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

Were it not for this film, Aileen Wuornos' name, like those of most criminal celebrities, would probably have been quickly forgotten, picked up and discarded by the media as soon as interest had passed. Dwelling less on the story of Wuornos than on those drawn to it, documentarian Nick Broomfield's film captures the moments occurring after others attracted to the story had turned off their cameras. Most of these are dominated by figures whom Broomfield stops just short (most of the time at least) of presenting as low-level exploiters of tragedy, including Wuornos' born-again adoptive family and a lawyer (Stephen Glaser), who might have come off as an unbelievable stereotype in a non-documentary film. One scene -- a torturous drive to visit Wuornos in prison during which Glaser subjects Broomfield to a home-recorded album -- reveals the director's commitment to capturing the story at the expense of his own comfort. Covering awful deeds, he finds no comfort in those drawn to violence by the lure of profit. That Wuornos frequently comes off as more likable than those around her is the sort of irony that fact handles better than fiction. ~ Keith Phipps, All Movie Guide