10 shocking Netflix documentaries you should watch after Worst Ex Ever
NetflixIf you love tawdry true tales of murder, betrayal, and dark deeds, then you’re in luck; there are plenty of Netflix documentaries that’d shock even the most dedicated of true crime junkies.
Indeed, if you’re reading this, it’s probably because you’ve been watching Worst Ex Ever – a true crime docuseries from Netflix that dissects the darker side of love – and are looking for a new show to stave off your addiction to terrifying true stories.
Well, you’re in luck. The Dexerto team has put together a list of devilish documentaries that are so scary they’re worse than some horror movies. These films document everything from conmen to cults and murders to tickling contests (seriously).
Be warned, these documentaries aren’t for the faint of heart, but if you have a taste for the macabre then you’re in the right place.
Lover Stalker Killer (2024)
What it’s about: Dave Kroupa is just a regular divorcee, working hard and looking for love. When he starts to put himself out there, things take a turn for the worse when one of his dates goes missing. What follows is a web of betrayal, stalking, and murder.
Why we like it: What happened to Dave could easily have been the subject of a Worst Ex Ever episode. It’s a gripping tale, with Kroupa himself turning up to share his story. There’s also excellent insight from some colorful characters involved in the investigation, including the heroic soylent-drinking techspert Tony Kava. IYKYK.
Words by Daisy Phillipson
Abducted in Plain Sight (2017)
NetflixWhat it’s about: In 1974, Jan Broberg was kidnapped by her neighbor in Idaho. Two years later, he abducted her again. That would be enough of a basis for a documentary on its own – but the web of shame and complicity behind it makes the truth even messier.
Why we like it: This is a proper scream-at-your-television documentary. Across 91 gripping, chilling, and infuriating minutes, the saga of the Brobergs unfolds, with each revelation crazier than the last. Much like Worst Ex Ever, it’s a suburban horror story that captures something particularly harrowing: how a seemingly creepy crime can be even more insidious behind closed doors.
Words by Cameron Frew
American Nightmare (2024)
What it’s about: In 2015, Denise Huskins went through the horrifying ordeal of being kidnapped and held hostage for two days. When she returned, she and her partner Aaron Quinn were accused of being hoaxers, with detectives even nicknaming it the “Gone Girl kidnapping.” American Nightmare tracks their ordeal and the battle to get to the truth.
Why we like it: If you’re still reeling from the injustice you felt watching Worst Ex Ever, American Nightmare is well worth your time. It’s frustrating viewing but compelling nonetheless and will leave you questioning the system that turned victims into suspects.
Words by Daisy Phillipson
Tickled (2016)
NetflixWhat it’s about: David Ferrier appears to uncover his next “quirky and odd” story: competitive endurance tickling, an online sport that revolves around young men restraining and tickling each other. His efforts to investigate are met with hostility, an apt omen for the “empire” he uncovers.
Why we like it: Have you ever fallen down a YouTube rabbit hole, entertained at first, but your curiosity evolves into compulsion, and suddenly something funny starts to seem a bit sinister? Know this: Tickled is no laughing matter. It begins as a gonzo, amusing probe into a strange subculture, but it becomes a shocking, frightening peek into a small example of how the internet can become your undoing.
Words by Cameron Frew
The Tinder Swindler (2022)
NetflixWhat it’s about: Tinder offers romance with the swipe of a finger, but this shocking documentary will have you too terrified to open the app. The film tells the story of Shimon Hayut, a conman who tricked women across the world into funding his lavish lifestyle.
Why we like it: Slickly directed and surprisingly heartbreaking, The Tindler Swindler may not be the grisliest documentary on this list, but that doesn’t make the story it tells any less shocking. It’s presumably because feeling lonely is such a universal emotion, so seeing someone like Hayut so callously take advantage of people looking for companionship is sure to horrify even the most aromantic of souls.
Words by Tom Percival
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey (2022)
NetflixWhat it’s about: This in-depth exploration of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints starts out about polygamy but ends up examining self-confessed prophet Warren Jeffs’ reign of terror over the women – and young girls – he manipulated, coerced, and sexually assaulted.
Why we like it: Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey is the title of this four-part series, and also the motto of the tyrannical FLDS, a church that expected women to be quiet and loyal and to never display traits like anger or resentment. But the women at the heart of this documentary – who were regularly abused by Jeffs and his facilitators – do the very opposite, telling a tale of unspeakable suffering but also one of bravery and survival.
Words by Chris Tilly
Worst Roommate Ever (2022)
What it’s about: The parent series of Worst Ex Ever, this anthology series focuses on various cases of nightmare roommates, from senior serial killers to sinister scammers.
Why we like it: Worst Roommate Ever does a great job at covering lesser-known cases, with real testimony from those who lived through it or the loved ones of the victims, all of which is told via animated reenactments. And if you’re still not convinced, it’ll at least leave you feeling grateful the toilet seat being left up is the worst of your problems.
Words by Daisy Phillipson
The Keepers (2017)
NetflixWhat it’s about: The Keepers investigates the unsolved murder of Catherine Cesnik, who was teaching English and drama at Baltimore’s Archbishop Keough High School when she was killed.
Why we like it: The Keepers is a tough, sometimes harrowing watch about the death of a woman who knew too much. Cathy Cesnik believed a priest at her school, A. Joseph Maskell was sexually abusing the students. That knowledge got her killed, but while the documentary explores this heinous crime without ever sensationalizing it, the series also focuses on the shocking cover-up that followed by both authorities and the church.
Words by Chris Tilly
If you’re looking for more shows to binge, we have a list of all the new TV shows streaming this month or if you prefer the big screen, we have a guide to all the new movies hitting theaters.