If you loved Netflix’s American Manhunt: OJ Simpson, there’s another doc you should watch

Netflix just quietly dropped American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson, but if you’re looking to revisit the trial of the century, there’s another documentary series that should be top of the watch list. 

January 2025 marks 30 years since the Juice – real name Orenthal James Simpson – went on trial for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. The former NFL star was later acquitted of all murder charges. 

Although three decades have passed and Simpson died in April 2024 at age 76, the case remains one of the most famous of all time, having caused a huge rift in American society due to its association with racial issues in the US. 

Now, Netflix is revisiting the case with its new four-part documentary American Manhunt: OJ Simpson. If you’re tuning in, be sure to check out O.J.: Made in America – not only the best account of the case but also one of the best documentaries ever made.

OJ: Made in America is the definitive OJ Simpson documentary

What sets O.J.: Made in America apart is director Ezra Edelman’s masterful storytelling, going beyond the trial itself to explore OJ’s rise, fall, and the racial and cultural context that made his case a defining moment in American history. 

Both critics and audiences agree. The five-part documentary series currently has a respective 100% and 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes, earning praise for its impressive ability to translate the complexity of the case into a meaningful, in-depth narrative. 

Yes, it’s 7.5 hours long, but this is a necessity to fully comprehend these events and the historical context. After its initial release, O.J.: Made in America went on to bag the  Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 2017 Oscars. 

In light of Netflix’s new American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson, viewers have been imploring others to watch Edelman’s tour de force series.

Taking to Reddit, one wrote, “Made in America is a borderline masterpiece and you can’t do better on this subject. Recommend that instead.” Another agreed, but stated, “Personally, I’d take the word ‘borderline’ out of your sentence.”

“It was a long ass 10-episode series but it was one of the best documentaries out there,” added a third. And a fourth chimed in, “OJ: Made In America was not only one of the greatest documentaries ever, it was one of the greatest movies I’ve ever seen period. 

Disney

“It was amazing how well they actually pieced together the history of black people in America in general, leading to the rise of OJ and his eventual downfall. I simply cannot praise it enough.”

“I get why you’d make this because this kind of celebrity true crime docs just get viewers but Made In America is such a definitive doc series on this subject,” wrote a fifth. 

If you want to give it a watch or a revisit, O.J.: Made in America is streaming on Hulu now, or you can rent or buy it on various on-demand platforms including Prime Video. Meanwhile, American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson is available on Netflix. 

You can also take a look at the new documentaries heading to streaming this month, and read about 2024’s most disturbing doc that just got nominated for an Oscar.