Four new true-crime documentaries to watch within a weekend
True-crime marathons are slowly becoming an integral part of Netflix viewers’ weekend watchlists because that’s the only time they have for designated cognitive offloading.
The genre is known for effectively blocking lingering thoughts about work or daily stress, which is why we usually wait until the weekend for uninterrupted viewing sessions.
The past few weekends were jam-packed with true-crime suggestions, which were instantly a hit with fans.
So, to keep up with the tradition, here are four relatively new 2026 true-crime documentaries to watch on Netflix this weekend.
Four true-crime documentaries to finish within a weekend
Trust Me: The False Prophet (Rachel Dretzin, 2026)
Trust Me: The False Prophet is a gripping 2026 true-crime documentary that explores the rise and fall of self-proclaimed polygamist cult leader Samuel Bateman, who took advantage of the power vacuum following the arrest of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs in 2011. The imprisonment left the secluded community of Short Creek, Utah, fractured and without leadership, ultimately paving the path for rank-and-file member Bateman’s rise.
Having declared himself the new prophet, Bateman alleged that Jeffs was speaking with the members directly through him – a lie that he used to exploit and manipulate the breakaway sect. In Trust Me: The False Prophet, Christine Marie and her videographer husband Tolga Katas infiltrate the community to embed themselves in the area in order to gain insider information, document the horrifying crimes, and support the residents.
A Friend, a Murderer (Christian Dyekjær, 2026)
Directed by Christian Dyekjær, A Friend, a Murderer is a Danish true-crime documentary that explores three cases that left Denmark in a total state of panic over the last decade. All three cases, which took place between 2016 and 2023, were attacks on teen girls. However, it was only after the third incident that the authorities were able to identify the perpetrator and capture the 32-year-old man named Philip Patrick Westh.
Instead of a direct recounting of Patrick’s streak of terrifying crimes, A Friend, a Murderer turns its focus on these three cases and the consequences they had on the rural community where they originally took place. Although the arrest sparked a sigh of relief, the three-part documentary features interviews with three of his former friends, whose worst nightmare came true when they discovered they had known the perpetrator all this time.
The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson (Marina Zenovich, 2026)
The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson covers the highly publicised search for Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson’s killer and the trial that followed. For those uninitiated, Moriah Wilson was a rising star in the world of professional gravel cycling, who was found fatally shot in Austin, Texas, just hours after hanging out with a fellow pro cyclist, Colin Strickland, with whom she grabbed food and went swimming.
While Moriah was undoubtedly at the peak of her career, she and her family’s dreams were cut short by a grisly murder, driven by the jealousy of a love triangle. The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson features interviews with her friends, family, and colleagues, who honour and remember the deceased athlete and tell the story of how loss and love can reshape lives in ways one can barely comprehend.
The Investigation of Lucy Letby (Dominic Sivyer, 2026)
If you think Netflix’s catalogue cannot get any more harrowing than it already is, you’ve probably not watched The Investigation of Lucy Letby this year. The true-crime documentary illuminates an unsettling 2018 case that made headlines involving the titular former neonatal nurse, who was arrested at her home on suspicion of fatally endangering at least seven of her neonatal patients and was eventually convicted of killing seven babies and attempting to murder seven others.
The Investigation of Lucy Letby explores the case in detail with exclusive footage and interviews with investigators, Letby’s friend, and one of the victims’ family members. The documentary chronicles how Letby seemed like any other nursing graduate when she joined Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal ward in 2012. But after her promotion to work in neonatal intensive care, a disturbing pattern took consulting doctors aback.