For decades, true crime shows like Netflix’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story have captivated audiences with their shocking and revealing storylines. As the third season of the Ian Brennan-created anthology series, The Ed Gein Story focuses on the life of Ed Gein (“Butcher of Plainfield”), a convicted serial killer and body snatcher. The series doesn’t simply retell the crimes, but also examines the psychological and environmental factors that shaped Gein.
The 8-episode season starred English actor Charlie Hunnam as Ed Gein. For audiences who found the season intriguing and captivating, and have binge-watched the previous seasons of The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, there are several other true crime shows to explore. Here are seven must-watch true crime shows for fans of the Monster anthology series.
1. Making a Murderer (2015–2018)
Network: Netflix
Having premiered in December 2015, Making a Murderer quickly became a global hit, especially for true crime show audiences. The 20-episode, 2-season documentary series followed Steven Avery, a man from Wisconsin who was exonerated for a crime he didn’t commit, after serving 18 years. In a shocking twist, he’s accused of another violent crime two years later.
The true crime documentary raised serious questions about the justice system, corruption, and whether Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey received fair trials. For fans of Monster: The Ed Gein Story, Making a Murderer provides that same sense of haunting reality, except here, the story unfolds through real footage, courtroom battles, and interviews with those directly involved.
2. The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (2015–2024)
Network: HBO
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst is one of the most gripping true crime documentaries ever made. The series follows the strange and unsettling story of Robert Durst, the wealthy real estate heir linked to multiple murders. Originally released in 2015, the two-season series incorporated interviews, archival footage, and meticulous investigation to paint a chilling portrait of Durst’s life and crimes. Its explosive finale, in which Durst appeared to confess while speaking to himself off-camera, has stayed with audiences since the show ended.
3. Mindhunter (2017–2019)
Network: Netflix
Few true crime shows have achieved the same critical success in the genre as Mindhunter. The series dives into the early days of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit in the late 1970s. It follows fictionalized versions of real agents as they interview notorious serial killers to understand the psychology behind their crimes. With appearances from characters based on Ed Kemper, Jerry Brudos, Richard Speck, and several other accurate portrayals of infamous figures. Critics praised its direction, acting, and authenticity. Although the series only lasted 2 seasons, it remains one of the most highly rated true crime shows of the past decade.
4. The Act (2019)
Network: Hulu
For audiences who were captivated by the disturbing mother-son dynamics in Monster: The Ed Gein Story, Hulu’sThe Act offers another unforgettable look at a twisted family relationship. This critically acclaimed Hulu series dramatizes the true story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard (Joey King) and her mother, Dee Dee (Patricia Arquette), whose toxic bond culminated in murder.
Arquette delivers a powerhouse performance as Dee Dee, a woman who manipulated her daughter for years of medical abuse in one of the most infamous cases of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. King earned praise for playing Gypsy, a young woman desperate to escape her mother’s control. Like the Monster series, The Act goes beyond revealing only shocking events, but explores the conditions that allowed such horrors to unfold.
5. The Staircase (2022)
Network: HBO Max
The Staircase brings one of the most infamous modern true crime cases to life with a gripping dramatization. The series is based on the real-life trial of Michael Peterson (Colin Firth). Peterson was accused of murdering his wife, Kathleen (Toni Collette), in 2001. The Staircase blends courtroom drama with behind-the-scenes family turmoil. The show’s supporting cast included Sophie Turner, Patrick Schwarzenegger, and Odessa Young. The Staircase earned widespread praise for both its performances and its meticulous attention to detail.
6. The Girl From Plainville (2022)
Network: Hulu
While The Girl From Plainville doesn’t center on a serial killer like Monster: The Ed Gein Story, it offers a gripping look into a real-life case that captivated headlines. The limited series dramatizes the events surrounding Michelle Carter (Elle Fanning) and the infamous “texting suicide” case, in which her boyfriend Conrad “Coco” Roy III (Colton Ryan) died by suicide in 2014. The Girl From Plainville explores how a seemingly ordinary teenager became the focal point of a criminal trial that questioned the role of digital communication in modern tragedies.
7. Happy Face (2025)
Network: Paramount+
One of the newest additions to the true crime genre, Happy Face, brings a chilling real-life story to the screen with gripping intensity. Happy Face is based on the memoir by Melissa Moore (portrayed by Annaleigh Ashford), the daughter of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson (portrayed by Dennis Quaid). The series explores how Melissa slowly came to terms with the horrifying reality of her father’s crimes.
Jesperson, nicknamed the “Happy Face Killer” for the smiley faces he left on letters to the press and police, was convicted of multiple murders in the 1990s. Happy Face delves into both his violent crimes and the devastating ripple effect they had on his family, especially his daughter. For audiences who appreciated the layered storytelling of Monster: The Ed Gein Story, Paramount+’s Happy Face provides a similar mix of psychological tension and personal drama.
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