Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer
Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer
R | 09 September 2003 (USA)
Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer Trailers

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.

Similar Movies to Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer
Reviews
prelude-64123

OK, documentary. Nick Bloomfield had more sympathy for a serial killer than the people that she killed. Yes, Aileen had a horrible life, but still does not give her an excuse to kill innocent people. Aileen said outrages things to Nick because she knew she could manipulate him and he bought it hook, line, and sinker. Aileen had Nick wrapped around her little finger because he believed her lies and every story that she told him. Very bias documentary in favor of a serial killer.

... View More
Benedito Dias Rodrigues

Had to be done for someone and it was made by a British filmmaker Nick Broomfield who made a fine approach of this matter,the society is ill and Aileen Wuornos was a final product of this,he explores all phases of Aileen's life since the beginning seeking for a reason and found many things that could explain how it happened this way....also interviewed her and is quite clear that was disturbed,mentally unbalanced for such pressure in jail and the media...the final days that preceded your execution in that early morning was sad...l'm so sorry for Aileen asking for your death somehow wasn't in vain...that the society take care our children carefully.Resume:First watch: 2007 / How many: 2 / Source: Cable TV-Netflix / Rating: 8

... View More
a_baron

This is the second documentary about Aileen Wuornos that Nick Broomfield has made. She is still alluded to as America's first female serial killer- she was neither the first nor the most prolific - but for good reason she holds a special place in the halls of infamy. One is entitled to ask what is his fascination with a woman who had no redeeming qualities at all, but that is a fascination shared by many people. Had Wuornos been a man - and of course there are plenty of male serial killers who have racked up greater death counts - there would have been none of this, although there would rightly have been plenty of revulsion.This film includes interviews with many people, including of course with the damsel of death herself, right up to the eve of her execution. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

... View More
rooprect

Like the great Rolling Stones song in my title, this sobering film forces us to question what is evil, and what is humankind's role in creating it?Like many of you, I'm assuming, I became interested in the story of Aileen Wurnos after seeing the powerful film "Monster" with Charlize Theron (who, by the way, did an EXCELLENT job in that film. After you see this, you'll agree she totally nailed the part of the real Aileen we see here).From the opening lines, we realize that the director Nick Broomfield is biased in favour of Aileen, so if that's hard for you to swallow you might want to skip this documentary. But whether or not you think Aileen deserved to be executed, this is a great doc because it asks questions that we all should consider about the legal system, society's callousness and ultimately the death penalty.From the Rolling Stones song: "I shouted out, who killed the Kennedys? When after all, It was you and me."Similarly, this film asks the question, who killed the 7 victims? The answer, Nick Bloomfield implies, is "you and me" (human society). There is no Devil, and Aileen Wurnos isn't some supernatural spawn of Satan. She was a mentally damaged person who slipped through the cracks of society and in turn destroyed a lot of lives. Society, or rather the justice system, labeled her an abomination and exacted its revenge, washed its hands of her, and all the while made a pretty profit.What's masterful about this documentary is, even though it is very sympathetic toward Aileen in her plight, it never attempts to excuse her for her crimes. In fact it shows some very chilling outbursts of hers where we realize exactly how explosive & mentally damaged she was. This is truly a documentary for people who can process the truth in conflicting packets, not for people who see things as black & white.Other great films/documentaries that tackle controversial topics and force us to see the complexities beneath them include: "You Don't Know Jack" (2010) about Dr. Jack Kevorkian's suicide machine, "A Short Film About Killing" (1988) which is part of Kieslowsky's powerful "Decalogue" series, and an excellent doc called "The Bridge" (2006) that shows real footage of several troubled souls leaping to their deaths off the Golden Gate Bridge and analyzes what made them do it.

... View More