5 TV Shows To Watch If You Like Worst Ex Ever

As bad as things sometimes get between the most toxic couples in TV history, what real people have to endure from violent and abusive partners is often far more terrifying than anything fiction can conjure up. That's the focus of the Netflix true crime docuseries "Worst Ex Ever," with each episode recounting a relationship that seems perfect in the beginning — until one of the people in said relationship is revealed to be an utterly despicable human being. And unfortunately, not all of the victims make it out alive.

There is obviously no shortage of great true crime documentaries to stream, on Netflix and elsewhere. But if you're here, you are likely looking for ones that share specific commonalities with "Worst Ex Ever," such as that each episode is about a different case; the focus is on crimes perpetrated by someone whom the victim(s) knew and trusted; each segment is a combination of talking head accounts from the people involved and dramatic re-enactments; and each offers a general reminder that there is a lot of legitimate evil among human beings. All of these shows share at least one or two of those traits, with some actually hitting all of them.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Maybe this is a little obvious, but since "Worst Ex Ever" and "Worst Roommate Ever" are technically two different shows, we felt it was valid to recommend the latter to fans of the former. Plus, given the overabundance of content available on Netflix — and the algorithm that powers the streamer's "you might like" suggestions not always working like it should — there is a strong possibility that you watched all of "Worst Ex Ever" and never even knew "Worst Roommate Ever" existed.

All that being said, "Worst Roommate Ever" is exactly what you think it is. Each episode tells the story of someone who inviting someone else into their living space to cohabitate with them, only for their lives to be made a living hell as a result. And no, we aren't talking about people who leave the toilet seat up or don't do their share of the grocery shopping. These are horrific tales that, like its sister show, sometimes end in murder.

It's worth noting that critics took the show to task for how accurate it is, primarily in regards to glossing over — if not outright omitting — important details in the name of a more tidy story. But if such nitpicks aren't a dealbreaker for you, "Worst Roommate Ever" should easily be your next binge after "Worst Ex Ever."

Faith Jenkins might not be as much of a household name as Judge Judy, Greg Mathis, or one of the judges who has presided over "The People's Court." But she did have her own courtroom show, "Judge Faith," for three seasons in the 2010s, as well as doing a stint as the judge on "Divorce Court." More recently, she used her experience in the legal field — specifically, being a prosecutor for many domestic violence cases — to host a true crime series about relationships that devolve into horrific violence. Which brings us to "Killer Relationship with Faith Jenkins."

Hosted and narrated by Jenkins herself, "Killer Relationship" isn't content with simply letting the people involved in each case tell the story. Along the way, Jenkins comments on the situation and offers her professional opinion on both the way the story unfolds and how it's handled within the legal system. That's not to say that she's the only voice on the show, as it does also feature all the usual interviews and analysis from victims, loved ones, law enforcement officers, lawyers, and so on. 

If you like your true crime shows to feel more like an episode of "Dateline" than a typical docuseries, "Killer Relationship" will be right up your alley. Otherwise, your mileage may vary on the show's very "newsmagazine" feel. 

Not every episode of the long-running docuseries "I Survived..." is about someone being victimized by someone close to them. In fact, not all of the cases on the show include person-to-person violence at all, with some centered around car accidents, workplace mishaps, and other such near-fatal personal disasters. What unites them all, per the title, is that the situation is being recounted by the person who was fortunate enough to make it out the other end alive. 

Nevertheless, there are still a number of stories across the six seasons of "I Survived..." that involve violence from partners, loved ones, friends, and other trusted people in the victims' lives. One major difference from "Worst Ex Ever" is that there aren't reenactments of any kind in "I Survived...", nor is there much of anything in the way of flashiness. Each story is literally just about the survivor in question, telling their story on camera in front of a black background, while silent text over stock images and footage is interspersed to help fill in the details.

That bare bones approach might not be your cup of tea, especially if you like the way "Worst Ex Ever" incorporates animated reenactments, photographs of the people involved, and interviews with multiple people. But there is something to be said for stripping all that away and just letting someone tell their harrowing story of living through a traumatic ordeal without any other bells and whistles. 

"The Perfect Neighbor," one of the most disturbing documentaries of all time, proved just how badly things can go between people who live in proximity to each other and end up running afoul of each other for one reason or another. It's something that seems to happen often, with multiple true crime shows and docuseries centering specifically on neighbor relationships gone wrong. Among all those, the one that might best appeal to fans of "Worst Ex Ever" is probably ID Network's "Fear Thy Neighbor."

While not using animation the way "Worst Ex Ever" does, "Fear Thy Neighbor" spares no expense in recreating the events being detailed in each episode by using real actors in elaborate — though wordless — dramatic reenactments. Admittedly, the cut between the real people and the actors portraying them can be jarring at first, especially since it doesn't always seem to be a major priority to have them match visually. But after a few minutes, you figure out who everyone is supposed to be, and then you're along for the increasingly terrifying ride.

While the stories vary wildly — emphasis on the "wild" — what connects almost all of them is that a relatively low-stakes squabble between neighbors eventually escalates to such an intense degree that one or more people end up dead. Make no mistake: this isn't one of those fun series like HBO's "Neighbors," where you mostly just laugh and shake your head at how absurd it all is. These feuds between neighbors get nasty — and deadly. 

Its title makes it sound like a horror TV show — and despite not featuring anything supernatural or paranormal, that's basically what docuseries "Evil Lives Here" is. Essentially combining "Worst Ex Ever" and "Worst Roommate Ever," "Evil Lives Here" is all about violence that ends up happening between people who are living together, but also includes families, married couples, and parent/child relationships rather than just roommates who started as strangers or casual acquaintances.

One interesting thing about "Evil Lives Here" is that it blends little-known stories with infamous ones. John Wayne Gacy, Greg Scarpa, Eddie Lee Sexton, and the Speed Freak Killers are just a few of the subjects of "Evil Lives Here" episodes you might already be familiar with. Those that have seen the Netflix anthology series "Dirty John" are familiar with the story that served as the Season 8 premiere of "Evil Lives Here," as it covers what con artist John Meehan perpetrated against the Newell family. 

For those who prefer that their true crime shows cover "new ground," as it were, "Evil Lives Here" does feature significantly more lesser-known stories than it does well-known ones. And with over 176 episodes to pick from, there is plenty to watch even if you skip the ones that talk about events you are familiar with and aren't interesting in sitting through again.