From Jeffrey Dahmer to Ted Bundy, some of the world’s most notorious killers have been captured on the silver screen – and our fascination to peek into humanity’s darkest corners has led to a trove of true crime documentaries
From Jeffrey Dahmer to Ted Bundy, some of the world’s most notorious killers have been captured on the silver screen.
Our fascination to peek into humanity’s darkest corners has led to a trove of true crime documentaries and dramas.
Here we list five must-watch portrayals of some of the world’s worst serial killers.
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Jeffrey Dahmer, one of the most infamous serial killers in history, murdered 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991.
His crimes, which included dismemberment, necrophilia, and cannibalism, shocked the world.
Netflix’s Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, revealed how police prejudices allowed his killing spree to continue for over a decade.
The series sparked a debate on true crime storytelling, with some claiming the drama glorified Dahmer’s heinous acts.
Des
Des, which aired on ITV in 2020, provided a chilling reenactment of the life and crimes of serial killer Dennis Nilsen.
Nilsen, a seemingly unassuming civil servant, murdered at least 15 young men between 1978 and 1983 by luring them to his north London home.
David Tennant portrays Nilsen’s manipulative personality and the detached nature with which he confessed his crimes.
The three-parter also lays bare societal attitudes of the time and how systemic failures allowed Nilsen to evade capture for years..
Nilsen, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1983, died in prison in 2018.
The Serpent
French serial killer Charles Sobhraj remains one of modern history’s most enigmatic killers.
Notorious for his charm and manipulation, ruthless Sobrhaj who targeted victims on Asia’s ‘Hippie Trail’ in the 1970s and was nicknamed ‘The Serpent’.
That moniker provided the title of an intense eight-part BBC drama, later released on Netflix.
French actor Tahar Rahim delivers a chilling portrayal of Sobhraj, while Jenna Coleman plays his devoted accomplice, Marie-Andrée Leclerc.
The show vividly captures Sobhraj’s methods, including his use of deception and charisma to ensnare victims, often under the guise of being a gem dealer
Police believe he killed at least 20 western backpackers.
Menendez Brothers
The harrowing case of two brothers who murdered their parents were revived by Netflix’s drama The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
Lyle, 57, and Erik Menendez, 54, shot their father, Jose, and mother, Kitty, with shotguns at their family’s mansion in Beverly Hills in 1989.
In one of the most high-profile criminal trials of the 1990s, prosecutors said that the killings were motivated by greed.
The siblings were jailed for life without any chance of parole but are currently attempting to have the sentence overturned.
They insist they acted out of fear after being sexually abused by their father as children.
Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes
A four-part Netflix documentary series reveals a chilling look into the mind of Ted Bundy, one of America’s most infamous serial killers.
He took the lives of at least 30 women in a murderous spree across the United States in the 1970s.
The series features interviews, archive footage, and more than 100 hours of taped recordings of Bundy’s conversations with journalist Stephen Michaud, conducted while Bundy was on death row.
The documentary explores Bundy’s narcissism, pathological lying, and the calculated persona that allowed him to lure victims and escape suspicion for years.
