Viewers couldn’t look away from their screens
The documentary had viewers glued to their screens (Image: Sipa/REX/Shutterstock)
A chilling documentary about one of the world’s most infamous serial killers is streaming now.
Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer was originally released in 2003 and it is still captivating viewers over 20 years on. The film dives into American murderer Aileen Wuornos’ crimes and trial, which ended in her execution in 2002.
A synopsis teases: “British documentarian Nick Broomfield creates a follow-up piece to his 1992 documentary of the serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a highway prostitute who was convicted of killing six men in Florida between 1989 and 1990.
“Interviewing an increasingly mentally unstable Wuornos, Broomfield captures the distorted mind of a murderer whom the state of Florida deems of sound mind — and therefore fit to execute. Throughout the film, Broomfield includes footage of his testimony at Wuornos’ trial.”
The documentary is now available to watch on Channel 4, along with the director’s original 1992 film, Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer. Those without access to Channel 4 can alternatively stream the movie on STV Player.
Both critics and casual viewers have shared glowing reviews of the film, with Rotten Tomatoes pundits giving it an impressive 85% score.
But fans have confessed they were deeply disturbed by Wuornos’ dark story and execution. One person posted: “Very bizarre and quite chilling documentary. It affected me and disturbed me in equal measure.”
Someone else agreed: “Ultimately this is a sad documentation of one woman’s mental demise on death row and one can’t help but feel empathetic towards Aileen and what her life amounted to.”
A third viewer added: “A deeply disturbing documentary of the iconic serial killer Aileen Wuornos from the most acclaimed documentary film maker in the U.K, Nic Broomfield. The documentary goes much deeper, much further than anybody could have anticipated.”
Yet another fan chimed in: “Chilling really sad story. This is one of those films that make you question your own humanity.”
Others were completely captivated by the film, with one sharing: “Really fantastic I did not regret watching it,” and another adding: “I was completely glued to the screen watching this documentary.”
Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer is available to stream on Channel 4 and STV Player.