Episode Guide
Everything Except Poison Make It Strawberry War In Waco All the Damn Lies Not One Shred Of Evidence Henry Lee Lucas is one of the most prolific serial killers of all time, admitting to over 600 different murders while in custody with Texas Rangers. He single-handedly closed unsolved cases based on his confessions and cast a pretty ominous shadow over other killers like Charles Manson. The only problem is, there isn’t a single shred of evidence to back up those claims. Netflix’s true-crime spree continues with The Confession Killer, a five-part series looking into this exact case surrounding Henry Lee Lucas. With each episode clocking in at around 45 minutes or so, and plenty of archival footage to boot, the series begins with the early arrest of Henry and his subsequent confessions in custody. From here, the media focus surrounding him escalates to unprecedented levels as he admits to hundreds of murders, thanks in part to some questionable police tactics from Texas Rangers. All of this leads up to a dramatic conclusion that examines the case through a new lens, looking at all the individual cases and picking out holes in the confessions. This rollercoaster ride ends with final on-screen text that shows how damning this entire case has been for the victims and some shocking facts to close out the series. Much like other true crime documentaries of its kind, The Confession Killer does well to keep things engaging, with a smattering of archival video and photos from that time, along with talking heads and narration. Together, this paints a portrait of a man many believe to be pathological liar but yet was seemingly happy to admit to all these murders thanks to his desire for attention. Across the series the interviews are split between various different characters including the Rangers, victims, lawyers and locals, adding a much-needed diversity with its tonal voice, whilst looking in detail at Henry Lee Lucas himself. The series progresses at a pretty decent pace too, with enough thought provoking material to keep you coming back for more. Whether the families will ever get justice though remains to be seen but Netflix’s true crime documentary series does a great job shedding light on this unusual and controversial case. Fans of the genre will, of course, gobble this one up but there’s enough here to make it a solid choice for everyone else too, given the unusual circumstances surrounding this one.
