3 riveting Netflix documentaries to watch this weekend (July 31-August 2)
July has been a pretty great month for documentaries and docuseries across all the major platforms. But the calendar is about to flip, and you know what that means—the end-of-month lull, when Netflix‘s new-release faucet slows to a drip. But there’s a but! For U.S. subscribers, a couple of just-landed titles are there for the taking, sitting alongside a catalog gem you may have missed.
This weekend, the docket includes another in Netflix’s new snack-sized Instadocs lineup, a lightning-fast look at people betting real money on the future, a brash ’90s bank robber who treated heists like movie sets, and my top pick, a sobering true-crime chronicle of a horrific campus tragedy.
3
Instadocs: The Prediction Games
Another quick-hit doc, this one about betting at the speed of the news cycle
The second entry in Netflix’s new fast-turnaround Instadocs series—following May’s intense Instadocs: Alex Murdaugh, Unconvicted—arrived on July 26, and this time takes a fascinating look inside the explosive world of prediction markets, where millions of people gamble on pretty much anything, from elections to armed conflicts and even, as mentioned in the 36-minute film, Taylor and Travis’ wedding.
Instadocs: The Prediction Games dropped just days after a reported $5.6 billion was wagered on the World Cup final using two of the world’s largest prediction market platforms, Polymarket and Kalshi, whose CEOs Shayne Coplan and Tarek Mansour, respectively, weigh in through interviews, alongside other experts including financial journalist James Surowiecki, regulators, professional traders, and more. It’s a scary and fascinating snack-sized watch that also delves into the darker side of the phenomenon, like insider trading risks, bettors harassing journalists, and hackers even manipulating Spotify streams to swing financial outcomes so they can be bet on.
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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2
How to Rob a Bank
Seattle’s “Hollywood” bandit pulled heists straight from the movies
This 100% fresh critical darling documentary from 2024 has been on my radar for ages, and I finally got to it recently. How to Rob a Bank is a glorious 87-minute thrill ride, co-directed by one of the directors behind one of my favorite docs of all time, Class Action Park, and a producer of the Emmy-nominated doc Amanda Knox.
It tells the remarkable story of Scott Scurlock, a free-spirited guy who lived in a treehouse (not kidding) and who robbed 19 banks in Seattle between 1992 and 1996, pocketing more than $2 million. Dubbed “Hollywood” by the FBI for his elaborate makeup and disguises, Scurlock reportedly styled his heists after the movies and managed to elude capture until taking his own life after a final big job got his accomplices caught.
Told using some incredible archival news footage and revealing home movies of Scurlock, as well as with present-day interviews with many of the lead agents on the case, and cool movie storyboard illustrations and recreations, How to Rob a Bank starts as a sort of romanticized look at the life of a bank robber with a sobering denouement.
How to Rob a Bank
- Release Date
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June 5, 2024
- Runtime
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87 minutes
- Director
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Stephen Robert Morse, Seth Porges
1
The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare
Four students remembered beyond the tragedy that took them
It’s one of the decade’s most brutal, senseless, and scrutinized murder cases that has been well documented (Prime Video’s thorough One Night in Idaho: The College Murders is another must-watch). Now, it’s Netflix’s turn. The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare is being billed as the definitive chronicle of the story, but keeps the focus where it belongs, on the victims, not their killer.
The three-part series, from director Skye Borgman (Unknown Number: The High School Catfish) and Oscar-nominated executive producer Joe Berlinger, revisits November 13, 2022, when University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin were fatally stabbed in their off-campus rental home in Moscow. It then traces the weeks-long manhunt that ended in the arrest of Bryan Kohberger, a student at nearby Washington State University, who’s now serving four life sentences.
Told through often disturbing bodycam footage, text messages, and interviews with the victims’ families and friends, the series will leave you wanting to hold your loved ones tight. It lands just as Kohberger’s bid to withdraw his guilty plea has put the case back in the headlines.
No scripts required this weekend
Real money games, real bank robbery, and too-real tragedy—the best thrillers on Netflix this weekend didn’t need a screenwriter. But if escapism is more your thing, check out How-To Geek’s streaming coverage for endless suggestions for the best movies and shows to watch on all the streaming services.
- Subscription with ads
-
Yes, $8/month
- Simultaneous streams
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Two or four
- Live TV
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No
- Price
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Starting at $8/month
