Movies Like Mommy Dead and Dearest

If you liked Mommy Dead and Dearest (2017), a crime and documentary movie directed by Erin Lee Carr, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Girl in the Picture (2022)
★ 7.1/10Also crime and documentary
A young mother’s mysterious death and her son’s subsequent kidnapping blow open a decades-long mystery about the woman’s true identity, and the murderous federal fugitive at the center of it all.
2
Abducted in Plain Sight (2017)
★ 6.6/10Also documentary and crime
A family falls prey to the manipulative charms of a neighbor, who abducts their adolescent daughter. Twice.
3
Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers (2025)
★ 7/10Also documentary and crime
Aileen Wuornos remains a rarity: a female serial killer. From childhood abuse to death-row revelations, this documentary revisits her life and crimes.
4
Maternal Instinct (2026)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary and crime
Police pull over a woman who claims she just gave birth. But the baby — and the blood — aren't hers. Twisted lies unravel in this true-crime documentary.
5
Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
★ 7.1/10Also documentary and crime
An Oscar nominated documentary about a middle-class American family who is torn apart when the father Arnold and son Jesse are accused of sexually abusing numerous children. Director Jarecki interviews people from…
6
My Father, the BTK Killer (2025)
★ 6.7/10Also crime and documentary
Raised by a man leading a monstrous double life, the daughter of the BTK serial killer shares her chilling story.
7
What Jennifer Did (2024)
★ 6.2/10Also documentary and crime
When Jennifer Pan calls 911 to report that her parents have been shot, she becomes the primary focus of a captivating criminal case.
8
A Toxic Love Story (2026)
★ 6.4/10Also documentary
A string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.
9
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
★ 8.1/10Also documentary and crime
In 2001, Andrew Bagby, a medical resident, is murdered not long after breaking up with his girlfriend. Soon after, when she announces she's pregnant, one of Andrew's many close friends, Kurt Kuenne, begins this film, a…
10
Tales of the Grim Sleeper (2014)
★ 6.3/10Also crime and documentary
When Lonnie Franklin Jr. was arrested in South Central Los Angeles in 2010 as the suspected murderer of a string of young black women, police hailed it as the culmination of 20 years of investigations. Four years later…
11
A Deadly American Marriage (2025)
★ 6.5/10Also crime and documentary
A chilling 911 call. A gruesome scene. What really happened inside a family's quiet suburban home? Murder or self-defense? Told from both sides, this documentary explores Jason Corbett's brutal death.
12
Ted Bundy: Mind of a Monster (2019)
★ 7.6/10Also crime and documentary
New exclusive access and never before heard testimony gives a unique insight into the mind of America's most notorious serial killer, Ted Bundy. Breathtaking archive from the time and the voice of Bundy himself…
13
My Mom Jayne (2025)
★ 7.9/10Also documentary
Through deeply personal interviews with her siblings and an examination of the photographs, letters, and belongings left behind, Mariska assembles a new portrait of her mother Jayne Mansfield, an extraordinary and…
14
American Murder: The Family Next Door (2020)
★ 7.3/10Also crime and documentary
Using raw, firsthand footage, this documentary examines the disappearance of Shanann Watts and her children, and the terrible events that followed.
15
Out of Thin Air (2017)
★ 5.9/10Also documentary and crime
Set within the stark Icelandic landscape, OUT OF THIN AIR examines the 1976 police investigation into the disappearance of two men in the early 1970s.
16
The Menendez Brothers (2024)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary
Serving life in prison for murdering their parents, Lyle and Erik Menendez speak out in this documentary explaining the shocking crime and ensuing trials.
17
Predators (2025)
★ 6.7/10Also documentary and crime
In the mid-aughts, Dateline NBC's To Catch a Predator drew millions of weekly viewers to watch sting operations: men planning to meet minors for sex would instead be confronted by polished host Chris Hansen, then by…
18
The Crash (2026)
★ 6.8/10Also documentary and crime
A teen slams her car into a building, killing her boyfriend and his friend. What seems like a tragic accident becomes a murder case.
19
Voyeur (2017)
★ 5.9/10Also documentary and crime
Legendary journalist Gay Talese unmasks a motel owner who spied on his guests for decades. But his bombshell story soon becomes a scandal of its own.
20
Deliver Us from Evil (2006)
★ 7.2/10Also crime and documentary
Documentary filmmaker Amy Berg investigates the life of 30-year pedophile Father Oliver O'Grady and exposes the corruption inside the Catholic Church that allowed him to abuse countless children. Victims' stories and a…