The Beauty Queen Killer: 9 Days of Terror

This true crime doc is narrator by a Mayballine ad spokesperson. It's like listening to a donkey explain what's it like to be a chicken. Or like when filmmakers use a nonhuman voice to tell a human story. This proves that any true crime doc worth its salt should only by narrated by narrators who've done murder themselves. The only thing this narrator has murdered is my Sunday evening. And the narrator doesn't even have to do a salacious murder. They could get their pet owl to do it, or their foolish 18 year old hardbody boyfriend. With his abs all as sharp like kitchen knives. Always wearing no shirt and his pants riding so low that that one part of his muscled pelvis is confusingly unmissable. You know, that hunk of meat just above his low waistline that you don't know what it's for, but you can't imagine it not being there? Like a handle for a door that only pushes. A push-handle.

The "Beauty Queen Killer" refers to Christopher Wilder, an Australian-American serial killer who abducted and murdered at least eight young women during a six-week crime spree across the United States in early 1984. Wilder targeted attractive young women, often aspiring models, enticing them with promises of modeling careers. He would then abduct them, often at gunpoint. His victims included beauty queens, models, and other young women.

His crime spree began in Florida and continued across the country. Wilder was known for his charm and ability to gain the trust of his victims. His crimes were meticulously planned, and he often used disguises and assumed different identities.

The case of Christopher Wilder remains a chilling reminder of the dangers that can lurk behind seemingly ordinary individuals.

The Beauty Queen Killer: 9 Days of Terror (2024) is a haunting dive into one of the most chilling true-crime cases. The film expertly captures the suspense and fear that gripped everyone during those harrowing nine days, keeping the audience on edge. Its atmospheric direction and gritty cinematography immerse you in the unsettling events, while the performances are raw and unnervingly realistic.

The tension builds steadily, with every moment layered with dread and uncertainty. It's not just a crime story; it's an exploration of obsession, vulnerability, and survival. True-crime fans will find it gripping and unforgettable-a chilling reminder of how terror can strike unexpectedly.

The documentary added a little to what I already knew from Dateline or other such shows. The fatal flaw is that the survivors are not compelling characters.

ABOUT MY REVIEWS:

I do not include a synopsis of the film/show -- you can get that anywhere and that does not constitute a meaningful review -- but rather my thoughts and feelings on the film that hopefully will be informative to you in deciding whether to invest 90-180 minutes of your life on it.

My scale: 1-5 decreasing degrees of "terrible", with 5 being "mediocre" 6- OK. Generally held my interest OR had reasonable cast and/or cinematography, might watch it again 7 - Good. My default rating for a movie I liked enough to watch again, but didn't rise to the upper echelons 8- Very good. Would watch again and recommend to others 9- Outstanding. Would watch over and over; top 10% of my ratings 10 - A classic. (Less than 2% receive this rating). For Lifetime Movies for Chicks (LMFC), drop the above scale by 3 notches. A 6 is excellent and 7 almost unattainable.

Fascinating because so few people know about this killer since there was no trial, and yet rather than glorifying him the focus here is on the victims and Tina's mix of survival instinct, defiance, and regret that will never leave her. She's brave for speaking out when so many people at the time thought she was an accomplice -- only because they don't understand the sick dynamic the killer created on his spree. In this age of armchair experts it's really interesting to watch the same kind of victim blaming happen pre-internet in the 1980s. This is great true crime that sheds light on a very undercovered story.