The Chilling 5: Most Anticipated True Crime Documentaries Of 2025 (Confirmed Release Dates)

The true crime genre continues its relentless, fascinating grip on global audiences, and the slate for 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most compelling years yet. As of December 10, 2025, major streaming platforms and networks are preparing to unleash a new wave of investigative series and standalone films that delve into infamous cold cases, shocking family secrets, and geopolitical tragedies.

This year’s lineup moves beyond the well-trodden paths, promising fresh perspectives on historical disasters and intimate, first-hand accounts from the families of serial killers. If you are seeking deep dives into complex legal battles, shocking celebrity murders, or the dark side of digital deception, these five confirmed and highly anticipated true crime documentaries should be at the top of your watchlist.

The Confirmed and Most Chilling True Crime Documentaries of 2025

The following list highlights the most significant and unique true crime documentaries with confirmed or strongly reported 2025 release windows, offering a mix of historical gravity and modern psychological horror.

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1. Lockerbie: A Search for Truth

The Case: The devastating Pan Am Flight 103 bombing in 1988, one of the worst air disasters in history, which killed 270 people over Lockerbie, Scotland.

The Documentary: While technically a limited five-part drama series, it is based on the real events and the book The Lockerbie Bombing: A Father's Search for Justice. The series centers on Dr. Jim Swire, who lost his daughter Flora in the tragedy, and his decades-long fight for justice and accountability. The narrative explores the fractured geopolitics and the intense personal toll of the disaster.

• Release Date: January 2, 2025
• Platform: Sky Atlantic and NOW (UK/Ireland), Peacock (US)
• Key Entities: Pan Am Flight 103, Dr. Jim Swire, Flora Swire, Lockerbie, Scotland, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, International Justice.

Why It’s Essential: This series is anticipated to be a powerful and emotional examination of a global terrorist act, moving beyond mere investigation to focus on the relentless pursuit of truth by a grieving father against a backdrop of international politics and intelligence failures.

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2. My Father, The BTK Killer

The Case: The life and crimes of Dennis Rader, the notorious American serial killer known as BTK (Bind, Torture, Kill), who murdered 10 people in Wichita, Kansas, over three decades before his capture in 2005.

The Documentary: This deeply personal and chilling documentary is narrated by Kerri Rawson, Rader’s daughter. It explores the monstrous double life led by her father—a seemingly normal family man, church council president, and compliance officer—and the devastating impact his secret had on his family. The film is directed by Skye Borgman, known for her work on other major true crime hits.

• Release Date: October 10, 2025
• Platform: Netflix
• Key Entities: Dennis Rader, Kerri Rawson, BTK Killer, Serial Murder, Wichita, Kansas, Skye Borgman, Family Trauma, Psychological Horror.

Why It’s Essential: True crime audiences are always drawn to the family perspective, and Rawson’s first-hand account of being raised by a man who was secretly a prolific serial killer offers a unique and terrifying lens into the nature of evil and deception.

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3. Wasp Woman: The Murder of a B-Movie Queen

The Case: The bizarre and tragic 1988 murder of cult film actress Susan Cabot, best known for her role in the 1959 horror film The Wasp Woman. Cabot was found bludgeoned to death in her Los Angeles mansion.

The Documentary: This docuseries explores the shocking chain of events surrounding Cabot’s death, exposing a story of fame, family, and a dark, stranger-than-fiction narrative involving science gone wrong. The investigation reveals the complex life of the B-movie star and the circumstances that led to her violent end.

• Release Date: October 2, 2025
• Platform: Sundance Now/AMC
• Key Entities: Susan Cabot, B-Movie Queen, The Wasp Woman, Los Angeles Murder, Cult Film, Hollywood Tragedy, True Crime Docuseries.

Why It’s Essential: This title promises a perfect blend of Old Hollywood glamour and gruesome true crime, appealing to fans of celebrity scandal and historical murder mysteries. The "science gone wrong" element suggests a unique and unsettling twist to the domestic tragedy.

The Rise of Digital Deception and High-Profile Cold Cases

The true crime landscape of 2025 continues to explore contemporary crimes rooted in the digital age, alongside renewed interest in long-unsolved mysteries that have captivated the public for decades.

4. Unknown Number: The High School Catfish

The Case: The shocking real-life story of a mother who used the practice of "catfishing"—creating a false online identity—to deceive and harass her own daughter and her daughter's boyfriend.

The Documentary: Directed by Skye Borgman (of My Father, The BTK Killer), this film details the psychological manipulation and digital deception that unfolded when a teen girl and her boyfriend began receiving messages from an unknown number. The narrative explores the devastating emotional fallout and the legal ramifications of this bizarre form of cyberbullying and parental control.

• Anticipated Release: August/September 2025
• Platform: Netflix
• Key Entities: Catfishing, Cyberbullying, Digital Crime, Parental Abuse, Skye Borgman, Teen Harassment, Netflix Documentary.

Why It’s Essential: This documentary taps directly into modern fears about online identity and digital security, proving that some of the most shocking true crime stories now originate not from dark alleys, but from smartphones and social media platforms. The twist of the mother being the perpetrator makes it a psychological must-watch.

5. Other Highly Anticipated True Crime Series for 2025

Beyond the confirmed dates, several other high-profile true crime projects are slated for a 2025 release, promising to keep enthusiasts hooked. These projects cover a wide range of cases, from infamous serial killers to major unsolved mysteries, ensuring topical authority across the genre.

The Long Island Serial Killer (LISK) Case

A new series titled Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer is expected to be released by Netflix, focusing on the decades-long investigation into the murders of multiple women whose remains were found along the beaches of Long Island, New York. With a suspect now in custody, this documentary is perfectly timed to provide a definitive look at the case, the victims, and the renewed push for justice.

The Zodiac Killer Project

A theatrical release, Zodiac Killer Project, is scheduled to premiere in November 2025. This single-episode documentary film follows a filmmaker's journey to investigate the infamous, still-unidentified serial killer who terrorized Northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The ongoing fascination with the Zodiac Killer makes any new investigative documentary a major event in the true crime community.

The Yogurt Shop Murders and More

Audiences can also look forward to several other planned documentaries that promise to be deeply informative and unsettling, including:

• The Perfect Neighbor: A documentary exploring a seemingly idyllic suburban setting hiding a dark secret.
• Naming the Dead: Expected to be a profound look at identifying victims in cold cases.
• Sons of Ecstasy: A series that will delve into a case involving cults or extreme lifestyles.
• Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killer: Likely a new or updated look at the life and crimes of Aileen Wuornos.

These diverse topics—covering everything from cults and cold cases to digital crimes and the personal lives of killers—ensure that 2025 will be a landmark year for true crime enthusiasts.