Fred & Rose West: A British Horror Story

I don't understand the negative reviews. I found this a compelling mini series. The police footage was intriguing. I had never seen it before. This was a human story that really took the family of the victims into account in a thoughtful way. If you just want gore details then you may be disappointed but for me, it was dark enough. A true life horror story that shone a light on the cruelty and depravity some human beings are capable of. Including many of the people involved in the case then and as they are now brought an added dimension. This documentary stayed with me after viewing. I appreciate Netflix makes by a sensitive, watchable documentary that didn't stoop to gutter level.

I agree with the reviewers who found this documentary lacking in depth. I did find the recently released police interview recordings fascinating, but the rest of the documentary seemed like an overview that in spots was a little hard to follow without more context. For example, I would have liked to know more about the Wests' backgrounds (including Fred's first wife and child); the backgrounds of the victims whose relatives weren't interviewed; what became of the Wests' children immediately after the arrests and in the years afterward; and what became of the house. And why didn't they ask the "appropriate person" why she lied on the stand? Overall, given the available material, this could have been much, much better.

They had everything to make this a perfect documentary on a silver platter

They had visuals, the recordings, the law enforcement and journalists involved, first account witnesses - the victims, victims families, previous tenants, even the West's own children. Yet they still fell so flat when it came to telling the story of such a complex case.

To tell this story, you NEED to go back to the beginning and go through the events that led to them getting caught. Yet so many facts and details were completely glazed over or ignored. A solid timeline wasn't even established. A breakdown of their family structure wasn't given, just that they had kids together and a part. It's so disappointing how lazy the storytelling was. They had THREE episodes and spent majority of it yapping about the more minor details.

PSA: Morbid podcast does a 4 episode deep dive into this case that's really thorough. Puts this to absolute shame.

Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story kept me thoroughly engaged and was genuinely gripping, especially as someone unfamiliar with the case. However, the documentary left several frustrating gaps. It frequently implied there could be more victims, but after the 12th body was found, it never explained why the search ended. That lack of closure was disappointing. I also think it missed the chance to examine the twisted relationship between Fred and Rose in more depth. Even more striking was the absence of testimonies from their children-particularly Anne Marie-whose voice was central to the case. After all these years, Netflix could have tried to include their perspective. Lastly, an updated account from the social worker involved with Fred might have added essential context about the system's failures. A compelling documentary, but with missed opportunities.

I've been eagerly waiting for a solid documentary about Fred and Rose West, especially since their story is one of the darkest and most complex in British true crime history. Having nearly read all the major books on the case, I came into this series with high expectations for a detailed and thorough exploration. Unfortunately, while it does cover the basics, it doesn't dig nearly deep enough into the twisted dynamics, the psychological aspects, or the wider context of their crimes.

There's so much more to this horrible story that's been overlooked or only lightly touched upon here. I agree with the other reviewers, that this series feels like a surface-level retelling rather than an in-depth investigation. It misses the chance to fully unpack the chilling details and the impact on the victims and their families.

For those new to the case, it might serve as an introduction, but for anyone who's already familiar with the extensive research available, it's a bit disappointing. I was hoping for a more gripping and comprehensive documentary that truly does justice to such a grim chapter in British crime history.