Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer
An incisive true-crime documentary probes the media, legal, and personal opportunism surrounding Aileen Wuornos's notoriety.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- tense
- probing
- disturbing
- true crime viewing
- documentary night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Nick Broomfield's documentary as a compelling and sharply investigative examination of Aileen Wuornos and the exploitation surrounding her case.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Nick Broomfield appears onscreen while interviewing Aileen Wuornos, Arlene Pralle, lawyers, and biographers, making the investigation itself part of the narrative.
The investigation foregrounds opportunism, exploitation of friendship, and competing attempts to control Wuornos's public image.
Prison, death row, lawyers, the public defender system, and allegations of police corruption frame the case beyond the killer label.
Wuornos's self-presentation is placed beside accounts from her girlfriend, lawyer, biographer, and other participants in the case.
Films like Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer, and why
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills
investigative true crime documentary examining a notorious killer through interviews, institutions, and media exploitation
The Thin Blue Line
observational true crime filmmaking focused on criminal justice, contested narratives, and ethically difficult access
Capturing the Friedmans
character-driven documentary investigation into a notorious criminal case and the systems surrounding it
Movie Details
- Director
- Nick Broomfield
- Release Date
- 1992-11-01
- Runtime
- 87 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (78)
Cast
- Aileen Wuornos
- Nick Broomfield
- Arlene Pralle
- Tyria Moore
- Mike Reynolds
- Steve Glazer
- Merle Cannonball
- Jesse 'The Human Bomb' Aviles
- Brian Jarvis
- Stéphane Markcovich
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer about?
- An incisive true-crime documentary probes the media, legal, and personal opportunism surrounding Aileen Wuornos's notoriety.
- What is Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer as mild.
- What did critics think of Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer?
- Critics broadly regard Nick Broomfield's documentary as a compelling and sharply investigative examination of Aileen Wuornos and the exploitation surrounding her case.
- Which films are like Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer?
- Films with a similar feel include Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, The Thin Blue Line, and Capturing the Friedmans.
- How long is Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer?
- Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer runs 87 minutes.
- Where can I watch Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer?
- In United States, Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video.
