It’s not shocking news that Netflix is taking another step into true crime territory. They’ve been making it their thing for the last few years, with gripping and intense docuseries like Making a Murderer, The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker, and The Staircase under their belt—not to mention their toe in the water of dramatized versions of crime cases, like the Monster anthology and Mindhunter.
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They’ve brought a new take on an old crime to the small screen, this time centered around the notorious killer Aileen Wuornos. And it has audiences asking big questions—namely, could she have been acting in self-defense? Aileen: Queen Of The Serial Killers sheds light on elements of the case that were previously held back, even hidden, by the prosecution, and viewers are having big feelings about these key details that could have potentially spared Wuornos the death penalty.
Netflix’s Aileen Wuornos Documentary Is Causing Major Discussion
Per Netflix, the show “revisits the complex story of Aileen Wuornos. Through interviews, archival material, and Wuornos’ own words, the film explores the circumstances that shaped her life and crimes, and examines the broader questions surrounding her motivations and the judicial system’s response.” Discussing the events that took place in the show, as well as information that was purposely held back from trial, one viewer said, “Outraged to see prosecutor, John Tanner, exposed for ignoring evidence in Aileen’s murder trial! This is illegal -why hasn’t John Tanner been brought to justice? Aileen had said that she was raped and tortured by Richard Mallory. who she then shot in self-defense. Prosecutor John Tanner knew that RM had a prior rape conviction, but he suppressed the evidence so that Aileen would get the death penalty.” Another added, “They called the movie about Aileen ‘Monster’ but John Tanner is the real monster, he shouldn’t have been allowed to get away with what he did. Aileen deserved a fair trial, but what she endured was a witch hunt.”
Emily Turner, the show’s director, said to Tudum, “It’s so much easier to write off someone who’s done such heinous acts as a cold-blooded murderer [rather than] a deeply damaged human. Actually, she was made, and that’s chilling.” The show highlights the life of Wuornos and how her story of physical, mental, and sexual abuse unfolded, leading to a brutal conclusion brought about by the death penalty. One viewer noted, “I cried throughout the documentary for exactly this reason. The fact she could still love, still wanted friendship, still loved and sacrificed for her lover is in itself miraculous considering everything that woman had been through in life. The pompous arrogance of the prosecutor in her case was sickening. They wanted her dead— I can only guess to serve as an example. I guarantee based on character alone that that prosecutor is a far worse person than Aileen could ever be.”
What are your thoughts on Aileen: Queen Of The Serial Killers? Let us know in the comments below, and head over to the ComicBook forum to see what other fans are saying.
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Image courtesy of Prokino Filmverleih
