The Beauty Queen Killer: 9 Days of Terror

Fascinating because so few people know about this killer since there was no trial, and yet rather than glorifying him the focus here is on the victims and Tina's mix of survival instinct, defiance, and regret that will never leave her. She's brave for speaking out when so many people at the time thought she was an accomplice -- only because they don't understand the sick dynamic the killer created on his spree. In this age of armchair experts it's really interesting to watch the same kind of victim blaming happen pre-internet in the 1980s. This is great true crime that sheds light on a very undercovered story.

*The Beauty Queen Killer: 9 Days of Terror* is a chilling, suspenseful crime thriller that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Based on real events, the film follows a brutal killer who targets beauty queens in a small town, plunging it into a state of fear. The atmosphere is dark and foreboding, and the tension builds steadily over the nine days of terror. The cast delivers strong performances, especially the lead, whose portrayal of fear and determination is captivating. While the pacing can occasionally drag, the psychological depth and eerie setting make this a compelling, edge-of-your-seat experience for true-crime enthusiasts.

The documentary added a little to what I already knew from Dateline or other such shows. The fatal flaw is that the survivors are not compelling characters.

ABOUT MY REVIEWS:

I do not include a synopsis of the film/show -- you can get that anywhere and that does not constitute a meaningful review -- but rather my thoughts and feelings on the film that hopefully will be informative to you in deciding whether to invest 90-180 minutes of your life on it.

My scale: 1-5 decreasing degrees of "terrible", with 5 being "mediocre" 6- OK. Generally held my interest OR had reasonable cast and/or cinematography, might watch it again 7 - Good. My default rating for a movie I liked enough to watch again, but didn't rise to the upper echelons 8- Very good. Would watch again and recommend to others 9- Outstanding. Would watch over and over; top 10% of my ratings 10 - A classic. (Less than 2% receive this rating). For Lifetime Movies for Chicks (LMFC), drop the above scale by 3 notches. A 6 is excellent and 7 almost unattainable.

So we are supposed to believe when Wilder left Tina in the car alone in the woods when he took Dawn to stab her this Tina girl couldn't just run away and hide in the woods? She just sat there and waited for Chris to return? She 100% was an accomplice. Tina was a participant and knowingly active bait for his victims. She didn't do anything to stop what was happening??!! Was she drugged? Did I miss something? I get it..you are a victim and feel helpless but to do nothing while it happens to other girls in your presence? She is a sick as he was. Tina should be ashamed and held accountable for all of this too.

Tina is a victim but she's also a criminal. What she did is absolutely vile and there's absolutely no way she couldn't have escaped at least a thousand times. Or warned Dawn to run the other direction, told her she was in danger, anything to keep another girl from becoming a victim. She was following him in a completely different car and NEVER ONCE had even a fleeting thought that she should drive away, run him over, drive away, anything.

And then suddenly, he just magically puts her on a plane, gives her money, and she's just randomly traversing Los Angeles, including to a lingerie shop, then her boyfriend's, then reluctantly submits to interrogation and is ultimately seen as a victim but I believe that, in her own words, became incredibly street wise and has a sort of criminal mentality, but supposedly never has thoughts of escape or even self preservation.

She seriously needs to thank God that.she didn't receive accomplice charges or even conspiracy. It's absolutely disgusting that she's so indignant and self-righteous. She owes Dawn and Mrs. Dodges family a multitude of apologies.