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'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.

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.

Harrowing documentary, however, chunks of key details and Info left out/missing. If you've never watched a documentary regarding the story before then you'll probably find it really good, whereas for myself I've watched a few docs over the years about it which were a bit more in depth and included extra details etc.

All in all a very decent documentary regarding the shocking story but lacking key details, evidence and info. Three relatively short episodes which you can binge in one night so it's definitely worth a viewing especially if you've never seen a documentary regarding it before. 7/10.

The documentary feels rushed and that it needed another three episodes at least.

Key events such as Fred's brain injury, Rose's relationship with her father, more background on Rena and Ann McFall, the possibility that other victims such as Mary Bastholm may exist are all missed. Whilst some victims are given some coverage and family interviews conducted, an episode giving background on each victim would have emphasised the person behind the victim.

The new footage is interesting but seems to be the whole purpose behind the documentary rather than an attempt to add further context to the events being described.

Ironically Howard Sounes' (contributor and producer) own podcast contained much more information on this subject than contained in this documentary.

Frankly there have been channel 5 documentaries that are more detailed and informative.