Credit: Netflix

Netflix didn’t invent the true-crime obsession, but it sure made sure that we get obsessed; like, for example, Making a Murderer sparked fierce debates about the justice system, while The Tinder Swindler exposed how a conman used romance to fleece women out of their money.

Then came American Nightmare, which showed how a kidnapping victim’s account was doubted by investigators, proving that the most disturbing part of a case isn’t always the crime itself.

And Netflix’s recent true-crime releases have plenty of gore to expose you to, from teenage harassment and allegations of child-influencer exploitation to a young woman’s murder.

The best part? Your weekend binge is sorted! With two documentary films and two three-part series on the list, you can watch all four without putting the rest of your life on hold.

Four new true-crime documentaries to finish within a weekend

Unknown Number: The High School Catfish (2025)

A 13-year-old girl getting a load of nasty texts from some random number sounds like your usual school bullying bollocks until you know what happened to Lauryn Licari and her boyfriend Owen over in Beal City, Michigan. It all started off back in 2020, when the two started getting anonymous messages full of insults and threats. And whoever was behind it just wouldn’t pack it in. It got so bad that the police ended up questioning their classmates, trying to figure out who the hell was sending them. The weirdest part was this person knew loads of personal stuff about them, so pretty much everyone at school was looking dodgy.

The police were getting nowhere, so the FBI got involved, and that’s when things took a very dark turn. We won’t spoil the suspense for you, but this Netflix documentary builds enough of it with interviews, police footage, and even the moment Lauryn finds out who’s been doing it all along.

American Murder: Gabby Petito (2025)

Gabby Petito was 22 when she set off on a road trip across America with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, in July 2021, hoping to document their travels and build a life around the popular van-life trend like any other young spirit. Little did she know that behind the cheerful social media posts, their relationship was troubled, and when Laundrie returned home to Florida without Gabby that September, her disappearance sparked a nationwide search. Her body was found in Wyoming, and investigators later concluded that Laundrie was responsible for her murder.

The three-part documentary gives Gabby’s family and friends room to share what they knew about her relationship, while personal messages and police body-camera footage reveal troubling details about her final weeks. Rather than treating her death as another internet whodunit, the series goes deep into the abuse behind the tragedy and the woman whose life was cut short.

Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing (2025)

Remember when YouTube was full of kids pulling pranks and making stupid challenge videos? Young influencer Piper Rockelle built an enormous following doing just that, alongside a group of child creators known as the Squad, with her mother, Tiffany Smith, managing the operation. The videos presented a world of friendships and fun, but former Squad members alleged that life behind the camera was far less cheerful, with accusations of exploitation and mistreatment emerging as the children grew older.

In 2022, eleven former members filed a lawsuit against Smith and fellow creator Hunter Hill, alleging workplace violations and emotional, physical and sexual abuse. Both denied the allegations, and the case ended with a $1.85 million settlement in 2024 without an admission of liability. Across three episodes, the documentary features accounts from former Squad members and their parents, examining how the pursuit of online fame can leave children vulnerable when adults control the money and the cameras.

Stolen: Heist of the Century (2025)

Back in February 2003, a gang of Italian thieves pulled off a robbery that sounds like something straight out of Ocean’s Eleven, except this group wasn’t interested in impressing George Clooney. Their target was the Antwerp Diamond Center in Belgium, home to one of the world’s most heavily protected vaults, where they stole gems worth an estimated $100 million or more. The operation involved months of planning, with Leonardo Notarbartolo playing a central role in gaining access to the building.

Now, you’d expect thieves who managed to defeat such security to have planned their escape down to the last detail, wouldn’t you? Well, discarded rubbish containing documents and precious stones helped police identify the gang, which is quite an embarrassing way to undo a multimillion-dollar operation. Directed by Mark Lewis, the documentary introduces you to the investigators and Notarbartolo to explain how the robbery happened, while the whereabouts of much of the stolen loot remain a mystery.