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Season 1 – The Confession Killer

Play trailer Poster for Season 1 – The Confession Killer Dec 2019 Documentary Crime Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 18 Reviews 91% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
In the 1980s, Henry Lee Lucas confessed to hundreds of murders, which allowed grieving families to get closure for the unsolved cases. There was no direct evidence linking Lucas to the crime scenes, but he convinced authorities of his involvement by being able to sketch victims' portraits and cite brutal details of each attack. But the legitimacy of his confessions were eventually questioned. Attorneys and journalists found impossibilities in Lucas' timeline, while DNA testing began to contradict his claims, which received media attention worldwide. This docuseries explores how Lucas -- once called America's most prolific serial killer -- was actually a complex figure entangled in a flawed justice system.
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The Confession Killer — Season 1

Critics Reviews

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Stuart Heritage Guardian 12/17/2019
If The Confession Killer was simply intended to be a series about Lucas...it's a mediocre one at best. But if it's actually a sly jab at us and our obsession with reheating gruesome deaths, then perhaps it's Netflix's smartest true crime saga of them all. Go to Full Review Ashlie D. Stevens Salon.com 12/09/2019
In Confession Killer, [Robert] Kenner methodically lays out the faults in the system, taking no prisoners. Go to Full Review Mahita Gajanan TIME Magazine 12/06/2019
Lucas' story is a testament to the disaster that can follow when police seek easy answers, in this case taking the claims of a conman as a quick way out of stalled detective work. Go to Full Review Victor Pineyro Seventh Art Studio 09/30/2021
7/10
A revealing documentary series that exposes the once failed judicial system of the United States. Henry Lee Lucas' story is as heartbreaking as it is to think of the families of unresolved murders. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Steve Murray ArtsATL 02/10/2020
...a fascinating sideways examination of a particularly American hunger for fame, no matter what kind it is. Go to Full Review Beau North The Spool 01/19/2020
It's a frank portrayal of law enforcement at its most fascinating and frustrating, with players bucking up against the thin blue line, sometimes from within the criminal justice system. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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03/29/2022 As someone as complicated as Henry Lee Lucas, this is probably the best and most well put together documentary about him that has ever been made. See more Kathryn J 01/26/2022 This was fascinating and SO well done. The old footage was terrific as were the interviews with people who are still alive to tell their versions of the story. I was hooked. I thought I was just watching a good profile of a serial killer and then everything took a completely different turn. Anyone interested in true crime will find this a compelling documentary. Highly recommended. See more 12/28/2020 Very well described in terms of details and information. Very little bias See more susan j @CallMeLulu 06/08/2020 Wow. Really odd story. Quite interesting. Generally well-told and well-structured documentary. Occasionally boring and repetitive. Felt they didn't go deeply enough into the source of the corruption. The whole situation and the "cast of characters" is majorly bizarre. Worth watching. So strange that this happened with this weirdo patsy. See more 03/21/2020 This is amazing. One of the best, if not the best, true crime doc series of late. See more 03/13/2020 He says he was abused as a child. Where's the proof? Take the patients word for it! The detective asking for more details? Cops are great at misleading questions. My mother didnt have a happy childhood. Neither did I. Doctors are GIVING folks with social issues a means to escape. See more Read all reviews
The Confession Killer — Season 1

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Cast & Crew

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Nan Cuba

Self

Robert Kenner

Director

Taki Oldham

Director

Melissa Robledo

Executive Producer

Robert Kenner

Executive Producer

Taki Oldham

Executive Producer

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Dec 6, 2019 Everything Except Poison The hunt for two missing women leads authorities to Henry Lee Lucas; he drops a bombshell in court, setting off a media circus and riveting a nation. Details Episode 2 Aired Dec 6, 2019 Make It Strawberry At Georgetown, Lucas regales visiting officers with stories to clear murder cases, but one Lubbock family will do its own police work to refute him. Details Episode 3 Aired Dec 6, 2019 War in Waco Suspicions about Lucas' confessions crescendo as a front-page investigative story hits newsstands; an ambitious DA takes on the Texas Rangers. Details Episode 4 Aired Dec 6, 2019 All the Damn Lies As families long for closure, the manipulation continues; years later, Lucas -- on death row -- steps up the fight for his life, but the lies don't stop. Details Episode 5 Aired Dec 6, 2019 Not One Shred of Evidence A close examination of the evidence and DNA testing reveal the truth about Lucas -- and the officers who let the real killers get away with murder. Details

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The Confession Killer — Season 1

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Season Info

Director
Robert Kenner, Taki Oldham
Executive Producer
Melissa Robledo, Robert Kenner, Taki Oldham
Network
Netflix
Rating
TV-14
Genre
Documentary, Crime
Original Language
English
Release Date
Dec 6, 2019
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