From Sherri Papini‘s kidnapping hoax to the two separate documentaries about Scott Peterson‘s murder conviction, it’s safe to say that most streaming services are investing in true crime in 2024.
Netflix and Hulu usually corner the genre by focusing on the most recent — and most surprising — cases. It was Investigation Discovery, however, that made headlines earlier this year with Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, which pulled back the curtain on Nickelodeon’s past toxic work environment.
Former child stars and crew members were given the opportunity to speak out about their negative experiences at the network. After the docuseries made waves, directors Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz exclusively told Us Weekly what they hoped the public took away from Quiet on Set.
“One of the goals of the series is to help spark a broader conversation around these issues. And I certainly know that there’s a lot more people with a lot more stories out there,” Schwartz shared in March. “And we would love to be able to keep telling those stories if more people want to speak and share.”
The duo highlighted how important it was for them to center the docuseries around those affected.
“One of the guiding philosophies for the project was that we were taking accounts and stories and experiences of people who previously had been sort of pushed into the shadows,” Robertson added. “That understanding informed all of the choices that we were making as craftspeople — in addition to as journalists. It meant that when we were picking an interview, we tried to replicate spaces that were off center stage, to the side [or] behind the scenes. We really work to give the floor to those who haven’t had it before.”
Other documentaries that captivated audiences include Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult, Betrayal: A Father’s Secret and more. Keep scrolling for a guide to the most enthralling true crime releases in 2024 so far:
