Before she became one of America’s most infamous serial killers, Aileen Wuornos was a drifting soul trapped in a cycle of abuse, rejection, and survival. The Real Stories documentary Aileen Wuornos: The Story of a Serial Killer (directed by Nick Broomfield) offers an unflinching look into her tragic life and descent into violence. Known to many as the “Damsel of Death,” Wuornos was convicted of killing seven men along Florida highways between 1989 and 1990. Through extensive interviews and chilling archival footage, Broomfield pieces together the story of a woman both victim and villain who was abused as a child, exploited as a prostitute, and ultimately executed by lethal injection in 2002. The documentary doesn’t excuse her crimes but demands viewers confront the harsh reality of how society’s neglect helped shape a monster.

Broomfield’s approach in this 92-minute feature documentary is both journalistic and deeply personal. He revisits earlier footage from his first film, Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer, while expanding upon the devastating aftermath of her conviction. By interviewing police officers, legal representatives, former friends, and Wuornos herself, he captures the unraveling of a woman haunted by trauma and distrust. What makes this film remarkable is its focus on Aileen’s psychological collapse during her final years with her growing paranoia, erratic statements, and belief that the prison system wanted her dead. Viewers see not just the crimes, but the corrosive effects of fame, media exploitation, and the machinery of capital punishment. The documentary becomes a character study of how pain, rage, and fear can twist into lethal violence.

The Story of a Serial Killer isn’t easy to watch, but it remains one of the most comprehensive examinations of Wuornos’s life. Critics have described it as “raw, haunting, and disturbingly human,” while others praise Broomfield for refusing to sensationalize her crimes. Instead, he presents a fractured woman consumed by bitterness, a reflection of what happens when society turns its back on the broken. In one of the film’s most memorable moments, Aileen looks directly into the camera and declares, “They’re executing someone who was raped, beaten, and used her whole life.” Whether seen as a plea for understanding or a final act of defiance, it lingers long after the credits roll.

Viewer Reviews:

⭐ “A harrowing, deeply personal look at a woman society helped destroy.”  The Guardian
⭐ “Broomfield captures humanity inside the horror, his best work yet.” Los Angeles Times
⭐ “Equal parts tragic and terrifying such an essential true crime film.” Rotten Tomatoes (Audience)

Credits & Sources:

• Aileen Wuornos: The Story of a Serial Killer (2003), Dir. Nick Broomfield, Lafayette Films / Real Stories
• Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (1992), Dir. Nick Broomfield
• Florida Court Records & Death Row Archive (2002)