Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violence, sexism revealed in sensational true crime series.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Hillside Strangler
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
THE HILLSIDE STRANGLER is a true crime docuseries about one of the most notorious murder sprees that took place in the United States and the investigative and legal proceedings that followed. On October 17, 1977, the body of Yolanda Washington was found in Forest Lawn, Los Angeles. Because she was a sex worker, a criminal case wasn't immediately opened. It wasn't until a third victim, waitress and dancer Elissa "Lissa" Kastin, was found on a hillside of the L.A. area with almost the exact injuries that police realized that their deaths were a result of a serial killer. What followed was a very public and largely chaotic investigation that eventually led to the arrest of primary killer Kenneth Bianchi in January 1979, and his cousin and accomplice Angelo Buono, Jr. nine months later. Over 40 years after their conviction, and with the help of archive news and forensic footage, folks associated with the case like retired detectives Frank Salerno and Peter Finnegan, sex trafficking advocate Dr. Lois Lee, and journalist David Monaghan revisit what transpired. A contemporary interview with Bianchi is also featured.
Is It Any Good?
This sensational docuseries reexamines the infamous killing spree that led to women's bodies being found in the hills of what was then known as the serial murder capital of America. The Hillside Strangler reveals how the murders led to a media frenzy and widespread panic throughout Southern California, but only after women outside of the sex work industry were discovered. It also points to how the sexist attitudes about women and violence of the time directly undermined the investigation. The controversial trials of both men, which were hampered by unreliable witness testimony, a failed insanity defense, an attempt to dismiss the case, and other events spotlight the oddly dysfunctional legal process that took place. True crime fans will appreciate the lengthy and detailed narrative, but The Hillside Strangler is as much an indictment of California's criminal justice system at the end of the 1970s as it is the killers.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way news media characterized women and violence in the 1970s and '80s. Is today's media coverage any different?
Is it ethical for true crime series likeThe Hillside Strangler to spotlight serial killers? Should this attention be reserved for their victims?
TV Details
- Premiere date : January 18, 2026
- Cast : Frank Salerno , Peter Finnegan , Lois Lee
- Network : MGM+
- Genre : Reality TV
- Character Strengths : Perseverance , Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Last updated : January 23, 2026
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