Anyone who's obsessed with the true-crime genre knows that behind every crime is a backstory, and the more details that emerge, the more compelling it becomes. From cold cases being reopened due to advances in forensic science to widely publicized ones with televised hearings, HBO Max's true-crime documentaries feature some of the most chilling and sinister cases that'll give your brain something to chew on from start to finish. No matter how infuriating or satisfying the final court decision, one thing's for sure, and that's how fascinating it is to unpack the reasons behind such unthinkable acts and what drove these people to commit them. If you're ready to experience a roller coaster of emotions, head to HBO Max to stream these 15 true-crime documentaries [1].
Valentine Road
In February 2008, openly gay Lawrence King asked his classmate Brandon McInerney to be his valentine. A day later, he was shot and killed. Valentine Road delves deeper into the trial following the incident as well as the homophobic portrayal of King by the media.
Watch Valentine Road on HBO Max [2].
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst
Real-estate mogul Robert Dust committed first-degree murder three times — or did he? The Jinx is a jaw-dropping documentary about the freedom money can buy you. If you don't know anything about it, don't google! Just start watching.
Watch The Jinx on HBO Max [3].
The Case Against Adnan Syed
What happened on Jan. 13, 1999, when 18-year-old high-school student Hae Min Lee went missing? The Case Against Adnan Syed accounts the events from Lee's disappearance to her murder, leading up to the conviction of her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed. (And yes, this is the case from Serial.)
Watch The Case Against Adnan Syed on HBO Max [4].
Who Killed Garrett Phillips?
We may never know who really killed 12-year-old Garrett Phillips in 2011, but this documentary seeks to answer who it could've been. Through a full-blown police investigation, the trial of football coach Oral "Nick" Hillary, and clues surfacing years after the murder, the truth still remains a mystery.
Watch Who Killed Garrett Phillips? on HBO Max [5].
Beware the Slenderman
In tribute to internet legend "Slenderman," two 12-year-old girls lured their classmate into the woods with the intent to murder her . . . but landed themselves behind bars instead.
Watch Beware the Slenderman on HBO Max [6].
The Iceman Tapes: Conversations With a Killer
Mafia hitman Richard "The Iceman" Kuklinski breaks his silence as he sits down for a candid and disturbing interview that highlights his gruesome past as the head enforcer of the Gambino crime family.
Watch The Iceman Tapes on HBO Max [7].
Behind Closed Doors
Behind Closed Doors closely examines the mysterious double murder of Aarushi Talwar and her family's servant Hemraj Banjade. Through a series of interviews with local police, the family of the victims, journalists, and the legal team, this two-part documentary highlights how class discrimination and bias left the case unsolved for decades.
Watch Behind Closed Doors on HBO Max [8].
Mommy Dead and Dearest
The story that inspired the miniseries The Act, this documentary details the startling case of Munchausen syndrome by proxy [9] involving Gypsy Rose Blanchard and the abusive circumstances that led her to murder her mother, Dee Dee.
Watch Mommy Dead and Dearest on HBO Max [10]
There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane
There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane reinvestigates Diane Schuler and the 2009 Taconic State Parkway car crash, an incident that was initially believed to be an accidental tragedy but was ultimately deemed a mysterious homicide. This one will stick with you.
Watch There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane on HBO Max [11].
Thought Crimes: The Case of the Cannibal Cop
Did Officer Gilberto Valle deserve life in prison for fantasizing about cannibalism? This documentary seeks to answer how the former NYPD cop's "thought crimes" turned into a conviction.
Watch Thought Crimes on HBO Max [12].
At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal
By presenting an inside look at the Larry Nassar sexual-abuse case, this documentary chronicles the lives of the women affected by USA gymnastics' most disturbing scandal.
Watch At the Heart of Gold on HBO Max [13].
I Love You, Now Die
I Love You, Now Die covers the widely publicized and controversial "texting suicide case," in which 17-year-old Michelle Carter encouraged her boyfriend, Conrad Henri Roy III, to die by suicide over text and was subsequently convicted of manslaughter.
Watch I Love You, Now Die on HBO Max [14].
Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children
Atlanta's Missing and Murdered tells the story of 30 Black children who went missing or were presumed dead between 1979 and 1981 in Atlanta. Using a combination of present-day and previously archived footage, this five-part documentary addresses the child murders and police brutality that predated the Black Lives Matter movement.
Watch Atlanta's Missing and Murdered on HBO Max [15].
The Cheshire Murders
This HBO Original offers an in-depth exploration of the 2007 triple murder of the Petit family, a chilling and heartbreaking case known as one of the worst crimes in Connecticut history and the cause of the state's delayed death-penalty abolition.
Watch The Cheshire Murders on HBO Max [16].
Capturing the Friedmans
When the US Postal Service intercepted a delivery of child pornography to Arnold Friedman's home in 1987, officials uncovered a disturbing family secret that is well-documented in this investigative film. This 2003 documentary, nominated for an Oscar, is immensely disturbing.
Watch Capturing the Friedmans on HBO Max [17].
