I do not like documentaries that glorify or romanticize serial killers, and there was none of that here. In fact, Rose West: Born Evil? Is carefully discussed almost to the point of being clinical. When I first learned about the Wests and their unbelievable shocking decades of rape, torture and murder as a married couple, it made me feel sick. The case is one of the most grotesque I have ever heard simply because the actions committed by this couple together were so depraved and so utterly amoral that it truly beggars all belief. Especially that they shared this essentially as part of their sex life. AND they had like...5 or 6 kids together??!! Huge family, the sort of people who you'd think wouldn't want to be bothered by a large family, the sort of people who you might think wouldn't bother with children at all had this big huge family. 8 kids in total counting Fred's children from his first marriage.
Rose West: Born Evil? Does not address the severity and enormity of the West's crimes. In one way I appreciate that they did not attempt to exploit the case as salacious gossip, but on the other hand they could have emphasized just a bit more on how maniacally evil these two individuals were and how ...bizarrely out of touch with reality both parties were, a rather ugly, dumpy-looking couple if you ask me exhibiting this level of sexual narcissism is shocking in and of itself. Especially with all of the "trophy children" they bred and clearly did not have the capacity to actually love. Two of their very own children were murdered by the parents, including one step-child and one daughter they shared together.
This documentary is best for people who want to know more about how this possibly could have even happened, and yes, when you learn about their collective childhoods that in and of itself is a jaw-dropping affair. However, the documentary does appropriately show the layers of brain damage, lack of empathy, low IQ or learning disabilities, severe child abuse and mental illness that come together in a perfect storm to create serial killers.
