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True Crime Movies on Netflix

Netflix's Collection of True-Crime Movies Will Give You Thrills, Chills, and Paranoia

Do you have a fever that can only be cured by more high-intensity court scenes? Or a craving for the sound of jail doors closing? In other words, is your true-crime addiction at an all-time high? If so, we, and Netflix, are here for you. Out of all of the new and exciting content on the streaming service, its criminal thrillers based on true stories are some of the most worthwhile. From the Oscar-winning Spotlight to a campy take on the Lizzie Borden story, we've rounded up everything you need for a true-crime binge. And hey, once you're done, don't forget about Netflix's awesome selection of documentaries!

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1. Changeling

Clint Eastwood's 2008 drama follows the seemingly unbelievable, and unbelievably painful, true story about Christine Collins. In 1928, Christine (Angelina Jolie) discovers that her son is missing and reports the disappearance to the police. Five months later, the cops tell her they've miraculously found him, but to her horror, they deliver a stranger and then attempt to convince her that he is indeed her missing boy. John Malkovich costars as a clergyman who helps Christine with her plight.

Watch it now.

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2. Unspeakable Acts

In this 1990 made-for-TV movie, a husband-and-wife team of child psychologists from the University of Miami are sent to investigate a series of horrendous acts of sexual abuse at Country Walk Day Care Centre in 1984. The movie was made a few years after the high-profile case against Frank Fuster and Ileana Fuster, who ran the day care, went to trial.

Watch it now.

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3. Lizzie Borden Took an Ax

Lifetime's TV movie stars Christina Ricci as Lizzie Borden, who was convicted of axing her father and stepmother to death in 1892.

Watch it now.

4. Bonnie & Clyde

In the mood for a slick, glamorous, and bloody thrill ride? Bonnie & Clyde from 2013 details the romance between infamous outlaws Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (Holliday Grainger) and Clyde Chestnut Barrow (aka Clyde Champion Barrow, portrayed by Emile Hirsch).

Watch it now.

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5. Quiz Show

TV quiz shows were one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the 1950s, until a lawyer began a shocking investigation into how they run and eventually discovered that they were rigged. That's the story in this Robert Redford-directed drama about the real-life quiz show scandal, which stars the fantastic John Turturro.

Watch it now.

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6. Devil's Knot

Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth star in the adaptation of Mara Leveritt's 2002 book, which details the case of the West Memphis Three, three teens who were convicted of murdering three young boys at the height of America's fascination with and panic over Satanic rituals.

Watch it now.

7. Next Time I'll Aim For the Heart

Cédric Anger's 2014 flick brings the story of Alain Lamare, a French policeman who murdered so many people in the 1970s he became known as the "crazy killer of the Oise," to the big screen.

Watch it now.

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8. Perfect Sisters

Perfect Sisters stars Abigail Breslin and Georgie Henley as teenage sisters who decide the only way to deal with their mother's alcoholism and abusive boyfriend is to remove her from their lives for good. The story is loosely based on the Bathtub Girls matricide case in Canada, where a pair of sisters killed their mom in 2003 by giving her booze and Tylenol before drowning her in their bathtub.

Watch it now.

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9. The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies

This award-winning drama gives audiences an interesting look into the life of retired schoolteacher Christopher Jefferies (Jason Watkins), who was viciously demonized by the media when police suspected he murdered Jo Yeates in 2010.

Watch it now.

10. Spotlight

This fantastic film, directed by Tom McCarthy, sheds a spotlight (if you will) on the massive scandal that erupted after The Boston Globe discovered a series of habitual sexual abuse cases throughout the Catholic Church.

Watch it now.

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11. Big Eyes

Big Eyes tells the true story of Margaret Keane (Amy Adams), one of the most talented artists of the 1960s, who had her work stolen by her husband, Walter (Christoph Waltz).

Watch it now.

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