Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (1992)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Nick Broomfield

Writer:

Nick Broomfield (writer)

Release Date:

4 February 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot Keywords:

Ranch | Human Bomb | Newspaper Article | Killer | Murderer

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jesse 'The Human Bomb' Aviles	...	Himself (as The Human Bomb)
Nick Broomfield	...	Himself - Interviewer
Cannonball	...	Himself
Steve Glazer	...	Himself
Sgt. Brian Jarvis	...	Himself
Michael McCarthy	...	Himself
Dick Mills	...	Himself
Arlene Pralle	...	Herself
Mike Reynolds	...	Himself
Aileen Wuornos	...	Herself

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sexual references.

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | USA:R | Finland:K-11

Filming Locations:

Florida, USA

Company:

Channel 4 Television Corporation

Movie Connections:

References "The Montel Williams Show" (1991)

Disturbing, no one comes across in a positive light

"Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer" is a disturbing documentary in which no one comes out in a positive light: not the police, not the lawyers, not the judges, not the media, certainly not Aileen Wuornos and not even the filmmakers.

This documentary by Nick Broomfield is unfocused, and the filmmaker and his small crew are often part of the saga. It paints a rather grim picture, where police are more concerned about possible movie deals than arresting the right person (although they did have the right person, almost by accident), where lawyers are slime buckets even when masquerading as laid back rejects from the '60s and '70s "flower power" era, and where people who claim to be spiritual and doing "God's work" come out looking no less mercenary or self-serving than anyone else (well, except maybe the killer and the sleazy lawyer).

Filmmaker Broomfield doesn't give us nearly as many facts as you might expect - and in this case, even wish for - in a documentary of this type. Much of the film consists of him traipsing around with his small film crew, trying to convince somebody to talk to him. He seems often to miss the point, and doesn't ask the most relevant or probing questions. I never could decide, while watching this film, how much of that was on purpose, for effect, and how much was just him not doing a very good job. It does add to the overall dark impression in the film, that few people really know the truth, know what's going on, and that fewer still care...

Interesting in places, disturbing in others, downright scary if you come out of this believing this is how the criminal justice system works (or not) in this country, Broomfield's film is certainly thought provoking, if somewhat confused and lacking focus.