An examination of the research by forensic psychiatrist Dorothy Otnow Lewis who investigated the psychology of murderers.
I’ve always wondered what the psychological differences were between those who will carry out an act of murder compared to people like myself who sporadically think about violence but would never attempt taking someone’s life. Obsessed with the mind of murderers, I’ve often questioned if they’re simply born with a killer gene or is there a glitch that occurs throughout their life-transforming them into someone who cannot control themselves from acting out their inner rage?
In this documentary, Psychiatrist Dr. Dorothy Lewis pinpoints where aggressive and violent behavior stems from in the brain and why some are more apt to act out murders while others will not. Studying the brain of homicidal juveniles, her findings of dysfunction in the brain mimic those of serial killers like Ted Bundy and Authur Shawcross who all shared identical histories of severe childhood abuse. Dr. Lewis not only explains the psychological perspective of killers but expresses deep compassion and humanity for human life using her work to challenge the justice system changing the way death row cases are handled.
If you love murder mysteries or the psychology of murderers, you’re going to be very impressed with this film. I thought it was beautifully done with the most compassion and humanity I’ve ever seen when it comes to the lives of murderers.
Available to stream on HBO Max November 18th
