HBO Max doesn't let up when it comes to documentaries, and has had some serious standouts this year already, not least of which is , the ongoing saga of the illegal reptile trade that's 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.This week, however, HBO Max dropped a fascinating handful of new titles.They include a pair of fresh new seasons of shows—one that will make your skin crawl as it gets up close with some seriously disturbed individuals, and another that will boggle your mind with its enormous undertakings—and my top pick this weekend, a detailed account of the assassination attempt of a Russian double agent in Britain in 2018.
Let's go! 3 Signs of a Psychopath (Season 11) Cold confessions, manic mood swings, and unpredictable killers Trust me: you only need to give a couple of episodes, and you'll be strangely hooked.What makes the stalwart Investigation Discovery series—now six years in and celebrating its 11th season and 100th-episode milestone—so shocking and compelling is how it lets the killers talk, and what they often have to say will give you the heebie-jeebies.Season 11 of the half-hour true-crime workhorse series covers eight cases that, true to its tried-and-tested formula, are assembled largely from interrogation-room footage and interviews with some heinous killers and the detectives who worked their cases.
It also mixes in archival and some newsreel footage with case files and accounts from the investigators.But some of the most fascinating insights come from the psychological analysis that's anchored by forensic psychologist N.G.Berrill and other analysts, who flag all the signs from the killers as they're being questioned—lack of remorse, flat demeanor, arrogance, grandiosity, and the often shocking pivots from denial to confession.
The opening episode, "I Guess I'm a Maniac," sets the tone with a decade-old Florida unsolved murder case, in which the psychopathic sexual predator killer just shows up with a surprise confession.Signs of a Psychopath TV-14 Documentary Crime Release Date August 23, 2020 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming BUY Network Investigation Discovery Cast N.G.Berrill, Samantha Turret Directors Stephen Dost Writers Alissa Collins Seasons 11 Powered by Expand Collapse 2 Building Giants (Season 5) 10 episodes of mind-boggling superstructures and how they were built If you're a fan of in-depth documentaries or series like or then is going to seriously scratch your itch for watching how some of the world's craziest mega structures and buildings are built.
Yes, it's eye candy for engineers and documentary nerds like me who are impressed by the massive scale of it all. Quiz 8 Questions · Test Your Knowledge Best true-crime documentaries on NetflixTrivia challenge Think you know your cold cases from your con artists? Test your knowledge of Netflix's most gripping true-crime stories. DocumentariesCold CasesCon ArtistsMurdersDocuseries Begin 01 / 8 Docuseries Which Netflix docuseries follows the story of Steven Avery, a man who was exonerated after 18 years in prison only to be charged with murder shortly after? AThe KeepersBThe StaircaseCMaking a MurdererDEvil Genius Correct! Making a Murderer, released in 2015, became a cultural phenomenon and sparked widespread debate about wrongful convictions and the American justice system. Filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Monika Chai spent ten years documenting Steven Avery's case in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. Not quite — the answer is Making a Murderer.Released in 2015, it follows Steven Avery, who was exonerated of sexual assault after 18 years only to be charged with the murder of Teresa Halbach.
The series raised serious questions about police misconduct and evidence tampering. Continue 02 / 8 Con Artists The Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler focuses on a con man who posed as a wealthy heir to which real-world business dynasty? AThe Rothschild familyBThe Murdoch familyCThe Lauder familyDThe Leviev diamond family Correct! Simon Leviev falsely claimed to be the son of Lev Leviev, a real Israeli billionaire diamond mogul.He used this fabricated identity to romance women on Tinder and manipulate them into lending him hundreds of thousands of dollars. Not quite — the answer is the Leviev diamond family.Simon Leviev, whose real name is Shimon Hayut, posed as the son of Israeli diamond billionaire Lev Leviev to gain the trust of women he met on Tinder.
He then swindled them out of large sums of money under the guise of being in danger. Continue 03 / 8 Cold Cases The Keepers, a 2017 Netflix docuseries, investigates the unsolved murder of which victim? AA Baltimore schoolteacher named Sister Cathy CesnikBA New York journalist named Kathleen DurstCA Chicago nurse named Pamela MossDA Washington D.C.librarian named Anne Marie Fahey Correct! Sister Cathy Cesnik was a beloved Catholic nun and high school teacher in Baltimore whose 1969 murder remains officially unsolved.The Keepers digs into allegations that her death was connected to a cover-up of sexual abuse at Archbishop Keough High School. Not quite — the answer is Sister Cathy Cesnik, a Catholic nun and teacher from Baltimore.
The Keepers examines her mysterious 1969 murder alongside disturbing allegations of institutional abuse at the Catholic school where she worked, suggesting the two may be deeply connected. Continue 04 / 8 Murders Which Netflix documentary features Robert Durst, a real estate heir, who made a stunning apparent confession while wearing a hot mic? AThe JinxBDon't F**k with CatsCI Care a LotDThe Vow Correct! The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst is an HBO production that is widely available and referenced on Netflix platforms.In the final episode, Durst was caught on a bathroom microphone muttering, 'What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course.' He was later convicted of murder in 2021. Not quite — the answer is The Jinx.Robert Durst, a wealthy New York real estate heir, was the subject of this explosive docuseries.
In a bathroom he thought was private, he was caught on a live microphone apparently confessing to multiple killings, leading to his eventual arrest and 2021 murder conviction. Continue 05 / 8 Docuseries Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer centers on the online manhunt for a killer who first gained notoriety by posting what kind of videos online? AVideos threatening public figuresBVideos of himself committing arsonCVideos showing the torture and killing of catsDVideos of staged kidnappings Correct! Luka Magnotta first drew internet attention by posting videos of himself killing cats, which prompted a massive online community to try to unmask him before he escalated.The series shows how amateur internet sleuths tracked him long before he committed murder. Not quite — the answer is videos showing the torture and killing of cats.Luka Magnotta posted these videos online, which prompted a group of internet users to attempt to identify him.
Tragically, their investigation came too late to prevent him from murdering Jun Lin in 2012. Continue 06 / 8 Con Artists Bad Vegan: Fame.Fraud.Fugitives.
tells the story of Sarma Melngailis, a celebrity restaurateur who was manipulated into committing financial fraud by a man who claimed he could do what? AMake her the world's most famous chefBMake her dog immortalCGive her access to a secret vegan research networkDHelp her open a restaurant empire in Europe Correct! Anthony Strangis, the man Sarma married, convinced her that he had mystical powers and could make her beloved dog Leon immortal if she proved her loyalty — which she did by funneling money and going on the run with him.The story is as bizarre as it sounds. Not quite — the answer is that he claimed he could make her dog immortal.Anthony Strangis used this outlandish promise, along with psychological manipulation, to convince Sarma Melngailis to embezzle money from her own acclaimed New York restaurant, Pure Food and Wine, and eventually flee with him as fugitives. Continue 07 / 8 Cults Which Netflix true-crime docuseries examines NXIVM, the organization accused of being a cult that recruited women as 'slaves' and branded them? AThe VowBEscaping Twin FlamesCThe FamilyDHoly Hell Correct! The Vow is an in-depth docuseries about NXIVM, a self-improvement organization led by Keith Raniere that prosecutors proved was actually a criminal enterprise.
Former members describe how they were manipulated into a secret sorority called DOS, where women were branded with Raniere's initials. Not quite — the answer is The Vow.This multi-part Netflix docuseries examines NXIVM and its leader Keith Raniere, who was ultimately convicted of sex trafficking and racketeering in 2019.Several high-profile members, including Smallville actress Allison Mack, were also charged in connection with the organization. Continue 08 / 8 Murders The Staircase, one of the earliest true-crime docuseries on Netflix, follows the trial of Michael Peterson, who was accused of murdering his wife at the bottom of what? AA swimming poolBA staircase in their Durham, North Carolina homeCA staircase in a French chateauDA hotel fire escape Correct! Michael Peterson was accused of killing his wife Kathleen at the bottom of a staircase in their Durham, North Carolina home in 2001.
The case became famous for the bizarre 'owl theory' defense and was later adapted into a scripted HBO drama series of the same name. Not quite — the answer is a staircase in their Durham, North Carolina home.Michael Peterson claimed his wife Kathleen fell accidentally, but prosecutors argued she was beaten to death.The case is also famous for the unusual 'owl theory,' which suggested an owl attack may have caused her injuries before she fell. See My Score Challenge Complete Your Score / 8 Thanks for playing! Try Again Running on the Science Channel since 2018, season 5 of Building Giants ran weekly from June 10 to August 12 and now makes its way to HBO Max as a complete 10-episode package you can probably binge in a few days.
Each episode this season focuses on one absurdly large structure—including a megalithic cruise ship, a floating football stadium in Liverpool, a railway tunnel between the French and Italian Alps, a mega dam in Colorado, and a super skyscraper in Athens that must withstand earthquakes and coastal winds.The footage is absolutely stunning, too, as cameras that are live on each site deliver images you'd never likely see on the ground or inside as they're in their various stages of completion.You also get some insight and commentary from the engineers and construction crews as they share challenges, dangers, and near-misses they've had on the job.
Building Giants TV-PG Documentary Reality Release Date 2018 - 2020-00-00 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming BUY Network Science Cast Julian Barratt Producers Andrew Barron, Carlo Massarella Seasons 5 Powered by Expand Collapse 1 The Salisbury Poisonings: A Spy Next Door Revisiting Britain's shocking nerve-agent attack My top pick for the weekend, and the only feature-length documentary here, is another quality CNN Films production that originally aired in July and now makes its way to HBO Max as of August 11.From documentary filmmaker Dan Vernon (), is a twisting 79-minute account of the 2018 Novichok attack in the quiet city of Salisbury, England, where Russian intelligence agents used a highly toxic nerve agent to attempt to assassinate former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia.Sounds like some 007 stuff, right? The documentary retraces the events of the attack as the city scrambled HAZMAT-clad officials to identify the toxin and secure people's safety; British intelligence got to work to find out who was responsible; and then Prime Minister Theresa May figured out how the country should respond to an attack on its soil.
The doc's pacing never lulls, as Vernon uses first-hand testimony from the likes of Theresa May herself, ex-MI6 chiefs Richard Dearlove and John Sawers, as well as renowned investigative reporter Christo Grozev, whose Bellingcat investigation led to the identification of the Russian GRU operatives responsible for the poisoning.Roku Ultra $91 $99 Save $8 Operating System RkuOS Connectivity luetooth, Ethernet, HDMI, USB, Wi-Fi $91 at Amazon Expand Collapse Psychos, engineers, and MI6 This weekend's documentary selection is anything but boring, once again proving that real life is infinitely crazier and more fascinating than Hollywood will ever be.If you're looking for more docs to make it through the weekend (or next week), we regularly scope out all the best that Netflix and Paramount+ have to offer, too.
HBO Max Subscription with ads Yes, $10.99/month Simultaneous streams 2 or 4 HBO Max is a subscription-based streaming service offering content from HBO, Warner Bros., DC, and more.In 2025, the service re-branded itself as HBO Max after having previously cut "HBO" from its name.Live TV Live sports available in Standard and Premium plans Price Starting at $10.99/month or $109.99/year See available plans Expand Collapse
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