Contrary to popular belief, Britain isn’t all fish, chips and gents in top hats profusely apologising to one another. No, even in the land of tea and scones, we have our fair share of murderous psychopaths. And what makes a scarier horror story than one that happened right on your doorstep? So, to share with you some of our ‘too close to home’ horror stories, we’ve gathered together a list of some of the most terrifying true-crime dramas set in Britain.
Directed by Lewis Arnold, David Tennant puts on a hair-raising performance as the 1970s/80s serial killer, Dennis Nilsen. Known to some as Jeffery Dahmer’s British counterpart, Nilsen was known for luring young men into his London flat near Highgate, only to murder them, disembody them and stash their remains in bizarre places around the flat. Some, he even propped up in one of the armchairs so that he could sit beside them with a cup of tea, wack on the telly and chat to them as if they were still living. He is thought to have racked up a total of 12 to 15 victims, some of whom have yet to be named—pretty grim stuff. Arnold’s dramatisation was released as a three-part series based on the book Killing For Company by Brian Masters. It's one of those stories that will make your stomach clench, yet you won’t be able to look away.
Set in White House Farm in the English county of Essex in 1985, this 6 part series depicts the supposed murder-suicide of the Bamber family that wiped out the best part of three generations in one night, leaving behind only one sole survivor. The intense investigation that followed is filled with twists and turns, rife with obstructions not only from suspects but from within the police department itself. I don’t want to give too much away about this one, as not knowing the full story makes for a far more intense watch. One thing I can promise, though, is that it’s sure to have you clinging to the edge of your seat.
The Pembrokeshire Murders is a compelling 3 part series that focuses on the reinvestigation of a double murder case nearly 2 decades old. Committed on a coastal path in Wales, Pembrokeshire, in 1989, it seemed as if the two victims and their families were never going to receive the justice they deserved. However, developments in forensics later lead to new evidence which piques the interest of Detective Superintendent John Steve Wilkins. However, upon reopening the case, Wilkins gets more than he bargained for when he uncovers unexpected links to other shockingly brutal unsolved crimes. Based on the book The Pembrokshire Murders: Catching The Bullseye Killer, co-written by Johnathan Hill and Steve Wilkins himself, this gripping mini-series is a testament to the value of dedicated crime investigators and a warning to offenders that they’re never off the hook - just because you’re not caught yet, doesn’t mean you’ve got away with it.
Not only is this one perhaps the most disturbing on our list but also by far the most controversial. Set in Liverpool in 1993, Detainment depicts the interrogation of two 10-year-old boys, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, following their brutal torture and subsequent murder of James Bulger, a 3-year-old boy who the pair lured away from his mother in Bootle New Strand shopping mall. A short, 30-minute film using a verbatim script from the real interrogation tapes, the creators of Detainment were criticised for producing the film without the consent of Bulger’s family. James Bulger’s mother, Denise Fergus, expressed her distaste for the film, stating in an interview with Loose Women: “I think he [director, Vincent Lambe] is just trying to big his career up, and to do that under someone else’s grief is just so unbelievable and unbearable”.
Directed by Will Sharpe, The Landscapers is a chilling reminder that you never know who you could be talking to. The scariest breed of murderers, The Landscapers culprits fall into the insidious ‘kindly killer’ category. Christopher and Susan Edwards, a seemingly ordinary couple, are living the British equivalent of the white picket fence life in their house in Mansfield, England. However, their outwardly peaceful, picture book existence is turned upside down when Susan’s parents are found dead and buried in their own backyard. One of the most bizarrely complex cases in contemporary British history, The Landscapers is a compelling depiction of the convoluted investigation that ensued following the discovery of the double murder. Sure to make your head spin, it's an uncomfortable experience from which you won’t be able to look away.
This 2 -part mini-series, directed by Neil McKay, tells the true story of Janet Leach. Emerging from the woodwork as an everyday Gloucestershire housewife in the mid-1990s, Leach went on to play an essential role in uncovering the grizzly crimes of Fred and Rosemary West. This was done via her voluntary service as an appropriate adult to Fred West, a term used in English law to describe a responsible person over the age of 18, whose purpose is to safeguard the rights and welfare of children and vulnerable persons suspected of criminal offences. Depicting the exclusive insight Leach receives from Fred West, this series provides a stomach-twisting insight into the mind of a manipulative, sadistic serial killer.
Have you seen any of these? What are your thoughts on true-crime dramatisations? Let us know your take in the comment section below!
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