Title DossierDocumentary

Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes

DocumentaryBiographyCrime

Serial killer Dennis Nilsen narrates his life and horrific crimes via a series of chilling audiotapes recorded from his jail cell.

Year

2021

Duration

1h 24m

IMDb

6.3

Poster Feed

Cast

MH

Michael Harte

Director

DB

Douglas Bence

Self - Journalist, Daily Mirror

BB

Bob Brenton

Self - Detective Sergeant

Cast

MH

Michael Harte

Director

DB

Douglas Bence

Self - Journalist, Daily Mirror

BB

Bob Brenton

Self - Detective Sergeant

Mike Cattran

Self - Dyno-Rod Engineer

RC

Russ Coffey

Self - Journalist

BH

Bill Hamilton

Self - BBC Correspondent

KH

Karen Hunt

Self - Police Constable

MH

Martyn Hunter-Craig

Self - Martyn

IL

Ivan Lawrence

Self - Defence Counsel

SM

Steve McCusker

Self - Detective Inspector

ES

Elizabeth Scott

Self - Nilsen's Mother

Trailer

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Comments

10 Comments

Raja kobayJun 15, 2025

This Documentary told the story from the perspective of the victims and detectives point of view. Pretty good detail.

CLEVERJun 15, 2025

A wonderfully well made documentary! I especially like the fact they had real news footage AS WELL AS real tape interviews and survivors. I've never heard of this case (like a lot actually) but I'd recommend this one to anyone interested in true crime.

kavya dabrani Jun 15, 2025

It's a tough watch at times due to the nature, but it's really well done. Good watch and done in a unique way from all perspectives...

🇲🇦نيروبي🇲🇦Jun 15, 2025

What a waste!! The opening 15-20min draw you in then it just devolves into nonsense.... I've created this account just to bring down the average for this "documentary". They have the killer on hours and hours of tape, he must be one of the easiest serial killers to source information on, and Netflix went this path with it. The piece goes from a documentary about a serial killer, to a puff piece about the incrimination of the homosexual community in the 1980's. Both are very interesting subjects, this "Doc" was not the place to try and shoehorn in other subject matter, yes it was a reason he was able to get away with his killings for so long, but that is not what I wanted to watch. Utter waste of time. I'd 0/10 if I could.

Chimwemwe MlombwaJun 15, 2025

If you like serial killer docu's go watch it. It has a different more original approach than most and is told for a big part by the killer himself. I really liked this approach, the killer has very relaxed way of talking. Would give it between 7 and 8. Wished it was a bit longer.

Winnie LuzJun 15, 2025

A single word could describe this "documentary" : CHAOS! The storyline was chaotic and if someone doesn't know Nielsen's story already, they wouldn't understand a thing. How about some backstory on the murderer? Motifs? The whole investigation in detail? Some chronological order of the facts? What happened after the trial? How he decided to record himself? Etc etc... The only good thing about this documentary are the tapes. Insted of making 1h30 bad show with a lot of missing information why not taking it slower and make it a series? Considering they had hours long of recorded tapes, they could have made a really cool show with multiple episodes where Nielsen is the narrator and we see the story from his side.

Diane RussetJun 15, 2025

Another crime documentary on Netflix, and this one depended on its unique premise of having the killer's tapes to make it special. This was quite a boring story with nothing that I have seen before. The murder was just another lesser Criminal Mind episode. Honestly, there was potential with the tapes because Nilsen's voice was calm but eerie at the same time. However, only half or less than that of the movie was his dialogues. Instead, there were more of the typical Netflix documentary style with the slow and indirect narrations from the interviewees. This works at first, but becomes monotonous and boring quickly. There one or two long monologues from Nilsen, and I think those were the most effective ones at keeping audiences on the edge. I wished the documentary would rely way more on his tapes. Overall, nothing really special from other Netflix crime documentaries. 5.5/10.

nardosJun 15, 2025

I'd like to start this review by apologizing to the writer and director of this documentary. When Netflix first came onto the scene this would have been a jaw dropping, white knuckling thrill ride. Sadly. We've seen it. We've seen it all. I give a 7/10 because it not the writer or directors fault. It's a well put together 1 hour and 30 minute murderer bio. But it's clear Netflix has a template for these now. Again, it's not a bad film just played out. You wouldn't run across the street screaming if Alice Cooper was walking towards you in the sidewalk. But 25 years ago you might of.

ᴍᴏʜᴀᴍᴍᴇᴅ ᴀғᴋᴀʀJun 15, 2025

This is miss classified as a documentary when it's more of a fictional retelling. It cut out the real DCI who investigated, interviewed, arrested and testified against Nielson, DCI Peter Jay. It also cut out the Biographer Nielson hired during the investigated who provided the police with key documents. Along with omitting facts about his police and army history. As quoted by the director "...we're trying to tell a different story here. And that story had been told and has been told many times." Ludicrous statement for what is supposed to be a documentary on facts!

GloriaJun 15, 2025

Could draw a parallel to Nick Broomfield's Tales From The Grim Sleeper, from the perspective that the bodies were allowed to accumulate because the target victims were from a marginalised group within society. In the former, the victims having been prostitutes, and in the latter being young gay men in 1980s Britain. You tend to think of policing as based on science and with the highest levels of professionalism applied, however this is pretty far from the truth. Both biases and discrimination playing a major role in outcomes. Maybe the biggest divide of them all is class inequality and how that affects victims and perpetrators. Its fairly well made but I felt it could have been longer and gone more in depth in to the psychology of Nilsen. More often than not documentaries tend to avoid doing this, as I guess looking deep in to the mind of a mass murderer isn't essentially positive for the greater public good. There seems to be a lot of audio and writing from him though, and i did feel in the end that aspect of the doc was cut short in this instance, as he seemed to have an awful lot to say for a serial killer.