Parents' Guide to Conversation with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes

Conversation with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes TV poster

Common Sense Media Review

Polly Conway By Polly Conway , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Deeply disturbing documentary about serial killer.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

age 18+

Based on 1 kid review

What's the Story?

CONVERSATION WITH A KILLER: THE JOHN WAYNE GACY TAPES is a documentary about the notorious serial killer of at least 33 young men and boys in the 1970s. The series reiterates that Gacy was well-known in his neighborhood and community as a construction contractor and member of the local Democratic Party. Interviews with lawyers, law enforcement, detectives, and potential victims make up the bulk of the miniseries, with 1980 interviews with Gacy himself interspersed throughout.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 1 ):
Kids say ( 1 ):

True crime buffs may appreciate the details in this heavy documentary, while others may find the whole thing too disturbing to be entertaining. Images of Gacy's home and personal objects, detailed interviews and play-by-plays of crime investigations make up the bulk of the series, as well as historical information about the area and the times, all of which is pretty interesting. What's less interesting is hearing from Gacy himself, who deserves no further airtime.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about true crime documentaries. Why do you think people want to hear more about these kinds of crimes?

  • Why do you think many of the people and victims decided to be a part of this documentary?

TV Details

  • Premiere date : April 22, 2022
  • Network : Netflix
  • Genre : Reality TV
  • TV rating : TV-MA
  • Last updated : May 2, 2022

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Conversation with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes TV poster

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