Netflix’s #1 Movie Has Viewers Confused...and Feeling Bad for a Serial Killer

It's...complicated

Netflix Aileen 5aad50
Courtesy of Netflix

A new true-crime documentary has shot straight to the top of the Netflix charts. While that’s hardly unusual, (thrillers and true-crime stories always seem to dominate), this one is sparking a reaction you might not expect just from the title and synopsis. It’s called Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers.

The documentary arrived on the streamer on October 30 and claimed the number one spot just a day later. Running 103 minutes, it focuses on Aileen Wuornos, the woman who killed seven men across central Florida between 1989 and 1990. The film revisits her complex story through interviews, archival footage and Wuornos’ own words, offering a deeper look at a life and crimes that continue to fascinate.

I haven’t watched it yet and I’ll admit, I don’t know her full story but I was surprised by the audience reaction. People are showing empathy for Aileen, which is not something you’d necessarily expect for a serial killer.

Aileen Make up
Courtesy of Netflix

On Reddit, one comment read, "If ever I have felt bad for a serial killer (seems impossible) but I did her." Another added, "I agree with other posters, I too have sympathy and empathy for Aileen’s tragic horrific painful life." A third shared, "I've just finished watching it and am crying… I felt the same and always a lot of empathy for her."

Without spoiling anything, the documentary explores the circumstances that shaped Wuornos’ life and crimes and raises bigger questions about her motivations and the judicial system’s response.

“It’s so much easier to write off someone who's done such heinous acts as a coldblooded murderer [rather than] a deeply damaged human,” director Emily Turner told Tudum. “Actually, she was made, and that's chilling.”

Wuornos was eventually convicted and, after years on Florida’s death row, executed in 2002. Her story later earned Charlize Theron an Oscar for her portrayal in 2003's Monster.

Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers is streaming now on Netflix.



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