Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer

"The True Story of America's First Female Serial Killer"

1992 1h 27m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

🔥

100%

CERTIFIED FRESH

⭐

6.9

IMDB

★6.8TMDB · 78🍅100%Rotten Tomatoes★6.9IMDB · 3,071

DocumentaryCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In this documentary, filmmaker Nick Broomfield follows the saga of Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute who has been accused of committing a brutal series of murders. Broomfield conducts interviews with Wuornos herself, and his crew films her trial as well as her interactions with religious fanatic Arlene Pralle, who gives Wuornos dubious advice and legally adopts her. The cameras also roll as the accused's attorney ignores the case at hand to negotiate a deal to sell his client's story.

“The True Story of America's First Female Serial Killer”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon VideoRent

Amazon VideoBuy

Cast

Aileen Wuornos
Self
Nick Broomfield
Self
Arlene Pralle
Self
Tyria Moore
Self - Aileen's Girlfriend
Mike Reynolds
Self - Biographer
Steve Glazer
Self - Lawyer
Merle Cannonball
Self - Bartender, Last Resort
Jesse 'The Human Bomb' Aviles
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Nick Broomfield
Writers: Nick Broomfield
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

87 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

34 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Aileen Wuornos: Broomfield Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Nick Broomfield, shot by Barry Ackroyd. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by David Bergeaud. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Rick Vick shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Aileen Wuornos and Nick Broomfield and Arlene Pralle carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Nick Broomfield directs. Barry Ackroyd behind the camera. David Bergeaud scores. Rick Vick cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

187 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
234 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Part of the "Aileen Wuornos: Broomfield Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Nick Broomfield, shot by Barry Ackroyd. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by David Bergeaud. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Rick Vick shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Aileen Wuornos and Nick Broomfield and Arlene Pralle carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "The True Story of America's First Female Serial Killer".
10IMDB entry: tt0103634 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Only 78 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
12Classified under 15 themes, including "prison", "death row", "opportunist", "crooked lawyer".

The technical file

Cinematography: Barry Ackroyd
Original score: David Bergeaud
Editing: Rick Vick
Runtime: 87 min · 1h 27m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (1992)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% 🍅 Fresh
IMDB rating: 6.9/10 · 3,071 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

2 nominations

Part of

Aileen Wuornos: Broomfield Collection

British documentarian Nick Broomfield created two works—Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (1993) and Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (2003).