The Best Documentaries to Watch on Netflix in August

Ready for your next Netflix find? Try browsing hours of bingeable documentaries on Netflix.

With an increasing number of very popular crime and mystery shows, the question remains which are worth watching? We created a list of the best documentaries to watch on Netflix in August, so you’ll always have a good suggestion of what to watch next. Each documentary is handpicked to offer not only unique subject matters but inspiring stories as well.

​Best Documentaries to Watch on Netflix in August

Here are some of the best crime-based documentaries you can watch on Netflix to learn and increase your knowledge.

1. Girl in the Picture

If you like true crime and thrill shows, I think you’ll love Girl in the Picture. It’s about a young girl who was murdered in her family’s home by her brother, and it’s absolutely riveting.

This documentary will keep you glued to your seat as it follows the case through the eyes of two men: one an attorney who specializes in child abuse cases, and another who has been searching for his sister since she disappeared when he was just a boy.

The film also features interviews with other key players in this tragedy, as well as never-before-seen footage from the crime scene itself. It’s a powerful story that will shock and disturb even the most hardened truth seeker—but it’s worth it.

2. Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey

 Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey is one of those documentaries that are just so well made, so compelling to watch, that you don’t want it to end. This true crime story follows a man named Terrell Thomas who was convicted of murdering his wife despite having an alibi for most of the time they were together prior to her death. He told the court he did it because she was having an affair with another man, but now he claims that he is innocent and was framed by the police. It’s a heart-wrenching story on Netflix that will keep you on the edge of your seat as you watch it unfold. The film explores not only his innocence claim but also shows us how he navigated through prison life and what kind of support system he had outside of prison.

3. The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann

Netflix’s The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann is a true crime and thriller junkie’s dream. This documentary follows the search for the missing three-year-old girl in Portugal, who disappeared from her family’s vacation home in 2007.

The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann is an engrossing look at the disappearance of a child who captivated millions of people around the world. It’s also about how that disappearance changed everything for the parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, and their friends, who were thrust into a spotlight they never wanted or asked for.

This documentary puts you on the ground with them as they try to figure out what happened to their little girl and how they can continue to live their lives without her.

4. Our Father

A recent Netflix documentary called Our Father tells the frightening tale of a fertility specialist who secretly impregnated women with his sperm. The unsettling reality gradually comes to light when Dr. Donald Cline’s numerous children learn about their long-lost half-siblings. A lady finds a disturbing plan involving donor sperm and the well-known and contentious fertility Doctor Donald Cline after her at-home DNA test indicates several half-siblings. The documentary explores a victim narrative that is equal parts emotive and terrifying, which elicits a wide variety of feelings in viewers.

5. The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch

If you’re looking for a documentary that’s as gripping as it is fascinating, the Netflix Original “The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch” is just the thing.

The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch tells the true story of one of America’s most notorious unsolved mysteries. The documentary focuses on the real-life mystery surrounding alleged paranormal activity at a ranch in Utah, where people have claimed to see ghosts, UFOs, and other unexplained phenomena for decades.

The documentary follows paranormal investigator Joe Nickell through his investigation into the ranch. Nickell uses his skills as an electrical engineer to investigate the possibility that there is something more than just a fascinating story behind the mystery—and he finds it. Watch this documentary if you want to be creeped out by some real-life ghost stories.

Stream your favorite documentaries on Netflix

Haven’t watched any of the documentaries I mentioned above? It’s probably still worth your while to check them out. Netflix has an impressive selection of documentaries in its ever-growing library. You’ll never be at a loss for something new and interesting. Though I’ve only listed a few here, there are dozens more worth checking out.

Stream Netflix with DISH

Now you can stream all your favorite Netflix documentaries with your DISH subscription. Stream Netflix, YouTube, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, and more from one place. New subscribers can upgrade to the Hopper 3 when you sign up.