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This Terrifying True-Crime Doc Just Hit #8 on Netflix's Most-Watched List (& It's Not for the Faint of Heart)

Sometimes it feels impossible to pick the right movie when there's an endless number of options on streaming sites. We find ourselves asking: “Do I want something funny or romantic? Do I just want to rewatch the Twilight movies for the hundredth time?”

But if there's one thing that always sticks out, it's true crime. And luckily for us, Netflix seems to have a never-ending supply of the genre.

We must not be the only ones who love it, because these projects always shoot up on Netflix's list of most-watched shows and movies. The latest to join those ranks is Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes. This documentary just reached number eight on the site's list of top movies and it looks like it could be even more gripping than all the rest.

The Nilsen Tapes follows the story of Dennis Nilsen, one of Britain's most infamous serial killers, who killed a number of people in the ‘80s, but his methods remained a mystery for decades. That is, until very recently, when over 250 hours worth of unheard cassette tapes were discovered, which were personally recorded by Nilsen.

These private recordings are revealed in this chilling documentary, which allows viewers to get a peek inside the mind of a serial killer who lurked in the streets of London and remained uncaught for five years. The tapes are mixed in with special interviews and vintage footage to weave together the twisted narrative.

“I was an inwardly troubled boy,” says the voice of Nilsen in the clip above. “And nobody seemed to notice.”

Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes was directed by Michael Harte, who previously worked as an editor on the critically-acclaimed 2018 documentary Three Identical Strangers.

A true-crime movie with actual recordings from the murderer? Consider us creeped out, but also totally sold.

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calfee

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Joel is the former Associate Editor for News & Entertainment and has been reporting on all things pop culture for over 5 years. Before working at PureWow, he served as a...