Rotten Tomatoes
Suggestions will appear as you start typing. Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Season 1 – The Confession Killer

Play trailer Poster for Season 1 – The Confession Killer Dec 2019 Documentary Crime Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 18 Reviews 90% 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.
Watch on Netflix Stream Now

Where to Watch

The Confession Killer — Season 1

The Confession Killer — Season 1

What to Know

Critics Consensus

An unsettling journey into yet another case of justice gone awry, The Confession Killer is a tense and disturbing entry into the Netflix's growing catalogue of true crime documentaries.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Stuart Heritage Guardian Dec 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 Dec 9, 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 Dec 6, 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 Sep 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 Feb 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 Jan 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

View More
Mar 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 @KathrynJ Jan 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
Dec 28, 2020 Very well described in terms of details and information. Very little bias See more
susan j @CallMeLulu Jun 8, 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
Mar 21, 2020 This is amazing. One of the best, if not the best, true crime doc series of late. See more
Mar 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

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

Robert Kenner

Director

Taki Oldham

Director

Nan Cuba

Self

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

More Like This

View All
Making a Murderer 84% 95% Making a Murderer Watchlist TRAILER for Making a Murderer D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?! 91% 28% D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?! Watchlist Monsters Inside: The 24 Faces of Billy Milligan % 33% Monsters Inside: The 24 Faces of Billy Milligan Watchlist Somebody Feed Phil % 78% Somebody Feed Phil Watchlist TRAILER for Somebody Feed Phil Who Killed Jill Dando? 73% 44% Who Killed Jill Dando? Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

The Confession Killer — Season 1

The Confession Killer The Confession Killer The Confession Killer View more photos

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
Join The Newsletter Join The Newsletter Cookie Settings