True-crime dramas based on actual events provide a scarce, spine-tingling thrill. In 2025, true crime television series are experiencing a creative peak,

turning real stories into nail-biting gems for audiences that crave depth, suspense, and authenticity. If the fast rhythm of high-stakes investigations, court-room theatrics, or sinister social exposes is a thrill, this year’s productions are your must-watch targets.

Ranking Table: Best Crime Web Series Based on True Events (2025)

Why True Crime Thrillers Hook Audiences

There’s a particularly haunting quality to crime stories that actually happened. When shows begin with “based on true events,” all the interrogations, pursuits, and plot twists resonate with real lives, heightening tension and emotional return. True crime online series let audiences revisit shocking crimes, learn about criminal psychology, and watch justice delivered in surprising ways.

This year, the big streamers—Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and ZEE5—have upped the ante with sumptuously produced crime shows inspired by real-life events—ranging from notorious murder mysteries to gritty accounts of underworld politics. Here are the must-watch real-life crime thrillers that are dominating the news in 2025.

1. Udaipur Files – Hard-Hitting and Gripping

An unflinching examination of the gruesome 2022 killing of Kanhaiya Lal Sahu in Udaipur, Udaipur Files is one of the most eagerly awaited crime web-series of 2025. The series delves into the sensational case that convulsed India, going deep into the reasons behind, investigation, and the communal backlash that followed. With a raw, documentary-like treatment, each frame seems breathless—making it a must-watch for those who crave crime stories that come close to reality.

2. Akhiri Sach – Twisted Mystery based on the Burari Deaths.

Based on Delhi’s chilling Burari mass family suicide case, Akhiri Sach stars Tamannaah Bhatia as a resolute police officer stepping into a psychological labyrinth. The show reconstructs the chain of events leading to the 2018 deaths of 11 family members. Through slow reveals, psychological tension, and immersive performances, it delves into the power of belief, paranoia, and the hidden traumas that can shake even the closest-knit families.

3. Delhi Crime – Innovative and Emmy-Winning

If true-crime narrative is the target, “Delhi Crime” reaches the top. The series took home the International Emmy for Best Drama, detailing the appalling 2012 Delhi Nirbhaya gang rape case. With new seasons running through to 2025, it is a forceful examination of police procedure and social upheaval, striking a balance between raw realism and compassion. The investigation’s focus humanizes victim as well as investigators.

4. Auto Shankar – Raw Underworld Saga

Based on Chennai’s notorious criminal Gowri Shankar, Auto Shankar reconstructs how one man’s dark empire ruled Tamil Nadu’s underbelly in the 1980s. The ZEE5 series blends action, police drama, and gritty storytelling in a way that feels more like investigative journalism than fiction. Its true-crime roots and powerful performances have made it a consistent favorite.

5. Koose Munisamy Veerappan – Fear and Justice

This docu-series guides viewers on the jungle pursuit and infamous rule of Veerappan, the not-so-famous bandit who had evaded Indian police for years. Through raw footage, first-hand testimony, and spine-tingling recreations, the series brings to light the magnitude and horror of Veerappan’s crimes, and provides a salacious viewing experience for true-story followers.

6. Scam 1992 – The Harshad Mehta Story

Though on the border between crime and financial drama, Scam 1992 stands out by dramatizing the real-life stock market scandal that shook the nation. Pratik Gandhi’s portrayal brings sharp tension to the unraveling of Harshad Mehta’s meteoric rise and fall, combining white-collar crime with riveting storytelling. The series set a new benchmark for true crime thrillers on Indian OTT.

7. Rangbaaz – Notorious Gangsters Through the Ages

Rangbaaz delves into the crimes and lives of India’s most notorious gangsters, each season based on a real-life don—either Rajasthan’s Anandpal Singh or Gorakhpur’s notorious Shri Prakash Shukla. Period details and concise scripts seamlessly transport audiences into India’s underworld world of criminal masterminds, depicting how the line between politics, power, and the underworld is blurred.

Top Crime Thrillers of 2025

2025 has given rise to some watch-out-for entries to real-life crime enthusiasts:

When grounded in true evenvts, crime tales not only entertain but inform, provoke, and nag the conscience. For SEO and audience resonance, emphasizing user intent (“must-watch”, “based on true events”, “real-life thriller”) combined with clean summaries and organic keyword flow provides both readability and rank power.

The Real-Life Thrill Factor in 2025

As more viewers hunger for authenticity and OTT players spend money on research-based scripts, true-crime thrillers based on real-life crime will continue to be the hottest ticket item in digital entertainment. These are not just providing twists and turns—these are revealing the human cost behind the headlines, so each episode becomes one for thinking and talking about So include these series in the weekend watch list, get absorbed in real life stories, and learn why 2025 is a milestone year for crime thrillers inspired by real events.