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Director: Patty Jenkins

Release Date: 2 April 2004

Tagline: Based on a true story.

Main Cast:

Charlize Theron … Aileen Wuornos

Christina Ricci … Selby Wall

Charlize Theron deservedly won the Best Actress Oscar in 2004 for her portrayal of Aileen Wuornos – America’s first female serial killer. She’s absolutely superb and is so like Aileen that it’s eerie.

I’m going to be fairly controversial here, but I have a large degree of sympathy for serial killers. All are born from a combination of events and life experiences that, thankfully, the vast majority of us will never know. Almost all have had atrocious childhoods and have been failed by either the adults in their lives or by the authorities. And in many cases, both. Aileen Wuornos falls into this criteria.

The film is not your standard Hollywood overblown affair. It’s a hard film to watch, and I defy anyone to not feel even a shred of sympathy for her. Of course, I’m not condoning serial killing, but rather than judge these people out of hand and dismiss them as monsters is unduly harsh.

Do I think Aileen was a monster? No. I think that she’d gone over the edge after a lifetime of abuse and degradation. I also think that had she not been assaulted, raped and faced certain death she never would have killed anyone in the first place. It is widely accepted that the first kill was done in self defence. Yes, she then *chose* to go on a killing spree, but how many of us know what our own breaking point is – much less anyone else’s?

Monster does not demonise her. That’s what I love about this film.

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