Film

Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer

Name: Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer
Genre: Drama, Crime, Documentary
Released: 2018
Cast: Dean Cain, Nick Searcy, Earl Billings, Janine Turner, Grace Montie

Serial killer
Very dark

A procedural account of the investigation and prosecution of Dr. Kermit Gosnell, the Philadelphia abortion provider convicted of multiple murders. The film treats the case as a detective story and legal thriller, focusing on how authorities built their case. It's for viewers interested in true crime and the investigative process, though the subject matter is disturbing.

TMDb rating

2.9

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you want a sober, procedural account of how a stubborn case was built, the kind of courtroom-and-paperwork story where the investigators' persistence is the drama.

Skip it if you come for a neutral look at abortion politics, since this makes its case from one side and plays more like an argument than an open inquiry.

What it asks of you: Roughly ninety-three minutes of dense testimony and evidence, with a steady, unhurried rhythm and little relief from its grim material; it wants your full attention on the facts.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Spotlight2015

Methodical, ensemble-driven investigation into institutional crime. Like Gosnell, it follows journalists/authorities methodically uncovering a huge story that powerful people wanted buried. Excellent pacing and performances.

But Slower and less sensational than many true crime films. Rewards patience more than it provides shock value.

American Crime Story2016

10-part examination of a notorious trial from multiple angles: the evidence, the lawyers, the media circus, the racial context. Sophisticated true crime that respects viewer intelligence and the case's complexity.

But Requires serious attention across multiple episodes. Less interested in easy answers than in understanding how justice actually works.

Zodiac2007

Fincher's obsessive procedural about investigators pursuing an uncaught killer. The real subject is how detectives think, how they fail, how obsession sustains them. Gripping and intelligent.

But Deliberately unglamorous and bleak. The killer is never caught. If you want resolution and justice served, you won't find it.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

After Tiller2013

Both films concern abortion provision, but this one centers the voices and humanity of doctors and patients rather than crime and prosecution. It complicates any simple narrative about the issue.

Documentary following the four remaining late-term abortion providers in America after Dr. Tiller's murder. Essential counterpoint: shows what ethical abortion medicine actually looks like, from practitioners who live with real threats.

But Explicitly pro-choice and emotional. If you haven't examined your own position on abortion, this will challenge you directly rather than letting you stay neutral.

The Trial of the Chicago 72020

Aaron Sorkin courtroom drama with bite. Sharp writing, strong ensemble cast, real stakes. The trial itself is the engine, not a backdrop to something else.

But Sorkin's rapid-fire dialogue isn't for everyone. Some find it exhausting rather than exhilarating.

MINDHUNTER2017

David Fincher series about the birth of criminal profiling in the FBI. Procedurally rigorous, dramatically intelligent, focused on how investigators develop new methods to understand killers.

But Slower than typical crime TV. Interested in psychology and theory as much as action. Only two seasons exist.

Murder on the Orient Express2017

Sleek ensemble mystery with Branagh's detective methodically working through suspects and evidence. More cerebral than sensational, focused on the puzzle.

But The solution is less important than the process. Some want mystery to lead somewhere genuinely surprising.

The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst2015

HBO documentary miniseries tracking Robert Durst's crimes across decades. Genuinely shocking, well-constructed narrative that unfolds like a thriller you can't predict.

But Extremely dark and disturbing. The subject is wealthy, narcissistic, and seemingly remorseless. Demands emotional stamina.

The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst poster

In Cold Blood1967

Classic crime procedural that treats a real murder case with gravity and detail. Influenced everything that came after. Beautifully shot in black and white.

But Dated in style. Some modern viewers find older films harder to engage with emotionally.

Murder Mystery2019

Lighter true crime entry: a detective story shaped around real cases, focusing on puzzle-solving and investigation technique rather than graphic content.

But Less weighty than serious true crime. If you're seeking moral reckoning rather than entertainment, this won't satisfy.

The Keepers2017

Both examine how institutions protect criminals. But The Keepers is investigation-led rather than trial-led, and focused on systemic failure rather than individual prosecution.

Seven-part documentary about institutional abuse and murder within the Catholic Church. Like Gosnell, it follows investigators and survivors uncovering crimes that the institution worked to conceal. Methodical and devastating.

But Deals with sexual abuse of minors. Emotionally harrowing and, unlike a courtroom film, offers no satisfying legal conclusion.

Complicit2017

Both involve investigation and evidence-gathering, but Complicit is skeptical of the investigative process itself—whether finding truth actually changes anything or serves justice. It's the darker, more uncertain mirror.

German documentary about a journalist investigating a war crimes suspect living openly in Berlin. Raises uncomfortable questions about moral complicity: who knew what, who looked away, who benefited from silence?

But Abstract and philosophical rather than procedurally satisfying. No clear villain, no trial, no closure. Asks questions it doesn't answer.