Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness has been the talk of Twitter since it premiered on March 20, hooking people on the audacious antics of Joe Exotic. He’s the gay, polyamorous, one-time presidential candidate and former owner of 200 tigers, ligers, and other wild cats whose chaotic feud with a rival big cat enthusiast leads to his WTF downfall, and he’s already inspired Jared Leto to dress up as him to host a Tiger King watch party, and Dax Shepard and Edward Norton to fan-cast themselves in the inevitable movie adaptation of his life.
But if you binge-watched Tiger King as quickly as we did then you might be looking for more of the best true crime documentaries to watch, so we’ve rounded up a selection of 10 other true crime shows and movies that are available to stream now and combine the same mix of big personalities and stranger-than-fiction stories as Tiger King. Click through the gallery below or read on for the list.
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Evil Genius: The True Story of America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist (2018)
This Netflix limited series takes a deep dive into the shocking murder of Brian Wells, a pizza delivery man who died from a collar bomb attached to his neck after robbing a bank with a cane gun. You might have heard of the 2003 incident as it was reported on around the world as either the “collar bomb” or “pizza bomber heist” case but as the police investigated the fatal heist it led them to “black widow” Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong. Using archive footage, evidence, new interviews with police as well as detailed correspondences with Diehl-Armstrong, Trey Borzillieri’s docuseries paints a bizarre and unsettling story you won’t easily forget.
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (2015)
It was because of his movie All Good Things (starring Ryan Gosling) that director Andrew Jarecki began his several-year exploration into the life of accused murderer and real estate heir Robert Durst. The 76-year-old was the inspiration of Jarecki’s film and, liking it, agreed to be interviewed for this six-part investigation into unsolved crimes he is believed to have been involved in – including the disappearance of his wife Kathleen and the murder of his friend Susan Berman. Before the final episode aired, Durst was arrested (we won’t tell you what for if you’re not familiar with his story) and his trial was meant to commence on March 2 this year, but due to the Coronavirus outbreak, it’s been postponed to April 6 – so you’ve got plenty of time to get caught up on this disturbing story before the trial reconvenes.
Watch The Jinx on HBO in the US
Watch The Jinx on Now TV in the UK
Wild Wild Country (2018)
This Netflix six-parter is every bit as wild as its title would suggest. It tells the story of Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh who, in 1981, purchased land in Oregon to set up a religious commune for his free-loving followers. However, the residents of its neighboring town of Antelope are not happy with their arrival and soon make an enemy out of Rejneesh’s ruthless private secretary Ma Anand Sheela. Each episode descends into darker territory (attempted murder, exiles, and mass poisoning) but with unreliable narrators giving their own side of events, it’s hard to know who exactly is telling the truth about this bizarre cult.
Watch Wild Wild Country on Netflix
Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee (2016)
John McAfee (yes *that* McAfee) says this documentary film is a complete “fiction” and, well it’s certainly stranger than. It centers on the antivirus software pioneer’s tumultuous time in Belize during 2012, following his relocation to the region after making his fortune. There he’s accused of drug trafficking and murdering the neighbor he had a long-running feud with, before escaping to Guatemala and being deported back to the US. This is a wild ride of a documentary that will keep your eyes glued to the screen for 90 minutes.
Watch Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee on Showtime
Watch Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee on Amazon
McMillions (2020)
Remember that massive Hollywood bidding war over the film rights to a Daily Beast story investigating the unbelievable McDonald’s Monopoly game scam? Well, while we wait for Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to make that movie, Mark Wahlberg has produced a series detailing the ins and outs of how an ex-cop managed to rig the fast-food chain’s annual giveaway. Jerry Jacobson was the mastermind behind $24 million worth of fraud between 1989 and 2001, and over six episodes, we learn how the FBI agents and prosecutors went from just a Post-It note saying, “McDonald’s Monopoly Fraud?” to solving one of the biggest, most incredible scams in American history.
Icarus (2017)
What began as an investigation into the illegal doping culture of cycling turned into an international exposé with life-threatening consequences. Filmmaker Bryan Fogel wanted to see how athletes in cycling get away with taking performance-enhancing drugs and reached out for help from Russian scientist Grigory Rodchenkov, who was head of Russian’s anti-doping lab. However, over the course of three and a half years Rodchenkov reveals some shocking secrets about Russian’s Olympic efforts which put the scientist’s life on the line. This is a gripping documentary that offers another eye-opening look into the corrupt world of professional sports.
Mommy Dead and Dearest (2017)
If you’ve seen critically-acclaimed series The Act then you already know the disturbing story of Dee Dee Blanchard and her daughter Gypsy Rose Blanchard – just like her namesake in the 1962 musical, Gypsy had a controlling mother. Dee Dee had the world believing that her only child suffered from various chronic illnesses and conditions when in fact her only sickness came from years of abuse as a consequence of Munchausen by proxy. This documentary paints the troubling picture that led to Dee Dee’s murder using home videos, text messages, medical records, and interviews with Gypsy herself.
Watch Mommy Dead and Dearest on HBO
White Boy (2017)
This film tells the extraordinary story of Richard Wershe, Jr, who, aged 14, was believed to be the youngest ever FBI informant. The working-class white kid grew up in 1980s Detroit and became involved in drug-dealing during his teen years and wound up with a life sentence for cocaine possession. The film dives deeper into the complex circumstances that led to Rick’s incarceration – from his troubled upbringing to his dealings with the FBI and criminals in the area – through interviews with some of his colorful associates, family members, and journalists who covered his unbelievable exploits. (A scripted film based on Wershe’s story, White Boy Rick, was released in 2018.)
Watch White Boy on Netflix
Watch White Boy on Starz
Stranger Than Fiction: The Nanny Killers (2018)
Bringing you a bit of British bizarreness, this documentary centers on a fashion designer and her partner’s murder of their French nanny, who they believed was colluding with an ex-popstar to harm them. Sabrina Kouider was once in a relationship with former Boyzone member-turned-music mogul Mark Watson, and was under the misguided belief that he and her au pair Sophie Lionnet were having an affair and planning to murder and molest her children. It’s a bit trashier and less slick than other productions on this list but it still serves up a sinister tale of torture, deception, and folie a deux.
Watch Stranger Than Fiction: The Nanny Killers on Amazon Prime in the US and UK
American Vandal (2017-2018)
Tiger King could easily be mistaken for a parody given the craziness of the crimes and characters, and if that is what you love about the tale of Joe Exotic, then check out this true crime mockumentary series. Riffing off Making a Murderer and the podcast Serial, the scripted comedy follows two sophomore students’ investigations into high school crimes. The first season sees the two try to prove the senior class clown was not responsible for spray-painting 27 phalluses on the teachers’ cars while the second season takes place at a Catholic private school under attack by a prankster called “The Turd Burglar.” Given some of the subject matter on this list, American Vandal might be the light-hearted sorbet to cleanse your true crime palate.
Watch American Vandal on Netflix
For more on Tiger King, read our spoiler-free review, and find out what happened to Joe Exotic, Carole Baskin, and Doc Antle after the cameras stopped rolling.
Source: IGN.com 10 True Crime Documentaries and Shows to Watch After Tiger King