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CREEPY NETFLIX DOCUMENTARIES CHALLENGE FOR THIS HALLOWEEN

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UPR chapter.

For fellow scaredy-cats like myself, spooky season is both a challenge and, sometimes, a thrill. While you won’t catch me watching slashers or horror movies, I’ve decided that, this year, decorations, candy, and ghost stories aren’t enough

As a personal challenge, I’m diving into Netflix’s eerie true-crime docuseries to embrace the atmosphere of Halloween truly. What better way to feel like you want to lock your doors than with documentaries that blur the line between reality and nightmare?

If you too are in the mood for a binge this season, join me on this challenge to browse through Netflix’s unnerving collection of real-life stories that will linger in your subconscious. From legal battles to murderous roommates, here are five must-watch documentaries to get you into, or maybe out of, the spooky spirit.

Making a Murderer

For fans of true crime, Making a Murderer has been described as “the current jewel in Netflix’s crown and isn’t something to visit in weekly installments – to do so would undermine the near-flawless cliffhanger mould.” 

The series meticulously follows the harrowing journey of Steven Avery, a man exonerated after being wrongfully imprisoned for sexual assault and was later implicated in a gruesome murder. As the plot twists and turns, you’ll question whether justice, like fate, can sometimes be blind and cruel.

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Why it’s creepy: The ambiguity of Avery’s guilt is like a fog that never quite lifts and the dealings of the legal system are as unnerving as any ghost story. I imagine we’ll probably be left wondering how well we truly understand right from wrong.

Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer

Step into the streets of 1980s Los Angeles where a city was paralyzed by fear as Richard Ramirez, an American serial killer without a pattern, left a trail of anguish with his crimes. This documentary analyzes the horrible randomness of Ramirez’s violence by throwing watchers into the relentless manhunt that gripped the city.

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Why it’s creepy: Ramirez’s crimes sound like chaos. His ability to slip into homes unnoticed plays on one of our deepest fears: the feeling that danger could come from anywhere when you least expect it, even in your own home. 

The Keepers

In The Keepers, what begins as an investigation into the unsolved murder of a beloved Catholic nun spirals into a web of corruption, abuse, and conspiracy. With each episode, new layers of horror unfold and reveal a decades-old cover-up within the church.

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Why it’s creepy: I think we all know about most of the church’s wrongdoings throughout history, but this real-life story that occurred just last century is unnerving. It’s one thing to fear monsters, but another when those meant to guide are the ones hiding dark secrets. The fact that this is an unresolved mystery makes it even creepier. Also, am I the only one who finds this nun creepy-looking?

Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer

What starts as a hunt for an online animal abuser evolves into a nightmarish game of cat and mouse that ends in murder. The documentary tracks a group of internet sleuths as they become entwined in the twisted plans of Luka Magnotta, a man who seems to feed off attention and infamy. As the name suggests, not only is he the murderer of animals but also one human victim. 

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Why it’s creepy: As a part of Gen Z, I’ve always been told to be careful with strangers on the internet. I don’t think parents realize how even they can fall into the hands of evil. The realization that danger lies a single click away makes this documentary haunting. The transition from online cruelty to real-world horror is a dark reminder of how easily our digital lives can accompany us into reality.

Worst Roommate Ever

Lastly, nothing is more unsettling than the idea that the person you share your home with could be hiding terrible intentions. Worst Roommate Ever presents an anthology of stories about roommates who became nightmares. From con artists, squatters, and even murderers, each tale serves as a cautionary reminder that danger can bear a friendly face.

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Why it’s creepy: The idea that your roommate, the person sharing your space and life, could plot against you is enough to make you question if you truly know anybody. 

So, if like me, you find yourself drawn to real-life horror this Halloween season, Netflix’s variety of creepy documentaries makes for a great challenge to overcome the need to watch horror movies. These stories will make you reconsider who and what you trust. However, make sure not to watch these all in one day, and be warned that if you start watching, you may possibly never look at your roommates, neighbors, justice system, or society in the same way.

Nahiomy Cruz Betancourt is a writer at Her Campus at UPR. Her articles generally cover books, movies, history, video games, and music. Beyond Her Campus, Nahiomy was a journalist for 3 years at Pulso Estudiantil where she covered a wide range of topics but focused on Afro-descendants and student life. She has written the short story “Overcoming Silence” for Volume 7 Number 2 of [IN]Genios which is a semiannual University of Puerto Rico literary and investigative magazine. She is currently in her fifth and final year at the University of Puerto Rico majoring in Journalism with a minor in English Literature. When she is not studying or writing, Nahiomy enjoys reading, playing video games, listening to indie music, and impulse buying pretty vinyl. Her favorite books include "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir and "Legendborn" by Tracy Deonn. She frequently watches 90’s to early 2000’s sitcoms and collects Pokémon cards. The current games she is obsessed with are "Overwatch 2" and "Valorant," but her all time favorite is "Stardew Valley." A movie she always has on repeat is "10 Things I Hate About You." In the future, she would be interested in getting into "Dungeons & Dragons" and collecting "Magic The Gathering" cards.