True crime TV shows are having another major moment thanks to Netflix’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story, and honestly, the streaming landscape is packed with equally disturbing content for viewers who can’t get enough of serial killer psychology. Ryan Murphy’s latest anthology has viewers craving more twisted tales of real-world monsters.
Happy Face Horrors
Happy Face on Paramount+ deserves top billing among current true crime TV shows. Annaleigh Ashford stars as Reed, a makeup artist forced to confront her imprisoned father Keith Hunter Jesperson – the Happy Face Killer who signed his anonymous confessions with smiley faces. Dennis Quaid plays the serial killer dad with chilling authenticity.
The series explores how families cope when they discover their loved one is a monster. Reed’s struggle to reconcile childhood memories with horrific reality mirrors what many serial killer families experience. The show’s 2025 release timing perfectly complements the Ed Gein narrative about family dysfunction creating killers.
Staircase Mystery
The Staircase (2022) brought the Michael Peterson case back into focus with Colin Firth’s powerhouse performance. The HBO Max limited series dramatizes the controversial death of Kathleen Peterson, whose husband claimed she fell down stairs. The real story involves alleged owl attacks, bisexual affairs, and a German death with eerie similarities.
Toni Collette plays Kathleen in flashbacks while the series jumps between timelines showing Peterson’s trials, appeals, and eventual Alford plea. The documentary-style storytelling questions whether Peterson murdered his wife or if the death was genuinely accidental.
Plainville Tragedy
The Girl From Plainville starring Elle Fanning tackles the texting suicide case that shocked America. Fanning plays Michelle Carter, who encouraged her boyfriend Conrad Roy III to kill himself through thousands of text messages. The Hulu series examines how digital communication enables psychological manipulation.
The show explores teenage mental health, toxic relationships, and legal questions about digital culpability. Fanning’s performance captures Carter’s complex psychology without excusing her behavior. The true crime TV shows trend toward younger perpetrators reflects changing criminal patterns.
Dahmer’s Legacy
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story remains Netflix’s biggest true crime hit, with Evan Peters’ haunting portrayal earning critical acclaim. The series sparked controversy for potentially glorifying Dahmer while claiming to center victim stories. Families of real victims criticized the show’s approach.
The success led directly to Monster: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which focuses on the brothers who killed their wealthy parents. These anthology entries prove audiences crave serial killer content despite ethical concerns about exploitation.
Documentary
I Am a Killer continues examining death row inmates through interviews and reenactments. The Netflix series lets condemned killers tell their stories, often revealing complex backgrounds involving abuse, mental illness, and societal failures. Each episode focuses on one case with extensive victim family input.
Conversations with a Killer franchise includes Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, and Jeffrey Dahmer entries. These documentary series use archival footage, audio recordings, and expert interviews to examine famous serial killers without dramatic recreation.
International Cases
Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes explores Dennis Nilsen, Britain’s most notorious serial killer. The Netflix documentary uses Nilsen’s own prison recordings to examine his crimes and psychology. The approach mirrors Ed Gein’s case in showing how seemingly ordinary people become monsters.
Crime Scene anthology covers famous cases like Cecil Hotel and Times Square Killer. These Netflix documentaries examine locations where horrific crimes occurred, showing how places become synonymous with evil.
Current Streaming: Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Paramount+
Genre Focus: Serial killers, family dysfunction, psychological analysis
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