Killer viewing

Between doccies and fictional drama thrillers, Showmax is packed full of serial killer programming for you to stream.

- CRAIG FALCK

When it comes to TV, very few characters are as popular as serial killers. Yes, they are monsters who take pleasure murdering people, slicing and dicing through flesh. But there’s that morbid fascination that audiences have, the escapism we get from characters like cannibal serial murderer Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins in the Silence Of The Lambs film trilogy, 1991-2002) and Mads Mikkelsen in 20132015 prequel series Hannibal.

The type of storyline draws audiences in droves. Whether it’s fictionalised like blood-splatter analyst Dexter Morgan (Michael C Hall in the series Dexter, 2006-2013) who investigates crime scenes by day and makes them by night, or true-life monsters like cult leader Charles Manson. And there’s a very good reason, explains criminology professor Scott Bonn: “The public’s fascination with serial killers on television is complex and multi-faceted. Serial killers tantalise people much like traffic accidents. The public’s fascination with them can be seen as a specific manifestation of its more general fixation on violence and calamity. The actions of a serial killer are horrible to behold, but the public can’t look away due to the spectacle.”

If you like dark series or you want a true-life doccie guaranteed to scare you out of your pants, there’s good news: there are loads to stream on Showmax.

INSIDE THE MANSON CULT: THE LOST TAPES (2018)