''Dating Game Killer'', also known as ''The Dating Game Killer'', is a 2017 biographical television film about serial killer

Rodney Alcala Rodney James Alcala (born Rodrigo Jacques Alcala Buquor; August 23, 1943 – July 24, 2021), dubbed the Dating Game Killer, was an American serial killer and sex offender who died of natural causes while on death row in California. He was sente ...

. It was directed by

Peter Medak Peter Medak (born Medák Péter, 23 December 1937) is a Hungarian-born film director and television director of British and American productions. Early life Born in Budapest, Hungary, he was the son of Elisabeth (née Diamounstein) and Gyula Med ...

and broadcast on

Investigation Discovery Investigation Discovery (stylized and branded on-air as ID since 2008) is an American multinational pay television network dedicated to true crime documentaries owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. As of February 2015, approximately 86 million Amer ...

Plot

The film tells the story of Rodney Alcala, a convicted

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

believed to be responsible for over 130 murders. In 1971, he is caught after having raped and beaten 8-year-old Rosie Hoffman, but because her parents move her to

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, she does not testify at Alcala's trial, and he is charged only with assault. He is repeatedly charged with abusing girls, but his good behavior and kind manners gain him preferable treatment and light sentences. He is repeatedly declared reformed, enabling him to commit more murders. In 1978 he appeared on the television show ''

The Dating Game ''The Dating Game'' is an American television game show that first aired on December 20, 1965, and was the first of many shows created and packaged by Chuck Barris from the 1960s through the 1980s. ABC dropped the show on July 6, 1973, but it ...

'' in the midst of his killing spree. Alcala is ultimately identified by a park ranger who saw him walking with a murder victim named Tammy Jensen days before her body was discovered at the same location. This eyewitness account provides police with the evidence they need to finally arrest Alcala. In his

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

storage locker they find the earrings Tammy Jensen was wearing when she disappeared, and he is sentenced to death. This conviction is overturned in 1984 due to the prosecution's reference to Alcala's previous crimes causing bias in the jury, but he is retried and sentenced to death again in 1986. A change in the law allows his DNA to be collected in 2002, connecting him to further murders. In 2010, Alcala represents himself at trial, calling on himself for testimony and answering his own questions. Rosie Hoffman returns 42 years after her attack to finally testify against her attacker, and her testimony as well as the testimony of Tammy Jensen's mother Carol help sentence Alcala to death for five counts of abduction, murder, and special circumstances. In 2012 he pleaded guilty to two more murders in New York. In 2016 he was charged with the 1977 murder of a woman in

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...

Cast

Production

This was the first original scripted film produced by

Reception

In a positive review for ''

HuffPost ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'', reviewer JR gave the film an A−, writing, "There was clearly a lot of time, discussion, and development about how to execute and deliver the story and it shows in the finished product right from the start." The reviewer went on to praise the acting, writing, "Guillermo Diaz and Carrie Preston deliver career best performances. Their courtroom scenes are so good, as a viewer you want to hit rewind and watch them again (I did three times). Carrie Preston should win the Emmy next September for Best Supporting Actress in a TV Movie or Miniseries. Guillermo should be recognized as well come Emmy time."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dating Game Killer 2017 television films 2017 films 2010s biographical films 2010s crime films American biographical films American crime films American serial killer films American television films Biographical films about photographers Biographical films about serial killers Crime television films Films about child abduction in the United States Films about child sexual abuse Films directed by Peter Medak Films set in 1968 Films set in 1971 Films set in 1974 Films set in 1977 Films set in 1978 Films set in 1979 Films set in 1980 Films set in 2002 Films set in 2010 Films set in 2012 Films set in 2016 Films set in Brooklyn Films set in California Films set in Dallas Films set in Los Angeles Films set in New Hampshire Films set in New York (state) Films set in Orange County, California Films set in Seattle 2010s English-language films 2010s American films