3 haunting HBO Max documentaries to watch this weekend (July 24-26)
There’s not much in the way of slick and splashy new documentaries premiering on HBO Max as we head down the home stretch of July, and you know what? That’s fine. Few streaming services have a better track record when it comes to documentaries, and a bit of a lull in new releases is sometimes just the excuse you need to dive into the archives.
And while there is one new thing for you to check out this weekend, I’ve dug deep into HBO Max’s docs, too, for this roundup. Kicking things off is a new special about a manipulative social media cult, followed by an acclaimed hunt for the Golden State Killer, and my personal pick, the epic doc about a Rolling Stones concert that went horribly wrong.
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People Magazine Investigates: The University of Cosmic Intelligence Cult
A social media prophet’s following turns deadly
If you’re looking for something that starts slow but twists down to darker, more sinister territory, the freshest pick on this weekend’s list is this two-hour Investigation Discovery special that’s part of People Magazine’s long-running “Investigates” franchise. Premiering on July 14, People Magazine Investigates: The University of Cosmic Intelligence Cult traces the online rise of Rashad Jamal, an Atlanta rapper and self-styled prophet who built a massive following on TikTok and YouTube during the lockdown of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
The special looks at how the charismatic speaker went from preaching about Black empowerment and identity to peddling conspiracy theories, with members of the group later being linked to several murders by 2022. Most disturbingly, though, in 2023, six people connected to the group—including two young children—disappeared from Missouri and still haven’t been found. That same year, Jamal was convicted of child molestation and sentenced to 18 years in prison, though his social outlets still remain active, believed to be managed by his followers.
The riveting documentary special uses tons of archival footage and photos as well as interviews with survivors, law enforcement, and families to drive the story.
People Magazine Investigates
- Release Date
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November 7, 2016
- Network
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Investigation Discovery
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David Christopher Wells
Narrator (voice)
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Chris Harris
Self – Senior Reporter, People Magazine
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Stella Sands
Self – True Crime Author
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Robert Kolker
Self – True Crime Author, “Lost Girls”
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I’ll Be Gone in the Dark
One writer’s obsessive hunt for the Golden State Killer
The Original Night Stalker. The Golden State Killer. The terrifying serial rapist and killer who terrorized California throughout the 1970s and ’80s and eluded justice for decades was an obsession for true-crime journalist and blogger Michelle McNamara. Her book, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer, was the megaphone she hoped would help spotlight a heinous man and his victims—and maybe, just maybe, finally help catch him.
Tragically, McNamara died suddenly in 2016, before she could finish her book. But luckily, Liz Garbus’ staggering 2020 docuseries, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, is here to tell two stories at once—one that traces the intense hunt for the Golden State Killer in incredible detail, and one about McNamara herself, and how her husband, comedian Patton Oswalt, led the charge to complete her book, which would become a posthumous bestseller and the basis for the HBO series.
Quiz
Best true-crime documentaries on Netflix
Trivia 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
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?
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.
The Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler focuses on a con man who posed as a
wealthy heir to which real-world business dynasty?
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.
The Keepers, a 2017 Netflix docuseries, investigates the unsolved murder of which
victim?
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.
Which Netflix documentary features Robert Durst, a real estate heir, who made a
stunning apparent confession while wearing a hot mic?
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.
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?
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.
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?
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.
Which Netflix true-crime docuseries examines NXIVM, the organization accused of
being a cult that recruited women as ‘slaves’ and branded them?
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.
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?
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.
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Told using archival footage, home movies, audio recordings, recreations, and interviews with Oswalt and other key contributors, the series features six episodes and a 2021 special that covers the guilty plea and sentencing of Joseph James DeAngelo. Yes, they caught him— eerily, just two months after McNamara’s book was published in 2018, DNA evidence led to his arrest. This is bucket-list viewing for true crime buffs.
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Gimme Shelter
The Rolling Stones’ tragic concert at Altamont
Having just released the 25th studio album of their 64-year career, Foreign Tongues, I thought, why not take a look back at one of the defining moments of The Rolling Stones’ legendary story? Often ranked as one of the greatest rock documentaries ever made—it opened the Cannes Film Festival in 1971 and still sits at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes—Gimme Shelter chronicles the final weeks of the band’s epic 1969 U.S. tour.
That run ended at the infamous Altamont Free Concert, a disastrous rock festival in California billed as “Woodstock West,” headlined by the Rolling Stones and featuring performances from other rock gods like Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and Santana. The fatal flaw in the organization of the event, however, was the use of the Hells Angels motorcycle club as security guards, whose violent clashes with some of the festival’s 300,000 fans ended in the death of Meredith Hunter—a moment that was tragically caught on camera.
Gimme Shelter is a 91-minute nail-biter, framed by the haunting device of Mick Jagger and drummer Charlie Watts aghast at the raw footage on an editing table. It features behind-the-scenes footage as organizers pull the show together in the lead-up, as well as some incredible performances from the bands involved, making for a bittersweet account of what could have been.
Gimme Shelter
- Release Date
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December 6, 1970
- Runtime
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92 minutes
- Director
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Albert Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin, David Maysles
- Producers
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Ronald Schneider
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Mick Jagger
Self – The Rolling Stones Member
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The end of July doesn’t have to be boring
A twisted true-crime doc tonight, chase a serial killer tomorrow, and cap the weekend with some essential rock history. The order’s up to you, but that’s a fascinating little weekend, right there. When you’re done, though, How-To Geek’s streaming section has plenty more recommendations for every service.
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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.
