Image Credit: Netflix
Netflix has built a large part of its empire on bringing incredible true stories to life. From sweeping, multi-season dramas about the British royal family to pulse-pounding portrayals of forgotten American presidents, the streaming giant has adapted some of history’s most fascinating events into must-watch serial dramas.
Although docuseries are great, there’s nothing like a high-budget scripted series to really put you in the shoes of historical figures. Retelling real events has been a main pillar of Netflix’s success, and the streamer shows no signs of slowing down – look no further than the highly anticipated upcoming series Kennedy, starring Michael Fassbender.
Out of the absolute abundance of excellent fact-based shows in the library, we’ve narrowed the field. Whether you’re looking for true crime, political scandals, or major catastrophes, here are our top 10 picks for the best Netflix series based on true events.
10
playlist
6-episode limited drama, releasing on Netflix in 2022 playlist Documents and dramatizes the rise of the global phenomenon music streaming service Spotify. The platform is the world’s largest music streaming service by scale, with over 750 million active monthly users.
How did Spotify become the streaming giant it is today? The series pulls back the curtain on the streamer’s origins, exploring how Swedish entrepreneur and self-taught coder Daniel Ek (played by Edwin André) set out to revolutionize the music industry. The series takes some creative liberties. It literally invents some characters, not least Bobby T.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek hasn’t publicly talked about or criticized the Netflix series (which is a good sign that it’s accurate enough not to lead to legal disputes).
9
detective
In a 6-episode miniseries detectiveSacha Baron Cohen plays Eli Cohen, an Israeli Mossad spy who infiltrated the Syrian government in the 1960s. His covert work in Syria ultimately changed the course of Israel’s history. It is based on the backdrop of the 1976 Six-Day War between the countries Syria and Israel.
The story is difficult to believe. Eli Cohen distinguished himself by coming under the patronage of Syrian high society, to the extent that he was later appointed Deputy Defense Minister.
The Spy was well received by critics, particularly for Sacha Baron Cohen’s portrayal of Eli Cohen. He reviewed the Best Actor nominations at the 77th Golden Globe Awards.
8
toxic city
toxic city The real-life story of how children in the English town of Corby were born with a disability – and the lawsuit against the council whose negligence caused it.
The series tells how their mother – played by Jodie Whittaker, Amy Lou Wood and Claudia Jessie – fought for justice against a council that mishandled the cleanup of a former steelworks, seeing toxic dust enter the city.
toxic city It exemplifies how big of an impact a show dealing with social and economic issues can have on the real world. Following its release in 2025, the case was actually reopened following overwhelming public backlash, and there were additional, renewed calls for accountability.
7
death due to lightning
Based on the 2011 novel Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard, death due to lightning is a 4-episode political drama that tells the story of largely forgotten President James Garfield (Michael Shannon), who rose from poverty to become President of the United States.
Garfield went on to become a self-taught teacher, college president, U.S. Congressman, and eventually the 20th President of the United States. The series documents their journey, along with that of Charles Guiteau (played by Succession star Matthew Macfadyen), the man who would assassinate them.
death due to lightning It debuted in 2025 to rave reviews. It’s well-made and realistic, wrapped up in tremendous performances from Shannon and McFadden.
6
Day
Day Often ignored by the audience; It definitely doesn’t have the potential of the other series on this list. The series takes viewers back to March 2011, describing and dramatizing the devastating nuclear accident that occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan. This happened when a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the Sanriku coast, the impact of which destroyed the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
This 8-episode series depicts the incident from three different perspectives: the government, corporate operations, and the people on site. It’s an intense, minute-by-minute recounting, giving viewers a look at a real-world nuclear disaster. It’s perfect for those who love HBO Chernobyl.
5
baby reindeer
Releasing on Netflix in 2024, baby reindeer Star is based on the true experiences of Richard Gad, who also created the series. It describes Gad’s early life as a struggling comedian. Sitting at a bar, he shows an act of kindness to a lonely woman, Martha (Jessica Gunning) – and soon, it gets out of control as she starts pursuing him, making Gad more uncomfortable.
baby reindeer It quickly made its way into the public consciousness and was discussed nationally. Its impact was extended and intensified by the scandal surrounding it, a $170 million defamation lawsuit filed by Fiona Harvey, who claimed she was the inspiration behind the fictional character Martha. Since then Fiona has been coming in front of the media and narrating her experience. The most important thing is that he was interviewed Piers morgan uncensored.
4
Narcos
Narcos was one of Netflix’s early success stories, running for three seasons before ultimately ending in 2017.
Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura) was one of the richest and most notorious drug criminals of all time. The series documents his immense rise to power. It begins with a DEA agent being sent to Colombia to capture Escobar. However, actually catching a cocaine kingpin is easier said than done.
The series also starred Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian, Game of Thrones) in one of his breakout roles. Other artists include Boyd Holbrook (hunter, sandman), Paulina Gatton (dead girls), and Alberto Ammann (caught on entry).
After completion, Narcos This was followed by a spinoff, Narcos: Mexico, In 2018.
3
Crown
When it was first released, Crown It was Netflix’s most expensive series to date. Consisting of over 60 episodes, it documents the history, scandals, trials and tribulations of the British royal family. From the beginning, it describes the life of Queen Elizabeth II and the trials and tribulations of her reign. Queen Elizabeth has been played by different actresses, Claire Foy (S1 and 2), Olivia Colman (S3 and 4), and Imelda Staunton (S5 and 6).
of netflix Crown Based on actual historical events and people, often accurately depicting major historical milestones. But naturally, since it is a dramatization, there is a mixture of both fact and fiction. It is a portrait of the British Royal Family rather than a photograph. But when it depicts certain historical events, it seems almost one-to-one.
2
when they see us
Created by Oscar nominee Ava DuVernay and produced by Oprah Winfrey, when they see us It is based on the true 1989 case in which five Harlem youths were falsely accused and found guilty of raping a jogger in Central Park.
The series spans 25 years, chronicling the moment the teenagers were first interrogated, to their final acquittal in 2002, and subsequent settlement with the City of New York in 2014.
when they see us One of Netflix’s most famous and highly powerful limited series, which is reflected in its nearly 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
1
Demon
Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, Netflix’s monster biography anthology series takes some of the most disturbing criminal cases in history and dramatizes them. Each season deals with a different serial killer from the United States, giving a chilling portrayal of their crimes, diving into their possible motives, and exploring the consequences and impact of their crimes.
The first season, which had one of Netflix’s biggest launches ever, documents the crimes of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Played brilliantly by Evan Peters, the season turns extremely dark, showing how Dahmer murdered 17 young men and boys, engaged in cannibalism, and kept his victims’ bones as trophies.
Season 2 dramatized the story of Lyle and Eric Menendez, while Season 3 explored the crimes of Ed Gein. The series will return for a fourth season, which will focus on Lizzie Borden.
Monster is not for the faint of heart, but is a must-see for fans of true crime.
Which true crime series on Netflix is ​​your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!