Best Crime Web Series Based on True Stories

• saloni gupta
• July 30, 2026
• Entertainment
• best crime web series based on true stories, Crime based Web Series
• 0 Comments

If you enjoy nail-biting suspense that’s scarier because it’s true, then the best crime web series based on true stories is the perfect pick. These shows tell gripping tales of real-life murders, serial killers, frauds, terrorist attacks, and other jaw-dropping criminal activities.

In this compilation of the Best Crime Web Series Based on True Stories, you will find a mix of different Indian and international series that have received the highest ratings and reviews from viewers and critics alike on leading OTT platforms.

Best Crime Web Series Based on True Stories

List of Best International True Crime Stories

Mindhunter (Netflix)

Incorporating the real-life experiences of the FBI Behavioral Science Unit, Mindhunter follows agents who interview and meet infamous serial killers to understand and create criminal profiles. It’s smart, engaging, and hailed as one of the best crime shows ever to be produced.

Source: The Adobe Blog

Narcos (Netflix)

The story is based on the life of Pablo Escobar and his Medellín Cartel. Blending actual events, narrated as a documentary, and thrilling crime has made the show extremely popular.

Source: IMDb

BlackBird (Apple TV)

Based on an actual prison operation, a convict has to befriend a suspected serial killer and get him to confess. The chemistry between the two leads is remarkable.

Source: IMDb

When They See Us (Netflix)

An emotional re-creation of the Central Park Five story, this Emmy Award-winning miniseries shows how five innocent teens were wrongly sentenced.

Source: IMDb

The Staircase (Max)

This dramatization examines Kathleen Peterson’s mysterious death and the scandalous trial of her spouse, Michael Peterson. It keeps the viewers interested till the last moment.

The Serpent (Netflix)

Inspired by the life of Charles Sobhraj, this drama depicts a criminal and serial killer who would scam backpackers in various parts of Asia in the 1970s.

Dirty John (Netflix)

An established woman gets romantically involved with a seemingly perfect physician, whose mistakes from the past come to light. The show is based on a famous true-crime audio project of the same name.

Source: IMDb

Unbelievable (Netflix)

Two female detectives research some sexual assault cases while revealing serious faults in the justice system. The show is both captivating and sad.

Source: IMDb

Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (Netflix)

The show portrays many unusual events in Jeffrey Dahmer’s life, while paying attention to certain failures of the system that helped him kill for a long time.

Source: IMDb

American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson (Disney+/Hulu)

The best courtroom series ever, this one provides the details of the famous O.J. Simpson trial and features brilliant acting performances of all the actors involved.

Source: Disney Plus

Best Indian Crime Webseries based on True Series

Delhi Crime (Netflix)

India’s first-ever series to win an International Emmy Award is a dramatization of the investigations into the Delhi gang rape case of 2012. Shefali Shah shines in her role as DCP Vartika Chaturvedi.

Source: Goodreturns

The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case (SonyLIV)

This intense series revolves around the investigation of Rajiv Gandhi’s murder carried out by investigators in the year 1991.

Source: IMDb

Trial by Fire (Netflix)

This is based on a true story by Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy about the fight for justice of parents whose children lost their lives in the Uphaar Cinema fire in 1997.

Source: Seek Red

House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths (Netflix)

This unsettling documentary takes a look at the strange deaths of eleven members of a family living together in the city of Delhi.

The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth (Netflix)

Documentary series tracing the Sheena Bora murder featuring interviews and investigations revealing the tangled family secrets behind it.

Source: IMDb

Black Warrant (Netflix)

The series based on Tihar jailer’s autobiography lets viewers have an inside view of Tihar Jail.

Source: IMDb

Two Amazing Recommendations

The Act (Hulu)

The series is based on the disturbing real-life story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and the abuse she experienced with her mother and is fascinating and full of suspense.

Under the Banner of Heaven (Hulu)

With the leading role played by Andrew Garfield, the series shows how a detective investigates a horrible double murder committed because of certain religious beliefs.

Which Web Series should you watch first?

• Best overall: Mindhunter (8.6)
• Best Indian series: Delhi Crime (8.5)
• Best investigative thriller: The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case (8.3)
• Best serial-killer series: The Serpent (7.6)
• Best documentary: House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths (8.0)
• Best emotional drama: When They See Us (8.8)

Final Thoughts!

The most compelling crime web series based on actual events shows that the truth can often be more frightening than fictional storytelling. In terms of psychological thrillers, Mindhunter; in terms of the drug war, Narcos; and in terms of Indian drama, Delhi Crime and The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case, all these series bring consistent suspense, emotional depth, and insightful content from actual investigation processes.

The three series that I would like to recommend – Mindhunter, Delhi Crime, and When They See Us – can serve as one of the best combinations of psychological crime, Indian investigative drama, and meaningful storytelling related to the subject of true crime.