I love TV, but I am not a fan of real-life-crime shows. However, this year, I have watched some of them, and they got my time and attention. What I liked the most with these shows is the investigations behind them.
The advantage of these shows is you can watch them in one day or two. There are not second seasons and they give a chance to investigate them more. So, after watching them, I like to read articles about the cases and check on YouTube videos about the information they are missing.
Here are my favorite five real-life-crime shows on Netflix.
1. “The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBnarCTOiCY
Netflix
"The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann" is my favorite of the five shows. I knew the case from the beginning. In 2007, an English 3-year-old girl disappeared in Portugal. It can sound like any other case, but behind the story of this little girl, there is some inconsistent information. Why was this girl alone? Are the parents telling the truth? Why did the parents act as they did? Why has nobody seen this girl in twelve years?
I like the show because they interviewed almost all the actors in this story. You will see all the point of views and theories.
Even though Netflix's show tries to be impartial, I feel they are trying to be on Madeleine's parents' side. I found this guy who has many videos about the case, and I think you should watch him after you finish the show.
2. “Crime Diaries: Night Out.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4GqaqeWstk
Netflix
"Crime Diaries: Night Out" is a good story. The style of this case is different from Madeleine McCain. Here the producers show the case like a fiction show. You do not see the real-life protagonist of the case; you will watch actors playing like the people involved there.
The case is about Luis Colmenares' death. He went to a Halloween party in 2010 in Colombia and he never returned alive. Why is this case compelling? Because he got lost for sixteen hours before police found his body. His two best friends never told the truth about the time he disappeared.
3. “The Alcasser Murders.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXkvdA08M2w
Netflix
"The Alcasser Murders" is my second favorite show. This case has everything: mystery, lies, famous people, conventional media ethics and conspiracy theories. The case is placed in Spain in 1992 when three teenagers disappeared going to a party. Their bodies were found three months later.
The case was very famous in Spain because the TV covered each second and they were an example of yellowness. The other horrible part is the condition of the bodies; they showed the three girls were tortured and raped.
Today, there are two versions. The official version is that two young criminals are guilty. The other theory is these girls were part of a creepy ritual. On Youtube, there are many videos about the case, but they are in Spanish. I hardly recommend them.
4. “The Death of Asunta Basterra.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA0WVzSG5VA
Luna Martinez
Asunta's case is horrible. In 2013, in Spain, a twelve-year-old girl was murdered by her parents. Actually, they are in jail because they were found guilty. The proof of their liability is there. However, there are many questions with no answers: why? Why were both parents involved when they were separated? Also, there are some inconsistencies with the last hours in Asunta's life.
And, if you hear Asunta's mother talking, you almost will cry. This woman sounds so innocent that you get some doubts.
5. “The people vs. OJ Simpson.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7jwUVj0hHE
Netflix
OJ Simpson was the protagonist of all news in 1994. The murder of his wife and his trial were in all the news. The show is the story of the trial and the impact on American culture. It is an excellent show; also, it won many awards. Even though we know the end of this story, you will be looking for the last episode.
My last suggestion is out of Netflix's world. "Serial" is the most downloaded podcast of history. It is fantastic, please, promise me that will listen to it.
