In the mood for some real-life thrilling stories? Here are the best true crime shows on Apple TV+.
The best true crime shows on Apple TV+ boast more than just gory murders and stories of brazen criminals. They ensure gripping plots, high-octane drama, a live wire of scares, and powerful performances that create award-winning series.
These crime shows are backed by high IMDb ratings that testify to their critical acclaim and approval from audiences. Based on real-life incidents from ancient and contemporary times, they hold a mirror to society where the truth is stranger than fiction.
For instance, the newly launched series Manhunt, whose pilot episode rolled out on 15 March 2024. It dives deep into the truth behind the first presidential assassinations in the United States that shook the world.
On the other hand, Home Before Dark (2020—) delves into the shocking case of Billy Milligan who became the first person in American history to be acquitted of the disturbing crimes he committed. The manner in which the whys and hows are portrayed in the show makes it a must-watch for all who love an engaging true-crime series.
Find out some of the best true crime shows of all time to watch
Additionally, Apple TV+ offers an array of other original shows from across the globe. For instance, the Israeli psychological thriller Losing Alice (2020) revolves around film director Alice (played by Ayelet Zurer) and her obsession with a younger femme fatale screenwriter Sophie (played by Lihi Kornowski). Her greed for power, relevance and success ultimately leads her to dire situations.
Other titles like Shining Girls (2022), Suspicion (2022), Criminal Record (2024) and Truth Be Told (2019) are noteworthy names that are making the OTT that launched in 2019 emerge as a tough competitor to Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
Some of the best true crime shows on Apple TV+ with high IMDb ratings
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1 /8
IMDb rating: 7.1
Created by: James Lee Hernandez, Brian Lazarte
Cast: Ella Frazee, Robert Gerding, Tim Hildebrand
Episodes: 4
Synopsis: Eric C Conn (Hildebrand), a small-town lawyer from Kentucky, scams the US government of almost USD 550 million via its social security scheme. He distributes the money among the needy, who allegedly deserve the social security disability payments. Eric teams up with Judge David B. Daugherty and a few crooked doctors to look into such cases. This fraudulent practice, the biggest in US history, was finally unearthed when two officers in the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review in West Virginia, and journalist Damian Paletta investigated it. Then the latter published a shocking expose in The Wall Street Journal in May 2011.
IMDb rating: 7.1
Created by: Georgia Pritchett
Cast: Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Kathryn Hahn, Casey Wilson
Episodes: 8
Synopsis: The true crime series is based on the cunning wrongdoings of psychiatrist Dr Isaac ‘Ike’ Herschkopf (Rudd) and his longtime patient Martin ‘Marty’ Markowitz (Ferrell). What began as a seemingly normal doctor-patient dynamic, soon turns into a diabolic web of plottings and plannings when Ike inserts himself into Marty’s life. Ike’s uncommon means of therapy, meddling in Marty’s life, taking up power and Marty finally speaking out form the premise of this series.
About the series: The Shrink Next Door is based on the 2019 Wondery and Bloomberg Media podcast of the same name. Over the six episodes, journalist Joe Nocera decodes how he thought Ike was the owner of his next-door house in the Hamptons while a man named Marty was the caretaker. In reality, it was the reverse.
IMDb rating: 7.2
Directed by: James Jones
Cast: Carlos Ghosn, Charles Nishikawa, Mirsen Lausten
Episodes: 4
Synopsis: The riveting story shows the rise and fall of automobile mogul Carlos Ghosn along with his tryst with Nissan-Renault. Once the CEO of Michelin Tyres and Nissan-Renault, Ghosn became a wanted fugitive after a massive downfall due to financial embezzling and malpractices within the latter brand. This was followed by his dramatic arrest and a grand escape.
4 /8
IMDb rating: 7.3
Created by: Monica Beletsky
Cast: Tobias Menzies, Anthony Boyle, Lovie Simone, Hamish Linklater
Episodes: 7
Synopsis: A mad hunt for John Wilkes Booth (Boyle) ensued in the aftermath of the first American Presidential assassination of Abraham Lincoln (Linklater). From conspiracy theories brewing around this crime to the investigation into the breach of security and the nation’s struggle to protect the principles of Lincoln’s Reconstruction plans, this series dives into one of the most horrifying crimes in the US.
About the series: This Apple TV+ series is based on The New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning nonfiction book Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson.
5 /8
IMDb rating: 7.4
Created by: Steve Lightfoot, Eric Warren Singer
Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Fayssal Bazzi, Sujaya Dasgupta, Shubham Saraf, Antonia Desplat
Episodes: 12
Synopsis: Set in the 1980s, Lindsay ‘Lin’ Ford (Hunnam) is a young runaway fugitive from an Australian high-security prison. In a bid to escape his troubles, he arrives in the dusty slums of Mumbai, then Bombay, befriends a localite Prabhakar (Saraf), emerges as a local doctor, gets entangled with the dreaded mafia, and even falls for a Swiss-American woman Karla (Desplat). He also uses his smuggling and counterfeit skills to fight off the Russians in Afghanistan. But when Lin wants to put all this behind him and start afresh, the gnawing claws of the dark underworld refuse to let go of him.
About the series: This Apple TV+ series is based on Gregory David Roberts’ best-selling 2003 novel, Shantaram, chronicling the author’s real-life experiences. He was a bank robber in Australia who fled to Bombay and took up the name Shantaram.
IMDb rating: 7.5
Created by: Dana Fox, Dara Resnik
Cast: Brooklynn Prince, Jim Sturgess, Abby Miller, Kylie Rogers
Episodes: 20
Synopsis: Nine-year-old Hilde Lisko (Prince) moves from Brooklyn to a faraway lakeside town that her father left behind. She had started a local newspaper, and upon relocating, she moved it to continue reporting in it. Driven by her journalistic instincts, she uncovers a murder case that everyone, including her father, tried to bury deep. With a drive to discover the truth, she probes the matter in detail in her paper.
About the series: The character of Hilde Lisko is based on the real-life child journalist Hilde Kate Lysiak who started a newspaper Orange Street News in 2014 at nine. She launched it in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, and moved it when her family relocated to Patagonia, Arizona. In 2016, Lysiak made national news when she reported the murder case, albeit inviting criticisms, ahead of any other daily. The newspaper has a website, YouTube channel and print edition.
The second season of Home Before Dark follows Hilde, investigating a mysterious explosion that wrecked a local farm. However, this time, she has to encounter a powerful and dangerous corporation.
IMDb rating: 7.7
Created by: Akiva Goldsman
Cast: Tom Holland, Amanda Seyfried, Emmy Rossum
Episodes: 10
Synopsis: After a bloody shooting incident in 1979 New York, Danny Sullivan (Holland) is arrested for his alleged involvement. However, is he really the culprit? The true story of his life and the events that shaped him unfold via a string of interviews with curious investigator Rya Goodwin (Seyfried).
About the series: The Crowded Room is inspired by Daniel Keyes’ 1981 non-fiction novel The Minds of Billy Milligan. It chronicles the life of Billy Milligan, who is adapted into Danny Sullivan in the series.
8 /8
IMDb rating: 8.1
Created by: Dennis Lehane
Cast: Taron Egerton, Paul Walter Hauser, Greg Kinnear
Episodes: 6
Synopsis: The hit drama series revolves around James Keene (Egerton) who is sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment. In the same prison was the dreaded serial killer Larry Hall (Hauser) who was convicted of murdering several women. When James is put behind bars, he strikes a unique deal with the FBI. He would befriend Larry and lead him to reveal important information and finally confess to his crimes. In return, James would be set free.
About the series: The true crime series is based on James’ 2010 memoir In with the Devil.
(Hero and feature: Image: Courtesy The Crowded Room/ IMDb)
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
-Does Apple TV+ have any true crime shows?
Apple TV+ has a number of true crime shows and docuseries that have earned high ratings on IMDb. These include Black Bird, Manhunt, The Crowded Room and Home Before Dark.
-What is the detective show on Apple TV Plus?
Criminal Record (2024) is a great detective show available on Apple TV+.
-Is Based On A True Story on Apple TV?
Comedy thriller series Based On A True Story is available to watch on Apple TV+.
-What app has the best true crime shows?
Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Apple TV+ and Jio Cinema are some of the most popular apps and OTT platforms with a large collection of the best true crime series.
Trinetra is an ardent foodie and bibliophile who writes about films, travel, food and lifestyle. As a writer and literature student, slam poetry and storytelling are her go to jam. When not working, Trinetra is busy looking for her next place to visit or binge-watching Instagram videos for travel inspiration.
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