The 6 Best True-Crime Documentaries To Watch This Summer

True-crime enthusiasts are spoiled for choice this summer, with a whole range of true-crime documentaries old and new to sink their teeth into.

From Netflix's jaw-dropping The Tinder Swindler about catfish Simon Leviev to HBO Max's The Way Down about Christian Diet Guru Gwen Shamblin Lara, there is almost too much to choose from.

Newsweek has helped you to narrow down your options by providing you with a list of the six best true-crime documentaries you will not want to miss this summer.

The 6 Best True-Crime Documentaries To Watch This Summer

Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey

Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey is coming to Netflix on Wednesday, June 8.

The four-part series takes an in-depth look at the most secretive polygamous sect of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) and the rise of prophet Warren Jeffs, who was found to have married 69 women in total.

In Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, some of Jeff's victims speak of their harrowing experiences and give an insight into life under his rule.

The official synopsis teases: "In 2008, a dramatic raid at the Yearning for Zion Ranch in West Texas generated attention around the world, as law enforcement agents uncovered stunning evidence of sexual, physical, and psychological abuse and took 400+ children into custody.

"Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, directed by Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Rachel Dretzin, gives viewers an in-depth look into the sect.

"The four-part documentary series features never-before-seen archival footage and harrowing personal stories from some of the courageous women and men who escaped. From forced underage marriage and pregnancy to a complete unraveling into an oppressive criminal cult under Warren Jeffs' rule, the story uncovers extraordinary bravery battling tyrannical control in modern America."

The Way Down: God, Greed and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin

The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin is streaming on HBO Max now.

The five-part series delves deep into the fascinating story of Gwen Shamblin Lara, an American author and founder of the Christian diet program The Weigh Down Workshop.

The path of the documentary took an unexpected turn when Shamblin died on May 29, 2021, when her 1982 Cessna Citation 501 private jet crashed into Percy Priest Lake near Smyrna, Tennessee, shortly after takeoff.

She died alongside church leaders Jennifer and David Martin and Jonathan and Jessica Walters. Her husband Joe Lara, who was flying the plane, and her son-in-law Brandon Hannah were also killed in the incident.

Following her death, who would continue on her legacy was called into question, with Parts 4 and 5 exploring what happened next.

The Tinder Swindler

The Tinder Swindler on Netflix is told through the eyes of three brave women—Cecilie Fjellhoy, Pernilla Sjoholm, and Ayleen Charlotte.

They all dated a man they knew as "Simon Leviev"—but a bizarre course of events led them to realize he was not who they thought.

Leviev posted as the heir to an Israeli diamond company and is believed to have defrauded Fjellhoy, Sjoholm, Charlotte, and countless other victims out of $10 million.

The Tinder Swinder follows how the three women fought to share their story and their fight to try and stop Leviev (real name, Shimon Hayut) from ever doing the same thing again.

The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley

If you were a fan of The Dropout on Hulu and the podcast of the same name, you will not want to miss The Inventor on HBO Max.

The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley explores the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and her company Theranos.

In January 2022 Holmes was convicted of defrauding Theranos investors and is currently awaiting sentencing. The Inventor on HBO Max traces exactly how she got to that place.

The official synopsis teases: "With a new invention that promised to revolutionize blood testing, Elizabeth Holmes became the world's youngest self-made billionaire, heralded as the next Steve Jobs. Then, just two years later, her multibillion-dollar company was dissolved."

Our Father

Our Father is one of the most haunting true-crime documentaries on Netflix to date.

The chilling documentary series investigates the true story of a disgraced ex-fertility doctor, Donald Cline, who artificially inseminated his female patients with his own sperm, without their permission or knowledge.

The result? 96 biological children and counting, a reality that was only discovered when Jacoba Ballard, an only child, decided to do a DNA test via 23AndMe, out of curiosity to see if she had any half-siblings.

When she was matched with seven half-siblings, they knew something was not quite right.

In Our Father on Netflix, Cline's children tell their story, his victims speak out about their pain, and together, the families search for justice.

The Staircase

At the moment, everybody seems to be talking about HBO Max's true-crime drama The Staircase, starring Colin Firth as Michael Peterson and Toni Colette as Kathleen Peterson.

Did you know there is 13-part documentary series about Michael Peterson's case, filmed over 15 years by Oscar-winning director, Jean-Xavier de Lestrade?

When Michael Peterson was accused of killing his wife, Lestrade documented his entire trial and made it into a critically acclaimed documentary series that premiered in 2004.

Lestrade returned to film Peterson and his family in 2012 and 2013, covering developments in the case and releasing a two-hour special. He returned in 2017 and three episodes were made especially for Netflix.

The streaming giant then released all of Lestrade's episodes as a 13-part series, titled The Staircase.