Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer
Seen it?2003 | 89 min | Documentary, Crime
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (86% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office flop and little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime fans and the curious. If you loved Girl in the Picture, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Gritty, eye-opening.
- The pace
- Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 29 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: expect violence.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
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.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
86% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
6.7 out of 10
- AwardsWeak
0 wins and 1 nomination from smaller awards and festivals
- Reach & staying powerWeak
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 49K people sought it out in the past year, and interest is climbing
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Nick Broomfield, Joan Churchill
- Aileen WuornosSelf (archive footage)
- Nick BroomfieldSelf
- Diane WuornosSelf
- Arlene PralleSelf (archive footage)
- Tyria MooreSelf (archive footage)
- Dawn BotkinsSelf
- Michelle ChauvinSelf
- Dick MillsSelf (archive footage)
- Dennis AllenSelf
- Jeb BushSelf (archive footage)