Discovery+

More shows like The Perfect Murder: Cold Case Files

See also this list of true crime shows

✓ Police interviews
✘ Trial clips
✓ Narration
✓ Re-creations
✘ Experts
✓ Victims’ families and friends

Latest Posts

Show: The Wonderland Murders

Murder cases in Portland, Oregon

About The Wonderland Murders

Portland isn’t all wacky characters, hipsters, and vegans. Some Portlanders are killers, and The Wonderland Murders shares this shadowy side of the city.

The true crime show tells the stories of these killers and their victims, delving into homicide cases in Portland, Oregon, and surrounding areas. It has re-creations that cast the city in a dark gloom to match its rainy weather, and some episodes feature the same detectives talking about the different cases they have solved, often showing their deft interrogations. 

The Wonderland Murders illustrates how, like other cities and towns across the US, Portland is not immune to murder either. 

True crime shows

The Show Elements

Seasons: 2 (2018-2020)

Where to stream: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Discovery+

More shows like The Wonderland Murders: Atlanta Justice, City Confidential, City of Angels: City of Death, Dark Nights in the City, Homicide City: Charlotte, Homicide Squad: Atlanta, The Lake Erie Murders, Las Vegas Law, Lone Star Justice, Murder in the Wicked West, Murder Nation: Blood on the Bayou, Murder Nation: Jersey Gore, New York Homicide, The Real Murders of Atlanta, The Real Murders of Orange County, Sin City Justice, Valley of the Damned

See also this list of true crime shows

✓ Police interviews
✘ Trial clips
✓ Narration
✓ Re-creations
✘ Experts
✓ Victims’ families and friends

Latest Posts

Show: I Killed My BFF

Friendships turn deadly

About I Killed My BFF

Think you have frenemies? Not in comparison to the stories in this true crime show. In I Killed My BFF, besties descend into murder, and become besties no more. Instead, they become murder victim and killer.

I Killed My BFF uses re-created voiceovers to tell the story of one best friend killing another. Actors playing two best friends tell a scripted story about a murder between them, sometimes involving additional people in their circle.

Episodes begin with the inception of their friendship and reimagine what the friends might be thinking during the course of their friendship, all the way up to the murder. Their friends and families add to the story, along with detectives investigating the case.

You know there’s a homicide coming, but you won’t know who the victim is until close to the end of the episode.

True crime shows

The Show Elements

Seasons: 3 (2012-2014)

Where to stream: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video

More shows like I Killed My BFF: Mean Girl Murders, Frenemies: Loyalty Turned Lethal, Murder Among Friends

See also this list of true crime shows

✓ Police interviews
✘ Trial clips
✓ Narration
✓ Re-creations
✘ Experts
✓ Victims’ families and friends

Latest Posts

Show: Southern Fried Homicide

Southern murder cases with Southern flair

About Southern Fried Homicide

Take a narrator with a generic Southern accent, add a few Southern turns of phrases, mix in some homicide cases, and you get Southern Fried Homicide.

This charming little true crime show features cases that all took place in the South, and it isn’t as intense as some other shows, even though some of the cases are quite shocking. It includes some serial killers and a lot of cases covered on other series.

The Southern-tinged narration is accompanied by re-creations, commentary by detectives and victims’ loved ones, and some police interviews. From poisonings, to murder-for-hire, to jealousy and greed-based cases, episodes will have you vigorously fanning your face and saying, “Oh my!”

True crime shows

The Show Elements

Seasons: 3 (2013-2016)

Where to stream: Tubi, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video, Max, Discovery+

More shows like Southern Fried Homicide: Sins of the South, Homicide City: Charlotte, Homicide Squad: Atlanta, Murder Nation: Blood on the Bayou, The Real Murders of Atlanta, Serial Killer Capital: Baton Rouge, Southern Gothic

See also this list of true crime shows

✓ Police interviews
✘ Trial clips
✓ Narration
✓ Re-creations
✘ Experts
✓ Victims’ families and friends

Latest Posts

Show: Evil Kin

Murder is all in the family in this true crime show

About Evil Kin

Evil Kin tells creepy tales of murder cases involving relatives who not only commit murder against (or with) each other but perpetrate other evil deeds along with the homicides, such as bank robbery, incest, and sexual and physical abuse.

The stories slant a bit creepier than most other true crime shows, and the re-creations paint a chilling and disturbing portrait of the crimes and families.

Sometimes multiple relatives kill together, other times one relative kills another, and psychologists weigh in on the motivations behind the crimes, as detectives and others tell the stories. The show includes historical cases like the Bloody Benders and the Harpe brothers, the first American serial killers.

True crime shows

The Show Elements

Seasons: 4 (2013-2017)

Where to stream: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Discovery+

More shows like Evil Kin: Blood Relatives, Evil Stepmothers, Evil-in-Law, Fathers Who Kill, Killer in the Family, Twisted Sisters, Vengeance: Killer Families, Killer Siblings

See also this list of true crime shows

✓ Police interviews
✘ Trial clips
✓ Narration
✓ Re-creations
✘ Experts
✓ Victims’ families and friends

Latest Posts

Show: Accused: Guilty or Innocent?

Defendants present their side of criminal cases

About Accused: Guilty or Innocent?

Unlike most other true crime shows, Accused: Guilty or Innocent? takes the defense perspective. 

It follows the stories of those accused of serious crimes (including murder, but also child abuse, assault, attempted murder, and other offenses), demonstrating how the defense prepares for the trial as the attorneys and defendant go through the evidence, talk to witnesses, and reenact the crime. 

Besides presenting the story from the defense point of view, this true crime show illustrates how criminal cases are complex and how their defendants are not always as obviously guilty as detailed on other shows. 

It will tug at your heartstrings as it shows defendants as ordinary people facing the worst moments of their lives. Episodes follow them with their lawyers, at home, with their families, and going about their daily lives.  But you won’t hear from the victim or their loved ones, and this leaves a gap in truly understanding the case.

Not all shows have trials; sometimes the prosecutors offer a plea deal or drop the charges, demonstrating the behind-the-scenes elements of criminal prosecution. Recommended.

True crime shows

The Show Elements

Seasons: 4 (2020-)

Where to stream: Hulu, The Roku Channel, Discovery+

More shows like Accused: Guilty or Innocent?: Taking the Stand, Trial File, American Justice

See also this list of true crime shows

✓ Police interviews
✓ Trial clips
✘ Narration
✘ Re-creations
✘ Experts
✘ Victims’ families and friends

Latest Posts

Show: Murder Comes Home

Homicide cases featuring home video and crime scene video

Murder Comes Home

About Murder Comes Home

Home. The place where you feel the safest. But Murder Comes Home will make you question that.

It features homicides that occurred in people’s homes, as told by detectives, victims’ loved ones, and others. Their stories and case re-creations are interspersed with home video of the victim and their families before the murder occurred, as well as video of the crime scenes as the detectives survey them upon first entering the home.

Just six episodes, this true crime show doesn’t follow the stereotypical narrative that the murderer is the closest person to the victim. It will have you guessing the identity of the real killer until the end.

True crime shows

The Show Elements

Seasons: 1 (2020-)

Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Tubi, Discovery+

More shows like Murder Comes Home: Home Alone, Home Sweet Homicide, Hometown Homicide, Murder at My Door, A Stranger in My Home

See also this list of true crime shows

✓ Police interviews
✘ Trial clips
✓ Narration
✓ Re-creations
✘ Experts
✓ Victims’ families and friends

Latest Posts

Show: Killer Cases

Recent murder cases and their trials take center stage in this true crime show

About Killer Cases

Killer Cases is a fast-paced and compelling true crime show that details the stories of recent or recently solved murder cases, with an emphasis on their trials.

It features well-known cases like the murders of Conrad Roy, Lorenzen Wright, Mollie Tibbetts, Dee Dee Blanchard, and many others covered on other shows. But the show’s storytelling and focus on trials makes these cases worth a second watch. 

Episodes zoom through the details of each case (revealing the killer fairly early on) so that they can get to the trial clips, which take up about half of the episode. Trials are featured in all episodes, and many include police interviews. Recommended.

True crime shows

The Show Elements

Seasons: 3 (2020-)

Where to stream: Peacock, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video

More shows like Killer Cases: Taking the Stand, Accused: Guilty or Innocent?, Trial File, American Justice

See also this list of true crime shows

✓ Police interviews
✓ Trial clips
✓ Narration
✘ Re-creations
✘ Experts
✓ Victims’ families and friends

Latest Posts