We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us the wildest documentaries they’ve ever watched. Here are the shocking, unhinged, and must-see results.
🚨 A lot of the documentaries below involve true crime and murder, so some of the topics may be extra disturbing. 🚨
1.
The Perfect Neighbor (2025)
What it’s about: Holyyyyyy crapppppp. Told almost entirely through police bodycam footage, 911 calls, and interrogation videos, this documentary explores the truly wild feud between one woman and her entire Florida neighborhood. After constant complaints and confrontations, the escalating conflict unfortunately led to the 2023 shooting of a Black mother named Ajike Owens. This real-life horror movie, which was nominated for Best Documentary at the 2026 Oscars, will genuinely leave you speechless.
2.
John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise (2021)
What it’s about: John Wayne Gacy, also known as “the Killer Clown,” was convicted of 33 counts of murder in 1980. He sexually assaulted, tortured, and killed his victims — all of whom were teenage boys or young men — within a six-year period in the ’70s. This six-part documentary series explores Gacy’s double life, including new interviews with the people who knew him best and the ones who worked to convict him.
3.
The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann (2019)
What it’s about: In 2007, 3-year-old Madeleine McCann vanished during a family vacation at a resort in Portugal. Her parents were at a restaurant with friends and had left Madeleine and her two siblings back in the room, sleeping. They checked on the children throughout the night, and that’s when they realized something was wrong: Madeleine was gone. Over the next few weeks, several damning accusations were made, stories stopped matching up, and even the head of the investigative unit was under investigation. Madeleine became the most high-profile missing child in the entire world, and this documentary series will show you why.
4.
God Knows Where I Am (2016)
What it’s about: This intriguing documentary is told from the perspective and own words of Linda Bishop, a woman experiencing homelessness who journaled during the final months of her life while living off apples and rainwater in an abandoned house. Her diary entries are engrossing and strange but also beautiful and funny, and they’re juxtaposed with real-life interviews from family members and people who worked on her case. This documentary will make you question how you look at death, loneliness, homelessness, and mental illness.
5.
The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez (2020)
What it’s about: This six-part documentary series explores the murder of Gabriel Fernandez, an 8-year-old boy who had been abused by his parents for months before being beaten so badly that he died. The events were so disturbing that producers had an on-call therapist available for staff throughout the two-year period when they were making this series.
6.
Last Breath (2019)
What it’s about: Open water is scary. It’s even scarier when you’re trapped 100 meters (about 328 feet) below the surface, with no heat or light. That’s exactly what happened to Chris Lemons in 2012. He was working on a ship, doing repairs at the bottom of the North Sea, when harsh weather caused the vessel to drift off and break his breathing cable. This gripping documentary uses interviews and security footage from the ship to retell the events of that day. It’ll leave you gasping for air.
7.
Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (2003)
What it’s about: This documentary follows the filmmaker as he attempts to interview Aileen Wuornos, who was dubbed the world’s first woman serial killer. Wuornos murdered seven men between the years 1989 and 1990 (Charlize Theron won an Oscar for portraying her in the movie Monster). This documentary was even used by the defense in Wuornos’s trial in 2001.
8.
Three Identical Strangers (2018)
What it’s about: This real-life Sister, Sister episode will immediately warm your heart, but then it’ll tear it to pieces. The documentary starts with Bobby Shafran, who, after leaving for college in the 1980s, finds out he’s an identical twin. Then things get even weirder. After their picture gets posted in the paper, a third guy comes forward, and they realize they’re actually triplets. After questioning ~why~ they were split up in the first place, their families discover that they were unknowingly part of a government-sponsored study. I won’t spoil anything else for you, but just know that this movie will make you feel completely uneasy.
9.
Abducted in Plain Sight (2017)
What it’s about: In the 1970s, a 12-year-old girl from Idaho was kidnapped by her family’s neighbor and best friend…twice. There are so many twists and turns in this movie, including a love affair with the girl’s parents and her kidnapper, so, yeah, just watch it.
10.
Haunters: The Art of the Scare (2017)
What it’s about: Haunted houses are thrilling. One second they’re making you laugh, and the next they’re giving you nightmares. Some people make it their life’s mission to take them even further with “extreme horror simulations.” This fun yet terrifying documentary gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the scariest haunted houses in the world, as well as the people who create them. It’ll make you feel a litttttttle uneasy, that’s for sure.
11.
There’s Something Wrong With Aunt Diane (2011)
What it’s about: In 2009, Diane Schuler was driving 85 mph on the highway in the wrong direction when she collided with another car. Eight people were killed, including Schuler, her daughter, and three of her nieces. The medical report revealed that Schuler was heavily intoxicated at the time of the crash, but her husband insisted that she would never drink excessively. This documentary retells the events leading up to the 2009 crash and tries to uncover what really happened.
12.
Born to Kill? Richard Trenton Chase: The Vampire of Sacramento (2010)
What it’s about: Richard Chase killed six people within a single month in the late 1970s. One of his victims was a pregnant woman whom he killed during a home break-in, and then he had sex with her corpse. When police searched Chase’s apartment, they found that “the walls, floor, ceiling, refrigerator, and all of Chase’s eating and drinking utensils were soaked in blood.” This documentary retells those events and includes interviews with the people who worked the case.
13.
The Woman Who Wasn’t There (2012)
What it’s about: Alicia Esteve Head was on the 78th floor of the World Trade Center during the attacks on 9/11. She had gripping testimony about surviving the attack and even revealed that her fiancé died in the other tower. Later on, she became the president of the World Trade Center Survivors’ Network support group. But there was one problem: Head wasn’t actually in either of the buildings on the day of the attacks. In fact, she wasn’t even in the country — she was at school in Barcelona. So who was Alicia Esteve Head? I guess you’ll have to watch the documentary to find out.
14.
Holy Hell (2016)
What it’s about: Will Allen loved making movies as a child. When he got older, he joined Hollywood’s Buddhafield cult and continued to record his life through home videos, even becoming the cult’s official videographer. This documentary uses real-life footage and interviews that Allen actually shot during his 22 years in Buddhafield, ultimately uncovering the downward spiral of the group and an onslaught of paranoia.
15.
Evil Genius (2018)
What it’s about: Brian Wells, a pizza delivery driver in Pennsylvania, robbed a bank with a bomb strapped around his neck in 2003. He claimed he was being forced to commit the heist and if he didn’t follow through, the real criminals would detonate the bomb. This true crime documentary series follows the investigation into the “pizza bomber” case and aims to figure out whether Wells was indeed a victim of the crime or a conspirator.
16.
Team Foxcatcher (2016)
What it’s about: John du Pont was a multimillionaire who built a training facility for the US Olympic wrestling team. He became obsessed and paranoid with one wrestler in particular: Dave Schultz. This chilling documentary uses interviews and never-before-seen footage to showcase the downfall of du Pont, who ultimately murdered Schultz. You might remember this story from the 2014 crime drama Foxcatcher, in which Steve Carell (as du Pont) and Mark Ruffalo (as Dave) both received Oscar nominations for portraying the two men.
17.
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (2015)
What it’s about: Robert Durst, a New York real estate heir from a family worth billions, was accused of murdering three people. This six-part documentary series looks into the 1982 disappearance of his first wife, Kathie McCormack, and the events that followed. Against his lawyer’s wishes, Durst sat for hours of interviews with the filmmakers, a lot of which is included in this miniseries, making everything all the more chilling. You’ll want to watch this to see how it all unfolded.
18.
The Family I Had (2017)
What it’s about: A 13-year-old boy and his 4-year-old sister were at home with a babysitter in 2007 when the boy killed his little sister by strangling her and stabbing her 17 times. This documentary follows their mother as she tries to piece together how everything unfolded and what the consequences for her son — whom she still loves — should be.
19.
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
What it’s about: This documentary is a punch straight to the gut. It was originally created to be a love letter to Andrew Bagby, who was murdered in 2011 by his ex-girlfriend Shirley Jane Turner. Soon after, Turner revealed she was pregnant with Bagby’s son. This cinematic scrapbook ultimately turned into a gripping true crime documentary that will stick with you for years. (This was by far the documentary most suggested by our readers, so you should definitely check it out.)
20.
The Cannibal That Walked Free (2007)
What it’s about: Issei Sagawa shot and killed a woman in his apartment. He believed he would be able to absorb her beauty if he ate her, so he ate different parts of her body over a two-day period. He also had sex with her corpse and later tried to dispose of the leftovers in a lake in France, where he lived. He awaited trial for two years and was declared insane, and the charges against him were dropped. He was deported to Japan, where he couldn’t be legally detained, and over time he became a mini celebrity. He remains free to this day. This short documentary follows alllll of those wild events.
21.
Blackfish (2013)
What it’s about: This disturbing documentary follows the story of Tilikum, an orca at SeaWorld who killed three people. The movie exposes the shocking truth and controversy behind keeping animals in captivity, and it takes a close look at what happens to the orcas and their families when they’re separated by these water parks.
22.
BTK: A Killer Among Us (2019)
What it’s about: For 31 years, Dennis Rader (aka the BTK Killer, meaning “blind, torture, kill”) was able to live a double life. He murdered 10 people in secret and for years sent detailed letters to the police and reporters about the crimes. This documentary chronicles comprehensive interviews with law enforcement, the victims’ family members, reporters, and even his daughter, Kerri Rawson.
23.
Tabloid (2010)
What it’s about: “Girl meets boy. Girl and boy fall in love. Boy is Mormon, girl is not. Boy is sent on his mission to London and doesn’t tell girl. Aaaaand girl hires private investigator to find him, goes to London, kidnaps him outside where he’s staying, holds him hostage in a house she’s rented, and plays house with him. After he escapes, there’s a trial and all kinds of weird stuff. It may not be a forensic-filled, gritty investigative documentary, but hot damn.”
24.
Monster in My Family: Happy Face Killer (2015)
What’s it’s about: Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be the child of a serial killer? This documentary follows Melissa Moore, daughter of Keith Hunter Jesperson (otherwise known as the Happy Face Killer), on her path of self-discovery after learning that her father was a murderer. In fact, this entire story was so wild that it was literally turned into a 2025 TV show called Happy Face, which starred Annaleigh Ashford as Melissa and Dennis Quaid as Keith.
25.
Who Took Johnny (2014)
What it’s about: Johnny Gosch was 12 years old when he disappeared without a trace in Iowa in 1982, presumably kidnapped while on his paper route. His face was among the first to be featured on a milk carton. This documentary follows his mother’s pursuit to discover what really happened to her son. It’s chilling.
26.
Conversations With a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes (2019)
What it’s about: Most people already know the story of Ted Bundy, but this four-part documentary series takes you inside the mind of one of America’s most infamous serial killers. It also features interviews with him on death row, which are especially chilling.
27.
Manson (1973)
What it’s about: This documentary does a deep dive into Charles Manson and his “family.” It includes interviews with some of the cult members (like Squeaky Fromme and Sandra Good) and old, real-life footage of everyone at their hideouts. The movie was nominated for Best Documentary at the Academy Awards.
28.
The Witness (2015)
What it’s about: Kitty Genovese was stabbed, raped, and murdered by a man outside her apartment building in March 1964. It was reported that 38 people watched the attack unfold, yet no one intervened. This documentary follows Kitty’s brother as he tries to uncover the truth behind what happened. Kitty’s murder is also a major reason the US adopted the 911 system because “up until the late 1960s, there was no centralized number for people to call in case of an emergency.”
29.
Missing 411 (2016)
What it’s about: It’s scary to think about, but people disappear without a trace in national parks every year in North America. This documentary dives into the similarities between five different people who went missing over multiple decades.
30.
This Is the Zodiac Speaking (2008)
What it’s about: Anyone who loves true crime already knows the basics about the Zodiac Killer, a serial killer in California who’s suuuuper scary to think about, since we STILL don’t know who committed the crimes over 50 years ago. This chilling documentary closely examines the Zodiac investigation and interviews people who actually worked on the case, as well as the two victims who survived his attacks.
31.
Child of Rage: A Story of Abuse (1990)
What it’s about: Beth Thomas was a 6-year-old with reactive attachment disorder, due in large part to the abuse she experienced. This short, bone-chilling documentary includes actual interviews with Beth as she calmly recounts what she’d like to do to her new, adoptive family: kill them.
32.
The Pig Farm (2011)
What it’s about: This award-winning documentary explores the crimes of Robert Pickton, a serial killer who murdered six women over a span of nearly 20 years. This documentary investigates why it took so long to capture and convict Canada’s most prolific serial killer and includes troubling revelations about who knew what and when.
33.
The Imposter (2012)
What it’s about: Nicholas Barclay was 13 years old when he disappeared in 1994. Three years later, he returned home. Well, Frédéric Bourdin returned home. Bourdin was pretending to be Barclay and literally lived with the Barclay family for six months before anyone figured out that he wasn’t who he said he was. This documentary tries to uncover how and why that happened.
34.
The Bridge (2006)
What it’s about: In 2003, during the filming of this documentary, the Golden Gate Bridge was the world’s most popular suicide site. This disturbing movie captured several people jumping in real time, and it even interviewed friends and family members of some of the people who killed themselves. Fair warning: This documentary is especially disturbing.
And finally…
35.
Jesus Camp (2006)
What it’s about: This Oscar-nominated documentary follows three children in particular at an evangelical Christian camp who are told that they have “prophetic gifts” and can “take back America for Christ.” Among other things, the children are taught that Harry Potter is a “gateway to joining the occult,” homosexuality is a sin, and they need to be “pure” to join the army of God.
Do you know of an even wilder or messed-up documentary? Feel free to tell us all about it in the comments below or via this anonymous form.
