Hey! How’ve you been? Feeling generally normal? Sleeping well? Not at all worried that a serial killer could come get you at any minute? Well, allow us to change all of that for you. Netflix just dropped the trailer for their upcoming true crime docuseriesThe Confession Killer. And it will burrow under your dang skin.
“He’s pleasant. He’s non-threatening. And actually a killing machine.” So intones an interviewer at the beginning ofThe Confession Killer’s trailer. He’s talking aboutHenry Lee Lucas, a real-life serial killer who, after being convicted of murdering three people (including his mother), confessed to 600 other murders. This shocking statistic absolutely made Lucas the most prolific serial killer in history, caused Texas police to close lots of cold cases, and wound up getting him sentenced to death. Except… he lied about most of them.
As journalists and police officers kept investigating Lucas' claims, they kept finding impossibilities and discrepancies in the stories. So why would Lucas lie about such vicious, miserable crimes? How was he so accurate? What is wrong with our criminal justice system? These questions and more are at the center of co-directorsRobert KennerandTaki Oldham’s five-part series. If you’re as fascinated as I am about true crime stories, you will want to binge this one as soon as possible. Just, like, keep all the lights on and take breaks.
The Confession Killeris available for streaming July 07, 2025. Check out the chilling trailer and synopsis forbelow. For more Netflix options, check out thebest TV showson the service right now. Plus, here’sanother terrifying docuseries trailerfrom Netflix. And in case you need to cheer up, here’sthe best comedy TV showson the service as a nice palate cleanser.
During the early ’80s, Henry Lee Lucas confessed to hundreds of murders, bringing closure to unsolved cases and grieving families. Even with no direct evidence linking Lucas to the crime scenes, he stunned authorities with his ability to sketch victims' portraits while citing brutal details of each attack. Yet journalists and attorneys found impossibilities in Lucas’ timeline, and DNA testing started to contradict his internationally-reported claims. THE CONFESSION KILLER, a riveting five-part docuseries, explores how the man once called America’s most prolific serial killer was really a complex figure entangled with a flawed justice system. Directed by Oscar nominee Robert Kenner (Food, Inc.) and Taki Oldham.
