My Top 5 Most Disturbing Documentaries 

It is officially spooky season! And what is scarier than real life? I watch a lot of documentaries and particularly enjoy the ones that show the darker side of humanity. Here are my top 5 darkest documentaries. Proceed with caution.

TW: Sexual Assault, Sexual Abuse, Abuse, Drug Use, Violence, Child Abuse.

5. The Girl Who Became Three Boys (2012)

This documentary tells the incredible story of Gemma Barker, who, at 19 years old, assumed the identity of three teenage boys in order to befriend two 15-year-old girls. Barker did this in person (as well as online) with the aid of hairstyles, a cap, and modulating her voice. Barker’s alter-egos came complete with a complicated network of backstories. Barker cultivated a romantic and, indeed, a sexual relationship with these young girls, explored in the documentary.

It is easy to scoff at these girls. How did they not realize that they were dating one of their female friends in disguise (because the friend group also knew Gemma as Gemma)? It’s tempting to blame the naivety of youth, but Barker also tricked the girls’ adult guardians. 

I applaud the Barkers’ victims for their candidness when retelling their stories. Barker served 30 months in prison for fraud and sexual assault.

‘The Girl Who Became Three Boys’ is available to stream on Amazon Prime.

4. Tell Them You Love Me (2024)

With the king of documentaries, Louis Theroux as executive producer, this documentary was bound to have you questioning your own perceptions and values. This film tells the story of Rutgers University professor Anna Stubblefield, who (according to her) fell in love with Derrick Johnson. Johnson is a young non-verbal, black man suffering from developmental and physical delays due to cerebral palsy. 

Stubblefield was helping Johnson to communicate using the controversial method of ‘facilitated communication’ or supported typing. It is important to state that this method has been scientifically discredited. Stubblefield is interviewed for the documentary and claims that their interactions were a clandestine love affair, while Johnson’s family claims it was horrific abuse of not only Johnson himself, but her position (as professor) and the desperation of Johnson’s family to be able to communicate with their son/brother. 

When racism, classism, and ableism all intersect, this documentary will leave you with so many questions. Was Stubblefield projecting the idea of a perfect partner onto Johnson? Essentially talking to herself while ‘conversing’ with Johnson? Or is she just a vile abuser, manipulating a vulnerable young man?

Stubblefield was found guilty of rape and sentenced to 12 years in prison.

‘Tell Them You Love Me’ is available to stream on AppleTV+ and NowTV (UK).

3. American Murder; The Family Next Door (2020)

This Netflix documentary explores the murder of lifestyle influencer Shanann Watts and her two children by her husband and the children’s father Chris Watts. 

As Chris Watts was having an affair, it’s believed he wanted to start a new life with his mistress and felt he needed to eliminate any obstacles in his way, namely his wife and children. The documentary includes Shanann’s own social media posts, text messages, interviews from both Shanann’s and Chris’s families, and Chris’s own taped murder confession to detectives. 

Some viewers have also claimed to have seen and heard the ghosts of Shanann and her daughters on the police’s bodycam footage as they searched the family home (and the footage is certainly creepy). An interesting discovery to be sure, but once you find out just what Watts did to his wife and two young daughters, you almost hope he is haunted for the rest of his life.

‘American Murder: The Family Next Door’ is available to stream on Netflix.

2. Just Melvin, Just Evil (2000)

This is a classic documentary about childhood sexual abuse. Viewer discretion is extremely advised.

This documentary film was made by James Ronald Whitney about his maternal step-grandfather, Melvin E. Just. Melvin physically and sexually abused at least 10 of his relatives over two generations. Melvin even left his wife with his eyes on another woman who lived down the street because the new woman was a mother to several pre-pubescent girls. 

The film is extremely poignant because it shows the effect of abuse and how it cycles through families. Whitney himself was abused by an uncle. Whitney interviews his aunts and mother, who describe the historical abuse by this monster. Viewers can see how it has damaged these individuals, most of whom are alcoholics, homeless at one period of time or another, dabbled in prostitution, and even incest among themselves. All of his victims have tried suicide at least once. Tragedy comes from not only Just’s refusal to admit to any wrongdoing, but also the girls’ mothers who knew what was happening and let it happen. 

I am not a violent person by nature, but listening to this disgusting man wave away his crimes and still be hugged lovingly by his abuse victims filled me with so much rage. Listening to his victims describe him withholding menstrual products in exchange for sexual favors or abusing his disabled stepdaughter. 

Despite this, the film showcases the resilience of people such as Whitney, who has become an award-winning director.

1. 1. There’s Something Wrong With Aunt Diane (2011)

I have watched this documentary several times, and it always leaves me sad and infuriated! This is the story of 36-year-old Diane Schuler, who was an impressive woman by most accounts. Mother of two children, who reportedly were always well turned out, first to be dropped off a school, PTA mum, Schuler planned every party and family event. She was also the family breadwinner and high up at a television network, a hard worker. 

Schuler’s image drastically changed the day she drove the wrong way into oncoming traffic down the Taconic State Parkway (a busy road near NYC). The car collided with an SUV head-on on killing 8 people, including Schuler’s own baby daughter and three young nieces who were in her car, her young son miraculously surviving. In the aftermath of the crash, Schuler’s toxicology showed high levels of alcohol (more than twice the legal limit) and THC (the active ingredient in marijuana). 

Schluer’s husband and her sister-in-law have always maintained that the original toxicology report was wrong, and in the documentary even pay for a new one, which of course shows the same results. The film is brilliant at subtly showing the fallacies in human nature in what we believe and what actually happened. 

This documentary has inspired hundreds of amateur sleuths trying to figure out just what happened on the Parkway that day. Was Schuler an alcoholic? Did she crash the car deliberately? We will probably never know. I always cry during this film when imagining how scared and confused those children probably were in the last hours of their lives. Especially Schluer’s brave 8-year-old niece, who managed to get her phone to call her father (Schuler’s brother) and say the immortal line, which was used as the title of the documentary. Schuler’s phone was found abandoned on a barrier on the side of the road.

Just a warning: the film does show a photograph, rather controversially, of Schuler’s dead body in the aftermath of the crash. It is very shocking and many felt; gratuitous. 

I don’t want to leave on such a tragic note, but like all these documentaries, ‘There’s Something Wrong With Aunt Diane’ also shows the strength and kindness of human nature. Many strangers ran from their own cars to the burning vehicles on that day to pull out any survivors before EMTs arrived. 

‘There Is Something Wrong With Aunt Diane’ is available to stream on NowTV (UK), Amazon Prime, and AppleTV+.