In June 2020, the HBO docuseries I'll Be Gone In The Dark introduced a lot of people to the disturbing reign of terror carried out by the Golden State Killer throughout several California communities between the 1970s and '80s as well as the late Michelle McNamara, the true crime writer who helped breathe new life into the decades-old cold case. But now that the final episode has aired, a lot of my fellow HBO Max subscribers are probably like me and are looking for their next true crime documentary or docuseries to binge. Well, you're in luck…
The new streaming service, which is essentially a beefed-up version of HBO's previous platforms, includes many of the network's excellent and the award-winning true crime documentaries and docuseries from the past couple of decades. This means there are literally hundreds of hours of engaging and terrifyingly detailed stories of murder, fraud, and other criminal elements to enjoy from the comfort of your couch. Here are just nine of those titles for those of you who really liked I'll Be Gone In The Dark
Atlanta's Missing And Murdered: The Lost Children
Just like the Golden State Killer case, the story of the Atlanta Child Murders between 1979 and 1981 is one of those mysterious tales of the vicious and random murder that doesn't get as much as attention as some of the more notable serial killers of the 20th Century, even with the disappearance and murder of at least 28 children. Over the course of five episodes, the HBO docuseries Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children examines the fear and confusion surrounding the case, Wayne Williams (the man long believed to be the killer), and its impact on the Atlanta Metropolitan Area some 40 years later.
Stream it on HBO Max here.
The Jinx: The Life And Deaths Of Robert Durst
The HBO docuseries The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst isn't as straightforward as I'll Be Gone in the Dark, but the chronicle of the elusive multi-millionaire real estate heir is one of the most fascinating and captivating series to be released by the network in some time. Following the insane story of Robert Durst and the multiple murders he is believed to have committed over the course of 30 years, the series' producers were given exclusive access to the man who had dodged interviewers and authorities for decades. What's most interesting about the series is what happened to Durst following its release, but try to avoid all of that until after you finish this great watch.
Stream it on HBO Max here.
McMillion$
Unlike I'll Be Gone in the Dark, or many of the other true crime documentaries and docuseries on this list, McMillion$ doesn't have something to do with murder as much as it does with one of the most baffling crimes that has to be seen to believe. Centering around a scam that stole $24 million from the McDonald's Monopoly game over the course of several years, this highly entertaining series looks at the guilty parties and what led to their eventual capture. It's told in a similar format as the Golden State Killer series in that it spends each episode focusing on different aspects of this truly strange investigation into what would turn out to be a former cop taking a more criminal career path later in life.
Stream it on HBO Max here.
I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth V. Michelle Carter
The two-part HBO documentary I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter takes a deep-dive into the suicide of 18-year-old Conrad Roy and the involuntary manslaughter case against Michelle Carter, his long-distance girlfriend, who authorities believed pushed the troubled youth to the point of killing himself by carbon-monoxide intoxication in his pickup truck in 2014.
Fans of the more investigative elements of I'll Be Gone in the Dark will enjoy the in-depth research the detectives and filmmakers conducted to flesh out the case. Another interesting aspect is the way in which the story is told through the eyes of prosecution for the first part and the defense for the second, which helps create a full picture of the case and all parties involved.
Stream Part One on HBO Max here, stream Part Two on HBO Max here.
The Case Against Adnan Syed
Adnan Syed became a worldwide sensation with the release of the Serial podcast in 2014 which chronicled his role, or lack thereof, in the 1999 murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee. By the end of the podcast, listeners seemed to have more questions than answers about the murder and Syed, who is serving life plus 30 years in prison, which left the door wide open for 2018 HBO docuseries The Case Against Adnan Syed.
Similar to I'll Be Gone in the Dark in the way that it examines a case that has baffled many people for quite some time, The Case Against Adnan Syed follows investigators as they try to find definitive proof of the killer, even if that means it ends up being Adnan Syed all along.
Stream it on HBO Max here.
Beware The Slenderman
Throughout I'll Be Gone in the Dark, multiple people refer to the Golden State Killer as the "Boogie Man" in the way he crept through the night looking for his next victim. The HBO documentary Beware The Slenderman touches on a similar topic in its examination of the the "Slederman," the modern day version of the feared figure as well as the the young girls who were willing to kill to please him.
This engaging and startling documentary shows just how much someone's life can be affected, or nearly ended, because of an online urban legend. And just like in the case of the Golden State Killer, this documentary is one of the most frightening films you will see, even if the Slenderman is nothing more than an online "creepypasta" sensation.
Stream it on HBO Max here.
Who Killed Garrett Phillips
Released around the same time as I Love You, Now Die, the true crime documentary Who Killed Garrett Phillips looks at the 2011 murder of a 12-year-old boy in Potsdam, New York. Throughout the documentary, the filmmakers explore the manner in which the boy's mother's boyfriend, Oral "Nick" Hillary, was zeroed in on by local police as the main suspect, as well as how he was vilified by the victim's family and the community with little to no evidence to go on. Similar to some of the shoddy police work featured in episodes of I'll Be Gone in the Dark, this 2019 two-parter leaves the viewer wondering what could have happened if proper channels were followed.
Stream Part One on HBO Max here, stream Part Two on HBO Max here.
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders At Robin Hood Hills
In May 1993, the bodies of three 8-year-old boys were found viciously murdered in a wooded area just outside of West Memphis, Arkansas. Those young boys wouldn't be the only victims connected to the senseless murder as three teenagers were falsely accused and convicted following coerced confessions and the "Satanic Panic" that tore through the small town in the Mississippi River Delta.
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills examines the case in great detail from the murders to the sentences handed down to the "West Memphis Three." And like I'll Be Gone in the Dark, the documentary thoroughly examines the culture surrounding the murders. The 1996 film was followed up by two more installments in subsequent years.
Stream it on HBO Max here.
Also try: Paradise Lost 2: Revelations and Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Leaving Neverland
Accusations of child molestation and abuse at the hands of the late Michael Jackson have been discussed in numerous documentaries and specials over the years, but none took as deep of a dive as the 2019 two-part HBO film Leaving Neverland. Each episode focuses on a different man who claimed to have been abused by the King of Pop when they were young children, and during these interviews, but of the accusers provide some extremely shocking and hard-to-handle stories about the alleged abuse. There's no murder here, but there are plenty of shocking revelations about the extent of the crimes allegedly carried out by one of the most successful pop stars of all time.
Stream Part One on HBO Max here, stream Part Two on HBO Max here.
That is just a small sampling of all the great true crime documentaries and docuseries fans of I'll Be Gone in the Dark can stream on HBO Max. If there is one you think that I missed, make sure to drop a comment below and I'll add it to my growing watch list on the new streaming service. And for more stories on HBO Max and everything streaming there, make sure to check back at CinemaBlend for all the latest.
