Looking for something to do late at night in the dorm? Well, documentary nights have become my group chat’s go-to activity.
Spooky season is officially here, and what’s creepier than true crime?
This year, Netflix has been STOCKED UP in the documentary department, and I have been on a total binging spree with my floormates! From movies to docuseries, there is a never-ending spree of mind-blowing stories being told through killer (literally) cinematography. Here are some of my personal reviews and recommendations of my latest watches!
1. “Unknown Number” – 7/10
This documentary had been all over my Tik Tok for you page for weeks before I finally got the chance to watch it. I have seen so many TikToks with people’s reactions to the outcome of the case. The way the story was told just flowed so well throughout the entire documentary that I almost wish it were longer. The story focuses on a teenage girl and her boyfriend in a small town where everyone knows everybody. One day, the girl receives a string of random messages from an unknown number. As the investigation unfolds, it reveals how social media, community perception, and manipulation played a major role in what happened.
TIKTOK BELOW CONTAINS SPOILERS, DON’T WATCH IF YOU WANT TO FIND OUT ON YOUR OWN!
Like any good documentary, you are honestly on the edge of your seat the whole time. My friends and I even made predictions on who we thought it would be, but the conclusion shocked us all. After watching and browsing social media, I noticed some confusing time jumps in the narration that made it difficult to determine the actual conclusion of the story. But overall, this documentary is definitely a fall staple just from the mystery aspect alone. If you do watch, please be sure to record your reactions once you find out who’s behind those insane texts!
2. “Abducted in plain sight” – 10/10
My friends and I found this one just scrolling through the true crime section of Netflix. We had no idea what we were about to get into. This story may be the most insane thing I have ever seen in my life, and the worst part is that it happens twice. Everything about this documentary deserves a 10. The story is told through the eyes of a family re-telling the encounters with their neighbor and family friend, who ends up having a very dark obsession with the youngest daughter of the family. I personally think the most chilling part is the fact that the victim is in the documentary and she is able to re-tell her story to millions.
This documentary was genuinely a rollercoaster. So many emotions, and I couldn’t stop myself from yelling at the TV! If you are someone who is sensitive to SA (sexual assault) cases, I would say to proceed with caution. There is nothing explicit shown, but they do re-enact a lot of the scenes with actors. Those scenes specifically were hard to watch just because of how difficult it is to imagine. Overall, “Abducted in Plain Sight” is a documentary I will probably never forget. It really set in for me how different the times of the 70s and 80s are from today.
3. “Worst Roommate Ever” – 10/10
“Worst Roommate Ever” is a documentary series on Netflix that follows different people’s stories about their worst roommate experiences. The series has an amazing concept and an even better execution. The visuals paired with each story are animated, which I loved. It helped to tell the story, add some much-needed context, and at some points, lighten the mood. My favorite part about this series is the range of cases narrated in each episode. Each segment ranges in severity, which makes bingeing super entertaining because you never know what’s coming next!
This series can get so creepy, especially for college students living on campus. I mean, you never know what could happen, which made this so much spookier. After three episodes, everyone watching with me had to put on cartoons before bed because we were getting a little paranoid. Though a lot of the cases were more ridiculous, so it’s kind of hard to see them happening. I definitely recommend watching this series with your roommate, because my roommate and I really enjoyed the debriefs after each episode!
NEW DOCUMENTARIES ON THE WAY!
So many new documentaries have been popping up throughout the fall! Even more on the way in November. If you didn’t feel compelled by anything you saw in this article (or maybe you saw them all?! If so, please let me know your reactions!), but still want to partake in documentary binging for the season, there is still so much on the way! Watch this Instagram reel for dates and titles to look out for. Plus, the creator is always updating with new documentaries and has great reviews, so I recommend following her for more info in the future!
What is spooky season without documentaries that tell spine-tingling true stories? Those were my recent spooky watches, and I can’t wait to continue watching more! I hope you enjoyed and found your next late-night watch!