Horrific Dark Crime Films

1. Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer 2018 - is a horrific crime film based on the real life events about Dr. Kermit Gosnell, a abortion provider who was convicted of first degree murder in the deaths of three babies born alive only to be killed by Dr. Gosnell, along with involuntary manslaughter in the death of     a patient that underwent an abortion.  As well as 21 counts of felony illegal late term abortions, and 211 counts of violating the 24 hour informed consent law.

Dr. Gosnell waived his rights to appeal to avoid the death penalty and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole..

The movie focuses on actual police investigation and the trial records of Kermit Gosnell, along with the book Gosnell: The Untold Story of America's Most Prolific Serial Killer..

After seeing the movie I can honestly say that I may not have been as horrified as other viewers because I've worked over 37 years in healthcare including OBGYN and other surgical procedures (however none were abortions). I also was not shocked that Dr. Gosnell seemed oblivious to his guilt.. I can attest to the fact that some medical providers think they have perfected a way to dance above the law..

Link showing actual trial photos

Link showing 281 Page Grand Jury report

Further information on Dr. Kermit Gosnell  


2. Room 2015 - is an independent crime drama and loosely based on a 2010 novel by the same name written by Emma Donoghue .. The film stars Brie Larson as a young woman who has been held captive for seven years, who has a 5 year old son that was born in captivity.. The film received rave reviews.. 

According to the author of the book.. the story was conceived after hearing about the 5 year old son held captive with his mother Elisabeth Fritzl .. Elisabeth Fritzl was held captive for 24 years by her father.  In the Fritzl case, she was raped and abused for years and ended up giving birth to seven children, three of them remained captive with their mother, one died just days after birth, and three others were unfortunately brought up by her father and his wife..

While the film was loosely based on a real life event.. There are sadly other stories of children and women being held captive for years..

Jaycee Dugard was kidnapped in June of 1991 and she was 11 years old.. Dugard remain captive until August 2009.. Dugard was held captive until she was 29 years old by Phillip Garrido and his wife Nancy Garrido.. and during her captivity she bore 2 daughters by Garrido.. Jaycee Dugard documented her life in captivity in a book, A Stolen Life: A Memoir, later Dugard wrote a second book Freedom: My Book of Firsts

I found three films on the Jaycee Dugard story title Captive for 18 Years: The Jaycee Lee Story 
and Kidnapped for 18 years: The Jaycee Dugard Story.. and Wicked Attraction The Jaycee Dugard Story

In Cleveland Ohio, Ariel Castro held three young girls (Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus) captive from as early as 2002 until May of 2013..  When Amanda Berry escaped with her six year old daughter who was born in captivity and alerted police who rescued the other young women.. Castro was plead guilty and was sentenced but committed suicide one month into his sentence by hanging himself in his cell..   

Cleveland Abduction is a 2015 TV crime drama based on the Ariel Castro kidnappings and the memoir by Michelle Knight "Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, A Life Reclaimed.. "

Other survivors of captivity include

Elizabeth Smart..
Kala Brown..
Ben Ownby and Shawn Hornbeck
Steven Stayner and Timothy White
and Elizabeth Thomas..



3. Precious 2009 - is a shockingly tragic drama adapted from the 1996 novel Push by Sapphire.. The film is takes place in 1987 Harlem and is based on a heavy set Afro American young woman (Gabourey Sidibe) who is struggling with poverty, and abuse while attempting to attend an alternative school.. Her mother has a long history of being abusive to Precious.. and her now absent father sexually abused Precious resulting in two pregnancies ..The first pregnancy resulted in a Down syndrome little girl that is being cared for by Precious' grandmother.. However Precious' mom forces the family to pretend that the little girl lives with her and Precious in order to get additional welfare from the government .. After Precious' pregnancy is outed her school arranges for her to attend an alternative school .. and unfortunately that is just the beginning of the horrific circumstances this young girl has to endure.. The movie is full of twists and turns.. and in one scene you learn her own mother knew and took part of the sexual abuse Precious has had to experience.. The film is extremely gut wrenching and left me speechless .. This film is not meant for young children.. but it is definitely a must see movie..

While this movie is not a true story .. according to the author of the novel Push.. she based the story on a time in her life were she worked as a remedial teacher in Harlem and had encountered many young women like Precious who were outcasts and didn't fit into what is thought of as normal society because of their struggle with poverty, color and literacy..

4. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 2017 - is a dark comedy crime drama based on a woman (Frances McDormand) who rents three billboards to call attention to her daughter's unsolved rape and murder case.. The film has an outstanding cast that includes Woody Harrelson, and Peter Dinklage as well as others..  The movie takes the viewer on a roller coaster ride of emotions.. grief, anger, frustration and comedy.. The billboards are the woman's desperate measure in hopes that it will help push along the investigation.. However the billboards "Raped While Dying" "Still No Arrests" and "How Come Chief Willoughby?" upset the town including the Police Chief and his racist, alcoholic Police Officer Jason Dixon.. I can not say enough about this film .. it is outstanding, exceptional.. and inspiring after all the mother is just trying to bring her daughter's murderer to justice.. I loved this film from start to finish.. and I can't say I wouldn't do the exact same thing if something so horrible ever happened to a child of mine..

The real life inspiration for Three Billboards was the cold case murder of Kathy Page.. Since 1991 the father of Kathy Page has been putting up billboards around Vidor TX demanding that cops make an arrest in the murder ..  Kathy was a married mom of two and was found dead in a car only about a 100 yards from her home.. The investigation determined she was strangled and her nose was broken.. they also concluded that her body was placed in the car after she was slain.. and unfortunately her murder has yet to be resolved..

5. A Time to Kill 1996 - is a crime drama based on a 1989 John Grisham's novel by the same name.
The film is set in Mississippi and involves the horrific rape, and attempted murder of a young Afro-American girl.. after the arrest of two white rapists.. The girl's father (Samuel Jackson) contacts a white lawyer (Matthew McConaughey) who once defended his brother who admits there is a possibility that the two men will walk free.. and subsequently the girl's father murdered both men in the courthouse.. and will stand trial for their murder.. This film not only focuses on the rape and attempted murder of the young girl but highlights hotbed of racial tensions in the south during the time depicted in the movie..

This movie is outstanding and grabs your attention from start to finish.. The cast is outstanding and it draws attention to real racial strife that sadly can still be found in some instances even today.. The film also does an outstanding job at describing in detail the sadistic torture the little girl had to endure that ultimately drove the father to kill both men..  I highly recommend this film as a definite must see..

The book "A Time to Kill" written by John Grisham was inspired by the rapes of two teenage sisters in a rural farmhouse near Southhaven MS in July of 1984 not far from his law office back then .. in which Willie James Harris and his accomplice were looking for houses to break into and upon finding one with no cars they broke in and found the two young sisters ages 12 and 16 were alone.. Both sisters tried to hide but over the next hour Harris beat and raped them leaving them for dead.. John Grisham heard of the crime and heard the confession tape of Harris where he shared all the gruesome details with no emotion.. Grisham stated "It was pretty cold blooded - and also infuriating" "It made you think revenge.. He was a really a nasty character."

To hear more of the details from the crime as described by John Grisham  click here

actual trial documents can be read here 

6. American Pastoral 2016 - is a historical based crime drama based on a 1997 novel by the same name by Phillip Roth.. The film has an outstanding cast that includes Ewan McGregor, Jennifer Connelly, Dakota Fanning, Uzo Aduba and many others.. the film follows a Jewish American businessman Swede (Ewan McGregor) whose life is shattered by the social and political upheaval of the 60s, especially when his daughter Merry (Dakota Fanning) is radicalized during the Vietnam War and commits acts of terrorism.. This movie is packed full of drama and depicts much of the turmoil that the country felt during the Vietnam War.. and the 1967 Newark riots.. I found this film to be insightful as well as heartbreaking.. Films such as American Pastoral hopefully are thought provoking and may inspire all of us to learn from our mistakes so that history does not repeat itself..

Protests against Vietnam War