The 17 best true crime shows on Hulu to watch now

The Act (2019)

You're likely familiar with the name Gypsy Rose, the notorious ex-convict who has consistently made headlines ever since her early release from prison in December 2023. Spanning eight episodes, The Act recounts the events leading up to the murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard (Patricia Arquette), in 2015, a case intertwined with allegations of abuse and factitious disorder.

While the series captures the suffocating atmosphere Gypsy endured under her mother's care — who made her daughter believe she had cancer, among other illnesses and disabilities — what stands out are the performances by Arquette (who won a Golden Globe for the role) and Joey King, who told EW, “Transforming into Gypsy was one of the most challenging but most rewarding things I’ve ever done." —James Mercadante

Where to watch The Act: Hulu

Cast: Patricia Arquette, Joey King, AnnaSophia Robb, Chloë Sevigny, Calum Worthy

American Crime Story (2016–present)

Ryan Murphy, the producer behind eclectic TV hits like Glee and American Horror Story, expanded his ever-evolving repertoire when tackling the true crime genre. Winning countless Emmys and two Golden Globes for Best Miniseries or Television Film in 2017 and 2019, FX's anthology series American Crime Story dives into infamous historical transgressions ingrained in the American psyche.

Season 1 (by far the best installment) centers on the O.J. Simpson murder trial — lauded by EW's critic as "a meticulously crafted, powerfully resonant docudrama that crackles with timely issues — while season 2 covers the 1997 murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace, and season 3 shifts focus to the late-'90s presidential sex scandal involving Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. —J.M.

Where to watch American Crime Story: Hulu

EW grade: A (read the review)

Cast: Sarah Paulson, Annaleigh Ashford, Sterling K. Brown, Cuba Gooding Jr., Darren Criss, Beanie Feldstein, Clive Owen, Edie Falco

BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime (2016–2019)

Perfectly combining the intimacy of YouTube with the well-researched investigative methods of long-time detectives, cohosts Shane Madej and Ryan Bergara have cleverly crafted BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime to be a chilling yet humorous ride. For eight seasons, the duo covers well-known cases (think JonBenét Ramsey, Tupac Shakur, and the Watcher) and more niche topics (the Somerton Man, and Bella in the Wych Elm), all the while providing on-scene sleuthing and in-studio commentary. —Kayla Mroch

Where to watch BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime: Hulu

Cast: Shane Madej, Ryan Bergara

Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story (2022)

In 1972, 7-year-old Steven Stayner's captor stripped him of his identity, subjected him to years of abuse, and claimed his parents abandoned him. After nearly eight years, the kidnapper brought home another young abductee named Timmy White. Realizing Timmy's plight, Steven hitchhiked across California to return the boy to his family, only to be reunited with his long-lost loved ones in the process.

As Steven's story sparked the "stranger danger" warnings across the nation and inspired I Know My First Name Is Steven (NBC's 1989 miniseries), Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story shows how his return wasn't the only shocking revelation the Stayner family had to face. —K.M.

Where to watch Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story: Hulu

Director: Jessica Dimmock

Cold Case Files (1999–2002; 2006; 2017; 2021–present)

There’s something extra fascinating about cold cases, if only because of the mystery factor. Cold Case File profiles unsolved murders from the past, with investigators using modern forensic technology and an understanding of criminal psychology to hopefully provide answers to old questions. Garnering multiple Primetime Emmy nominations, Cold Case Files aired its first run from 1999 to 2002, with A&E briefly reviving the docuseries in 2006, 2017, and 2021 (with new episodes continuing to air on Hulu). —Kevin Jacobsen

Where to watch Cold Case Files: Hulu

Cast: Bill Kurtis

Daughters of the Cult (2024)

Ervil LeBaron, also known as the "Mormon Manson," sowed tremendous discord while leading the polygamist Church of the First Born Lamb of God. However, ABC News Studios' Daughters Daughters of the Cult shifts focus to those most deeply affected: his children (of which he had more than 50).

Directed by Sarah Mast, the five-episode docuseries exposes the inner workings of the religious sect, where members carried out mass murders at the behest of their fanatical prophet to target rivals and even LeBaron's own kin. Suffering horrors throughout most of their upbringing, the surviving daughters now step forward to share their experiences with their father and find solace in their sisterhood as they recover. —J.M.

Where to watch Daughters of the Cult: Hulu

Director: Sarah Mast

The First 48 (2004–present)

In the aftermath of a murder, the initial 48 hours hold the key to unlocking vital evidence before it fades into oblivion and potentially allows a perpetrator to slip through the cracks. For two decades, this edifying A&E docuseries has been lifting the veil of investigative work during that critical time frame.

Across various cities and crime scenes, each episode follows seasoned and greenhorn sleuths as they spend the first two days post-homicide deploying a myriad of forensic tactics, witness interrogations, and other innovative methodologies to reveal the faces behind the acts.  —J.M.

Where to watch The First 48: Hulu

Cast: Dion Graham, Nathan Schilling, Jason White, Dave Walker

I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter (2019)

Is it a crime to encourage suicide? When 18-year-old Conrad Roy killed himself in his car in Fairhaven, Mass., police found hundreds of text messages from his girlfriend, Michelle Carter, who encouraged his act, sparking a national debate.

This riveting two-part docuseries preceded the fictional take seen in The Girl From Plainville, taking an unprejudiced and empathetic approach when exploring the complex case, presenting all the facts without vilifying one individual. I Love You, Now Die delves deep into the issues surrounding mental health, the ever-changing digital landscape, and how we communicate in a technology-dominated world. —J.M.

Where to watch I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter: Hulu

Director: Erin Lee Carter

The Most Dangerous Animal of All (2020)

Based on Gary L. Stewart and Susan Mustafa's eponymous book, this four-part docuseries offers a fresh take on the never-ending hunt for the elusive Zodiac Killer. The Most Dangerous Animal of All chronicles Stewart's quest for answers about his biological parents. After reconnecting with the mother who was forced to give him up at birth, Stewart relentlessly begins searching for his dad, a man he only knows by name, Earl Van Best Jr. However, it isn’t long before Stewart’s research leads him to a deeply unsettling theory: Could his father have been the Zodiac Killer? —K.M.

Where to watch The Most Dangerous Animal of All: Hulu

Director: Kief Davidson

The Murder of Laci Peterson (2017)

Months after Laci Peterson and her unborn child were tragically found dead in the San Francisco Bay, her husband Scott ultimately faced a murder conviction and a death sentence, despite the absence of forensic evidence or eyewitnesses.

Timed with the 15th anniversary of Laci's disappearance on Christmas Eve 2002, A&E's six-part docuseries reopens the case's dossier, challenging the demonized portrayal of Scott and presenting interviews with him while behind bars, as well as with his family members and various legal experts. The Murder of Laci Peterson nudges viewers to reevaluate the veracity of media narratives and draw their own conclusions. —J.M.

Where to watch The Murder of Laci Peterson: Hulu

Director: Emily Dillon Berry

Never Let Him Go (2023)

In December 1988, the lifeless body of Scott Johnson — a gay mathematician from Southern California — was found beneath a cliff in Sydney, Australia. Initially deemed a suicide, Scott's older brother Steve adamantly rejected this verdict and spent the next three decades seeking the truth.

Over the course of four episodes, Never Let Him Go bypasses the predictable rhythm of the true crime genre, with its nuanced storytelling being both unbiased and politically poignant. The series explores many multifaceted issues, including Sydney's historical negligence towards anti-gay violence, the warped effects of grief, disparities in wealth and justice, and the toxic dynamics between Australians and Americans. —J.M.

Where to watch Never Let Him Go: Hulu

Directors: Jeff Dupre, Jacob Hickey

The Secrets of Hillsong (2023)

Remember when Justin Bieber was baptized in the bathtub of the New York Knicks' Tyson Chandler? Well, the orchestrator behind this ceremony was none other than Carl Lentz, the skinny-jean-wearing "hipster" pastor who spent a decade serving as the figurehead of Hillsong Church.

Despite its global influence from its Coldplay-lite worship tunes (and its star-studded congregation including Vanessa Hudgens, Kevin Durant, Nick Jonas, and more), the megachurch faced nasty backlash in 2021 when Vanity Fair journalists Alex French and Dan Adler unearthed its storied history of misconduct. FX's four-part docuseries traces the peak and decline of Hillsong — incorporating candid interviews with Carl and his wife Laura while cautioning against the pitfalls of organized religion: financial exploitation, the ostentatious display of faith, and allegations of sexual abuse. —J.M.

Where to watch The Secrets of Hillsong: Hulu

Director: Stacey Lee

Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence (2023)

When Larry Ray (who's now serving a 60-year prison sentence) crashed at his daughter's dorm at Sarah Lawrence College in 2010, he leveraged his father-figure guise to convince several students to relocate to his Upper East Side sublet, subjecting them to years of isolation, deprivation, abuse, and psychological torment. Described by EW's critic as "a particularly tough watch," this four-part docuseries unveils the unspeakable events within that apartment — thanks to Ray's compulsive recordings for potential blackmail — while also interviewing the former members (and those still under Ray’s influence) as they attempt to reclaim the lost years of their youth and reconstruct their fragmented lives. —J.M.

Where to watch Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence: Hulu

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Zach Heinzerling

Under the Banner of Heaven (2022)

Andrew Garfield unveils new dimensions to his craft as Jeb Pyre, the pious detective who investigates the murders of Brenda Wright Lafferty and her infant daughter at the hands of religious extremists. Based on Jon Krakauer's novel of the same name, Under the Banner of Heaven is a raw, gritty look into the world of fundamentalist Mormonism and the power of cults, all through Pyre's eyes.

Director Dustin Lance Black told EW: "I hope that like the book, some mainstream Mormons might [watch the show]. They might not talk about it in church, but I hope that if they watch the show, they will be illuminated, and there will be some relief to be had in knowing." —K.M.

Where to watch Under the Banner of Heaven: Hulu

Director: Dustin Lance Black

Cast: Andrew Garfield, Sandra Seacat, Gil Birmingham, Sam Worthington, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Denise Gough, Wyatt Russell

Under the Bridge (2024)

In the Hulu miniseries adaptation of Rebecca Godfrey's Under the Bridge — which she penned from the perspectives of the adolescents and investigators involved — the late author becomes a central piece of the story. Portrayed by Riley Keough, the New York writer revisits her hometown in British Columbia and stumbles upon the perfect lead for her next book: the disappearance of 14-year-old Reena Virk (Vritika Gupta).

Jumping between the past and present, the show chronicles Reena's final days alongside the investigation into her murder, spearheaded by Rebecca and her former best friend turned officer, Cam Bentland (Lily Gladstone). As noted by EW's critic, "the performances in Under the Bridge are consistently superb," as "Keough plays Rebecca with a kind of dreamy and alluring reserve" while "Gladstone elevates Cam beyond the character’s stern-yet-concerned cop framework." —J.M.

Where to watch Under the Bridge: Hulu

Cast: Riley Keough, Lily Gladstone, Vritika Gupta, Chloe Guidry, Javon "Wanna" Walton, Izzy G, Aiyana Goodfellow, Ezra Faroque Khan, Archie Panjabi

Welcome to Chippendales (2022–2023)

From creator Robert Siegel (Pam & Tommy), the eight-episode Hulu miniseries delves into the origins of the U.S.'s first male strip dynasty: the Chippendales. Indian immigrant Somen "Steve" Banerjee (Kumail Nanjiani), a gas station employee with Hugh Hufner aspirations, teams up with Emmy-winning director and choreographer Nick De Noia (Murray Bartlett) to transform a lackluster Los Angeles bar into a pulsating male strip revue.

However, their breakneck rise is met with an equally spectacular fall, with their business marred by arson, murder for hire, and a jailhouse suicide. A glitzy true crime romp boasting bulges and G-strings galore, Welcome to Chippendales lays bare the greedy and corrupt side of the American Dream. —J.M.

Where to watch Welcome to Chippendales: Hulu

EW grade: B (read the review)

Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Murray Bartlett, Annaleigh Ashford, Juliette Lewis, Quentin Plair, Andrew Rannells, Robin de Jesús, Spencer Boldman

Wild Crime (2021–present)

Drawing millions of visitors annually, the serene landscapes of America's national and state parks are the grounds for many deadly deeds. Blending elements of nature documentary and true crime, this series follows a team of unconventional investigators as they unravel the most chilling offenses committed on public land. Season 1 of Wild Crime delves into the mysterious death of Toni Henthorn after a fall in Rocky Mountain National Park, and the second unravels a murder and a severed hand found in Yosemite. —J.M.

Where to watch Wild Crime: Hulu