New documentaries & true crime January 2025: Netflix, Hulu, Prime & more

From the final chapter of The Curious Case of Natalia Grace to a deep dive into The Jerry Springer Show, here’s your guide to the new documentaries hitting Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Max, and more in January 2025.

As we enter a new year, now’s a good time to look back on some of the best true crime releases of 2024. From the thought-provoking case examined in Tell Them You Love Me to the chilling exploration of the troubled teen industry in The Program, 2024 delivered some of the best the genre has to offer.

The past month was relatively quiet on the true crime front, although The Kings of Tupelo caused a stir with its outlandish story, akin to the likes of Tiger King. And now the festivities are over, you can expect plenty more where that came from.

While Netflix continues to be the best streaming service for true crime, all platforms have something unique to offer, with plenty of real-life stories and shows making their streaming debut. So, here’s a rundown of all the new documentaries and true crime shows to mark in your calendar.

Top documentary and true crime picks for January 2025

The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter (Max) – January 7

Season 3 of the explosive Curious Case of Natalia Grace is set to close this chapter for good, following on from Natalia Speaks’ twist ending and her fallout with her new adoptive parents, Cynthia and Antwon Mans. The anticipated two-part documentary series will be airing on January 6 and January 7 from 9-11pm on ID, while also streaming on Max.

Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action (Netflix) – January 7

In the latest docu-series to look back on controversial ‘90s TV, Netflix’s Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action is set to peel back the curtain on the most infamous (and raucous) talk show in US history. As per the synopsis, the two-parter features “extraordinary firsthand testimony and revelations from show insiders who lay bare the dark truths behind its entertaining facade.”

Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy (Peacock) – January 14

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While you wait for 50 Cent’s Netflix docu-series, there are a number of Diddy documentaries set to drop in 2025 amid his arrest. One of those is The Making of a Bad Boy, which is said to delve into Sean Combs’ “childhood, rise to fame, and recent criminal allegations, challenging viewers to rethink everything they thought they knew about the mogul behind the music – and the mugshot.”

An Update on Our Family (Max) – January 15

YouTube

Several years before Ruby Franke’s arrest, former YouTubers Myka and James Stauffer brought family vlogging under the spotlight after they gave up their adopted son. The synopsis states that this provocative three-part series “exposes the hidden-in-plain-sight, unregulated family vlogging industry,” in the context of the scandal that rocked the internet.

Scamanda (Hulu) – January 31

Based on the true crime podcast of the same name, Scamanda is a four-part docu-series that tells the story of Amanda Riley, a wife, mother, blogger and Christian whose cancer journey captivated thousands. But as you might be able to tell from the title, all is not what it seems. When an anonymous tip is sent to an investigative reporter, her house of cards starts to tumble. Scamanda was set to drop in October last year but was pushed to January 2025.

New documentaries and true crime on Netflix in January 2025

Here are all the documentary series and films hitting Netflix in January 2025:

January 1	Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever
January 7	Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action, Season 1
January 8	I Am a Killer, Season 6
January 9	I Am Ilary, Season 1
January 17	The Roshans, Season 1
January 24	The Unxplained with William Shatner, Season 5
January 29	Six Nations: Full Contact, Season 2

Max

Here are all the documentary series and films hitting Max in January 2025:

January 7	The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter How It Really Happened, Season 8
January 9	Sons of Ecstasy Aaron Hernandez and the Untold Murders of Bristol
January 14	The Curious Case of…, Season 1 Episode 1 Death by Fame, Season 3 premiere The Last Party: Death on Tresco, Season 1
January 15	An Update on Our Family, Season 1 Cult of Fear: The Asaram Bapu Story
January 16	Becoming Hitchcock: The Legacy of Blackmail Murder Under the Friday Night Lights, Season 4 Episode 1
January 21	The Curious Case of…, Season 1 Episode 2
January 23	Murder Under the Friday Night Lights, Season 4 Episode 2
January 28	The Curious Case of…, Season 1 Episode 3
January 30	Murder Under the Friday Night Lights, Season 4 Episode 3

Amazon Prime Video

Here are all the documentary series and films hitting Amazon Prime Video in January 2025:

January 17

Molly Mae: Behind It All, Season 1 Part 1

Hulu

Here are all the documentary series and films hitting Hulu in January 2025:

January 2	Dark Side of the 90s, Season 3 Beyond the Headlines: The Tanya Kach Story with Elizabeth Smart, Season 1
January 9	Booked: First Day In, Season 2 Interrogation Files, Season 1
January 13	Murder At The Motel, Season 1 Quarter Ton Teen, Season 1
January 31	Scamanda, Season 1 premiere

Disney Plus

Here are all the documentary series and films hitting Disney Plus in January 2025:

January 9	UFOs: Investigating the Unknown, Season 2 Episode 1
January 15	A Real Bug’s Life, Season 2
January 16	UFOs: Investigating the Unknown, Season 2 Episode 2
January 23	UFOs: Investigating the Unknown, Season 2 Episode 3
January 30	UFOs: Investigating the Unknown, Season 2 Episode 4

Peacock

Here are all the documentary series and films hitting Peacock in January 2025:

January 4	Dateline (new episode)
January 11	Dateline (new episode)
January 14	Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy
January 16	SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, Season 1 Here Come The Irish, Season 1 finale
January 18	Dateline (new episode)
January 25	Dateline (new episode)

That’s all the new documentaries and true crime coming to streaming in January 2025. You can check out our roundup of new movies streaming this month, as well as the TV shows to add to your watchlist.

Also, read about the best serial killer documentaries, how to watch the Rex Heuermann doc, and what to expect in Natalia Grace Season 3.