Joanne Dennehy: Serial Killer

Joanne Dennehy: Serial Killer is a captivating and chilling documentary-style film from 2019 that delves into one of the most shocking criminal cases of recent times in the United Kingdom. The film features notable television personality Susanna Reid as the lead presenter and host, who takes viewers on a deep dive into the gruesome and disturbing crimes committed by Joanne Dennehy, a woman who brutally murdered three men in Peterborough in 2013. Known for her meticulous research and insightful questioning, Reid exposits the story with delicate balance, ensuring viewers are privy to the horror of the crimes without becoming gratuitous.

Supporting Reid are interviews and contributions from key figures related to the case. Featuring in the documentary is Michelle Bowles, a criminal analyst, and Martin Brunning, the former detective superintendent of the Cambridgeshire police force. These people offer not just the cold, hard facts but provide indelible insights into the psyche, motivations, and twisted manipulations of Dennehy. They also narrate the painstaking investigations that were conducted to catch Dennehy and bring her to justice, ensuring the narrative is kept brisk and compelling.

Set largely in Peterborough, England, the film explores Dennehy's life and her murderous spree. It reflects on the socioeconomic circumstances, personal history, relationships, and the stark revelation of psychopathy that led Joanne to chance upon her victims. Admirably, the film does not shy away from addressing the methods that Dennehy employed to lure and kill her victims, offering a stark and harrowing portrait of her brutal predatory nature.

Director David Howard handles the material deftly, creating a horrifying yet intriguing atmosphere that sustains interest and drama. His smooth blending of on-site footage, interviews, dramatic reconstructions, news clippings and police evidences presents the viewers with a comprehensive picture of the whole ordeal. It's a snapshot into the darker depths of humanity, presented with an unflinching gaze that's hard to look away from and harder to forget.

Reid, known popularly as the co-presenter of Good Morning Britain, steps into a different role here but carries it off with aplomb. She exercises her well-honed interviewing skills to extract details and insights from the people central to the case. Reid's personal reflections throughout the film about her thoughts and feelings relating to Dennehy and her crimes offer a relatable touch, allowing viewers to share in her shock and disbelief.

Bowles offers a psychological overview of Dennehy, analysing her heinous acts within the context of her psyche and her state. She pinpoints the precise moments that mark Dennehy's transition from a normal woman into a serial killer, while also analyzing the systemic failures that made it possible for Dennehy's murderous inclinations to continue unabated for so long.

Brunning's contributions are equally riveting, offering a tonal contrast to Bowles as he focuses on the hands-on investigation process. His tales of the dogged pursuit of justice paints a picture that is equal parts heartening and terrifying. We get an insight into the trials and tribulations that the police had to go through. The blood, sweat, and tears that went into maintaining public safety is presented in a stark and unglamourised manner, serving as a tribute to the real-life heroes who work tirelessly to keep us safe.

One poignant aspect of the Joanne Dennehy: Serial Killer is the film's focus on the victims and their families. It spares time to acknowledge the trauma and grief suffered by the victims' families, ensuring that their voices are heard and that they are not relegated to being mere footnotes in a horrifying crime narrative. This humane touch coupled with the conscientious study into systemic failures make the documentary a balanced and heartfelt critique of the saga.

While Joanne Dennehy: Serial Killer is a difficult watch, it is a film that carries value for its exploration into the human psyche, its critique of societal mechanisms and the comprehensive narrative of a horrific crime and its aftermath. It combines elements of true crime, investigative journalism, society study and psychological analysis, making for an unsettling but imperative watch. For aficionados of true crime story-telling, this is an offering that should not be missed.