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Season 1 – I'll Be Gone in the Dark

Play trailer 2:15 Poster for Season 1 – I'll Be Gone in the Dark Jun 2020 Documentary Crime Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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96% Tomatometer 48 Reviews 69% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
An exploration of the case of the Golden State Killer who terrorized California in the 1970s and 1980s, committing 50 sexual assaults and 10 murders, and true crime author Michelle McNamara's obsessive quest to find justice on behalf of his victims.
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I'll Be Gone in the Dark — Season 1

I'll Be Gone in the Dark — Season 1

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Critics Consensus

Director Liz Garbus smartly centers I'll Be Gone in the Dark around the late Michelle McNamara's passionate efforts, weaving together a heavy, but important tapestry of trauma, obsession, and survival.

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Critics Reviews

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Olivia B. Waxman TIME Magazine 09/19/2024
The film is a combination of true crime documentary and memoir, told through McNamara’s home movies, text messages, and journals. Go to Full Review Scarlett Harris Guardian 08/02/2023
By the very nature of its topic, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark is at times a harrowing account of the atrocities DeAngelo periodically wrought on California over two decades, and the lasting effects his crimes had. But it is a necessary watch for these times Go to Full Review Anna Leszkiewicz New Statesman 09/09/2020
This is both a satisfying story of justice restored, and a moving tribute to one woman's refusal to give up on forgotten victims. Go to Full Review Dan Webster Spokesman-Review (Washington) 12/30/2020
As much as anything else, HBO's "I'll Be Gone in the Dark" serves as a touching eulogy, with each of those interviewed - from Oswalt to investigators and even victims - paying tribute both to McNamara's doggedness as well as her sensitivity. Go to Full Review Jeff Sneider Collider 12/30/2020
A
I'll Be Gone in the Dark walks a narrative tightrope, in that it isn't just about our mothers and daughters and sisters, etc. It's about parents, who play an awfully important role in this series. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Tom V. @baby_j Nov 17 Very interesting story but awfully produced. This documentary could have been completed in three episodes. Spreading it over 7 episodes makes no sense and indicates to me that the producers did not have their audience in mind when making this thing. Maybe watch the first episode and then just watch the recaps at the start of episode 2,3, 4, and 5. Then watch the first half of episode 6 and the first half of episode 7. See more June H @RT84309484 08/01/2024 Unnecessary long documentary with repeated stories, lines and footages, better to go with the 1st episode and the 2 last ones. Im not disrespecful with the victims, it's just the editing and narrating are bad, much consuming time for not much new information in every episode. See more Gareth v @geewah 06/24/2023 What Michelle achieved is interesting enough without having to delve too deeply into her background story which this docu-series does. Could of been tighter on the case and specifically Michelle's work and therefore an epsiode or 2 shorter. See more 08/19/2022 This series' choice to focus on Michelle McNamara was a mistake and very self-indulgent. Nobody cares about this celebrity's wife. 🙄 See more Sharang L @Scribe187 03/13/2022 Brilliant. Poignant and terrifying. Now how many shows/movies could claim to be both of those. See more 02/27/2022 The subject of ONS/EARS is a fascinating one. Unfortunately, this docu-series insists on focusing on the author Michelle McNamara and her life, which is integrated into the story in an awkward / ham-fisted way. Also, this series is too long / very bloated. See more Read all reviews
I'll Be Gone in the Dark — Season 1

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Cast & Crew

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Liz Garbus

Director

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Jun 28, 2020 Murder Habit Michelle McNamara becomes immersed in the graphic details of the Golden State Killer case, connecting with like-minded sleuths, trading facts, photos and leads. Details Episode 2 Aired Jul 5, 2020 Reign of Terror Michelle McNamara reflects on the 1984 murder of her childhood neighbor Kathy Lombardo. Details Episode 3 Aired Jul 12, 2020 Rat in a Maze In 1979 the hunt for the perpetrator stalls due to lack of cooperation between jurisdictions; David Witthuhn, the husband of murder victim Manuela Witthuhn, is questioned as the sole person of interest. Details Episode 4 Aired Jul 19, 2020 The Motherlode Michelle pushes her book deadline but struggles with the graphic nature of the crimes she is investigating. Details Episode 5 Aired Jul 26, 2020 Monsters Recede but Never Vanish Paul Holes, who is the chief of forensics in Contra Costa County, reconstructs the killer's family tree with the help of genetic genealogist Barbara-Rae Venter. Details Episode 6 Aired Aug 2, 2020 Walk into the Light As a former police officer's arrest unfolds in real time, chilling facts materialize to illuminate Michelle's foreshadowing of the events. Details Episode 7 Aired Jun 21, 2021 Show Us Your Face Featuring the late McNamara's own archival research and voice recordings, and interviews with residents of present-day Oak Park. Details

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I'll Be Gone in the Dark — Season 1

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: Documentary Series Trailer I'll Be Gone in the Dark: Documentary Series Trailer 2:15 I'll Be Gone in the Dark: Documentary Series Teaser I'll Be Gone in the Dark: Documentary Series Teaser 1:19 View more videos
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I'll Be Gone in the Dark — Season 1

I'll Be Gone in the Dark I'll Be Gone in the Dark I'll Be Gone in the Dark View more photos

Season Info

Director
Liz Garbus
Network
HBO
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Documentary, Crime, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date
Jun 28, 2020