scary documentaries based on true stories

'Dear Zachary' is another popular one. It's a heart - breaking and scary true story about a man who was wrongly accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend. The way the story unfolds and the real - life implications are truly disturbing.

The fact that they're true. Knowing that these events actually happened makes it all the more terrifying. For example, in a horror movie, we can tell ourselves it's just fiction, but with a true - story documentary, it hits closer to home.

There's also 'Cropsey'. It's based on the true story of the legend of Cropsey, a boogeyman - like figure on Staten Island. But as the documentary unfolds, it reveals a more disturbing and real - life story of a mental institution and disappearances in the area.

Not always. Some documentaries might take creative liberties or present one-sided views.

Well, it depends. Some are quite reliable as they are based on real investigations and eyewitness accounts. For example, documentaries related to the Warrens' cases often have a lot of research behind them.

One of the top documentaries based on a true story is 'The Act of Killing'. It's a chilling exploration of the Indonesian mass killings in the 1960s. The film has the perpetrators re - enact their crimes in various cinematic styles, which is both disturbing and thought - provoking. Another great one is 'Blackfish'. This documentary exposes the treatment of killer whales in captivity, especially focusing on Tilikum, an orca at SeaWorld. It led to a significant public outcry against keeping these large and intelligent animals in such confined spaces. And 'Icarus' is also very notable. It started as an exploration of doping in sports but turned into a much bigger story about the Russian doping scandal.

One great one is 'Icarus'. It delves into the world of doping in sports. The filmmaker originally set out to make a film about his own attempt at doping to compete in a long - distance cycling event. But as he dug deeper, he uncovered a major international doping scandal. Another is 'The Act of Killing', which is about the Indonesian mass killings in the 1960s. It's a very powerful and disturbing documentary as it gets the actual perpetrators to re - enact their crimes in different cinematic styles.

Another good example is 'Serial'. It focuses on the case of Adnan Syed. Each episode dives deeper into the mystery of his conviction for the murder of his ex - girlfriend. It's interesting as it presents different perspectives from various people involved in the case, including Syed himself, his friends, and family members, and also those from the legal side.

Not always. Some documentaries might take creative liberties or present one-sided perspectives.

They also make people feel more aware of the world around them. By watching these documentaries, viewers can learn about different aspects of the justice system, how crimes are investigated, and what can go wrong. For example, in 'Making a Murderer', it showed how flaws in the legal process can lead to controversial outcomes. This kind of knowledge makes people more vigilant and informed.