Mental Floss' list of 10 (More) Haunting Documentaries That Are Stranger Than Fiction (see also 10 Haunting Documentaries That Are Stranger Than Fiction) lives up to its headline. Some of these documentaries sound too disturbing for me to watch, like The Cheshire Murders (about a horrifying home invasion that took place in 2007). But others look fascinating, like The Woman Who Wasn't There (about a woman who fooled the world with her lie about being a 9/11 survivor). Watch the trailer below.
The Woman Who Wasn't There profiles a New York City woman and 9/11 survivor named Tania Head, who managed to escape from the 78th floor of the World Trade Center, badly injured, and eventually became one of the founding members of the World Trade Center Survivors' Network. Head's story is a compelling one—even more so once you learn that none of it ever happened. Tania, whose real name is Alicia Esteve Head, fooled hundreds of people over a period of several years, pretending to be a 9/11 survivor and the widow of a man who was killed in one of the towers. Available for streaming on Hulu, The Woman Who Wasn't There profiles Head, her story, and the shocking manner in which it all unraveled.
Why it's so creepy: In archival footage, Head is shown recounting her tale of survival—in sordid detail—to cameras and survivors alike. Viewers will be chilled to the bone to witness how manipulative Head acts, and how convincing a liar she is.
