Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez (2020) User Reviews

The perfect storm

[Kethina · 8/10 · 16 January 2020]

So I am not American, didn't know who Aaron Hernandez was before watching this and needless to say don't watch American football. Nevertheless I really found this to be very interesting and very well presented by the makers of this documentary mostly due to the legal aspects of the story. Like with many other murderers and especially with serial ones, it almost always takes the perfect storm to create one. Because of that I appreciate when portrayals of murderers are nuanced like this one. Understanding why people commit the crimes they do is important for a society in my opinion and I believe this documentary did a good job at presenting facts as well as personal stories about him without taking a stance on the matters. The stories told by his friends and acquaintances should of course be taken with a grain of salt, especially the ones told by his former "best friend" since nothing was presented from Hernandez' side to corroborate those anecdotes. But I liked how they very vividly painted the picture of his whole childhood and the aspects of what it means to be a professional football player.

The missing part for me, or what could have made this more interesting, is if his fiancé would have participated in this and told her side of the story. That way this could have been more balanced. But I can understand why she would decline to do so.

I give this an 8/10 for execution and would recommend it to anyone regardless of one's interest in Hernandez or American football. It is an interesting case on it's own.

Oh the humanity!

[chaitumhyd · 8/10 · 17 January 2020]

I'm probably a tad bit partial. Aaron being one of my favorite football players since his college days.

There a million excuses for his erratic behavior. And a lot of people will say they're exactly that, Excuses. But what if they're not? Having a controlling father, parents fighting all the time, his mother not being there when he needed her emotionally, sexual abuse, fear of coming out of the closet, bad acquaintances, brain damage and CTE due to NFL, oh the humanity, please be more understanding towards your kids. You never know what they are going through. Make it easy for them to reach out for help.

Fascinating Tale Told Badly.

[del996 · 6/10 · 21 January 2020]

As a non-American I did know a little about this case but not too much and not with too much knowledge of American Football itself. I did learn a lot during the three hours but in a slightly incoherent way considering my lack of base knowledge.

Unfortunately, the documentary was all over the shop, with some of the talking heads leaving me scratching my head as to why they were even there. I'd like to have seen a more of the head trauma angle and less of the supposed homosexual angle - which didn't seem to go anywhere at all - and fewer people seemingly making assumptions on Hernandez's behalf.

Overall an incredibly interesting story but could have been told much clearer for people like me.

Captivating story, poor documentary

[Calicodreamin · 6/10 · 31 January 2020]

The story of Aaron Hernandez is quite captivating, a star football player with seemingly everything ahead of him, murders someone and ruins his whole life. Why? Unfortunately the series relies too much on people expressing their opinions and not on actual facts. The focus is on the wrong places and seems to cheapen the main purpose. It makes it more he said she said than a documentary.

Very Good Documentary

[fleck05IMDB · 9/10 · 16 January 2020]

Like everyone else I knew the headlines, but getting a detailed view of the whole case was interesting. There's no way to know if Hernandez made his decisions because of abuse, desperation to keep his sex life secret, CTE or was he simply a sociopath? Maybe all of the above. Unlike most documentaries this didn't seem to be driving an agenda, just presenting the facts. They didn't lock in on one reason it could have happened, they detailed many possibilities through their research, Hernandez's jail conversations and interviews with people that knew him. I highly recommend this documentary.

It's the gaps that create the most interest.

[leebattersby · 7/10 · 16 January 2020]

An interesting approach to a murderer who is a complete boggle-- if ever there was a person who simply did not need to do what he did, it is Hernandez. The lack of direct input from everyone most directly involved leads to a mosaic approach to the narrative, much of it carried by inference or the build-up of circumstantial opinions.

There are no answers, and none are given, but the parade of people trying to protect themselves from proof of knowledge or shared culpability becomes a source of fascination in its own right.

Absolutely gripping

[clairelouise5 · 10/10 · 18 January 2020]

Wow. Watched this documentary gripped and dumbfounded as it all unfolded. Ended up constantly pausing to discuss and debate all the different aspects and conclusions. Just an extremely sad, interesting and bizarre case, one that leaves you unable to put it out of your mind for a long time. I found the documentary on a level to Making a Murderer and The Ted Bundy Tapes, Netflix knows how to get you hooked.

Gay doesn't excuse his killing behavior

[WVfilmfem · 7/10 · 15 January 2020]

He killed people in cold blood. Brain injury, or hiding his gayness in the macho NFL doesn't excuse this. I don't doubt he had brain injury from his football career, but so do many other players. They don't go out killing people. He was a sociopath, or better to describe a psychopath who used his status to be a thug.

There's never only one reason...

[mapika · 9/10 · 15 January 2020]

Being from Europe and not interested in American Football, I never heard anything about Hernandez. So I somehow stumbled over this Mini- Series on Netflix without reading or knowing anything about it.

This documentary is heart wrenching and once again shows pretty good the complex process of one ( above average gifted young) man's life gone totally wrong.

We learn, it may be the sum of many different events and experiences that can lead to devastating, bad decision making, and how important it is to have a safe social environment with truly caring and open minded people.

Why the spoilers ?

[theknownames · 7/10 · 17 January 2020]

I appreciate IMDB and have utilized its app to replace the volumes of movie encyclopedias that were a primary resource until, at least, the 90's. Not knowing anything about this case I wanted to watch it cold . I took a quick look at the reviews ( you know to see if it's mid rated consistent 6's verses 10's and 2'a and the headers are filled with spoilers. If your reading this your probably not an offender and if you are please understand that no spoilers means not giving away information that is isn't stated in the first 3 minutes is the film or show.

Very Good Overview of hislife

[cmcoonrad78 · 9/10 · 16 January 2020]

I enjoyed it. I almost skipped over it as I generally don't watch things like this. But I like football, I lived in Bristol while Aaron played football at Bristol Central, and I like the Patriots. It showed him growing up, his family strife, then college and getting drafted with the Pats.....and the 3 murders (almost 4) he was involved with. Three one hour episodes that I watched in the same evening. It pulled me in. I recomend this documentary.

Interesting but too long

[Tckelley74 · 6/10 · 16 January 2020]

A good documentary overall but not great. I was really excited about this documentary when I heard about it. I liked it overall though I felt that it added very little to what was already known about Aaron Hernandez overall. Moreover, I felt that it started to go down a path of political correctness wherein it was starting to imply that repeat concussions as seen with contact sports like football were the root cause to his bad behavior and demise-fortunately though somewhat confusingly, it seemed to back-peddle on this issue towards the end. I felt that there was more that could have been said about the system in our society that fosters, cultivates, praises and protects superstar athletes till an atrocity takes place and it no longer can. There was more substance to the story that I felt the director could have delved into that was not presented. Ultimately, what we were left with was a very long and repetitive presentation of a very disturbed and ill young man who wasted his potential.

Lazy journalism, no fact checking

[mastavro · 1/10 · 25 January 2020]

The Aaron Hernandez story is pretty fascinating. So interesting in its truth, there is no need to fabricate any details. Yet that's what happened here. Dennis Sansoucie, the supposed high school quarter back to Hernandez, played 4 games at QB his junior year. As a senior he was listed as an RB and made 1 pass for 25 yards. If Dennis was lying about his high school football career, how do we believe anything else he did in high school, which was a huge part of this documentary? No one corroborated his story and Dan Wetzel and company didn't do fact checking. If there was no fact checking on Sansoucie, where else did Wetzel cut corners. Lazy journalism, typical for this generation.

A SO-SO documentary...

[ericfranco · 6/10 · 17 January 2020]

Nothing new here. Just telling the facts.

I do think that 3, 1 hr episodes is too much. The story was dragged on a little too long.

If you don't have anything else to watch...binge this on a Saturday afternoon.

Brilliant

[cassie-fett · 9/10 · 17 January 2020]

This doco series is a stand out. Brilliantly delivered and produced. It hit a nerve with me however, and I can't help but feel deeply emotional and upset. Same way I felt after watching the Paradise Lost trilogy.......the US judicial system is defective and sometimes, downright idiotic. This poor kid took the wrong turn in life but I can't help but feel empathetic towards him. A tragic story but an excellent documentary.

Compelling but unnecessary asides at times

[admichalk · 7/10 · 26 January 2020]

I enjoyed watching, but the asides from Aaron's suppose highschool gay lover could have been cut. What is the point of the guy and his father discussing that the father is okay, abelit was reluctant at first, from the reality that is son is gay? Multiple clips from this convo provided nothing to the story.

Superb

[conn-atwork · 9/10 · 17 January 2020]

Whenever someone tells you "money buy happiness", show him this documentary.

what a waste of talent

[SimonRitterGER · 7/10 · 27 January 2020]

As a football lover and a pats fan, i had to watch it. I still dream of what could have been in New England with Gronk and Hernandez. His story is sadly amazing, netflix did a pretty good job. the only thing i would disagree one was the way how they potrayed his not prooven homosexuality. They clearly needed another reason to show why he was so.

Over 3 hours flew by!!

[ryanwinning1 · 10/10 · 17 January 2020]

I was a huge fan of Hernandez, and one of many jersey owners. There are so many details about this case that I didn't know. More importantly there were so many details about Aaron that I didn't know either. Very well done documentary. Very sad all around for all the families involved including Aaron. The way everything was laid out in this film couldn't have been better. One of the most alarming things about the documentary is that in his college highlights: Tim Tebow.....It appears Tim Tebow can actually throw in those highlights!!

This is really well done.

[rufuslloydapps · 30 January 2020]

Interesting case.

You have to wonder why Aaron would be so stupid to do something like this - to give up a life he apparently loved - playing in the NFL, etc.

Aaron and his girlfriend seem strangely ok with Aaron being in jail for the rest of his life. He doesn't seem to mind being there and she doesn't either.

His girlfriend seems surprisingly very mature and level headed - which is a little head scratching as well.

I thought the former teammate who talks about having a sexual relationship with Aaron was so strange - the way he presented his information was so over-the-top - he seemed like he could be lying (the big 'hello!' at the end of his speaking - very strange - seemed to be very high on something).

I guess the idea that boys would engage in sex with other boys before they are old enough to have girlfriends - because of not having girlfriends - is something I've never heard before. He says it like it very common. I've never heard this before in my life.

No excuses

[dayana421 · 7/10 · 16 January 2020]

An interesting and well made documentary. Death of father, being gay or having brain injury from playing football is not an excuse for killing four people just for the hell of it, but then he played for the NFL, not an uncommon behavior .

Brillant doc on Identity, Crime, Football

[phstudnitz-108-359301 · 9/10 · 20 January 2020]

Football star Aaron Hernandez (1989-2017) was convicted for killing a buddy, Odin Lloyd. This documentary shows the web of possible elements that contributed to making Hernandez complicit in crimes and murder: Suffering from brain damage from his athletic career. Being an intelligent, troubled, sensitive boy in a disrupted family. Unable to cope with closeted homosexuality in a homophobic sports world and his own heteronormative community. Too much marijuana. Living a life with success, fame and discipline - and anger, guns, violence, and questionable people. Unable to develop a functioning personality. A compellingly put together puzzle of reasons and facts

Seemed To Be Grasping At Straws

[christopher-cole83 · 6/10 · 18 January 2020]

People are complex beings. Rare is the case where someone, or the situation they may find themselves to be in, cut and dry. In the case of the star player for the New England Patriots, Aaron Hernandez, I think that's particularly true. Had the director and producers of this kept it there however, I would have given this a higher rating.

Where this loses me though is in how the producers and director seem to want to pin his behavior on the loss of his dad, or his sexuality in a very macho sport, or the CTE found on his brain. I'm not going to say that any one, or perhaps some combination of all those things, contributed to Aaron's behavior and his spiral into violence, but that to me seems to be a cop-out. I think it should be pointed out more explicitly in the documentary that people deal with the loss of parents on a daily basis, it doesn't turn every one of them violent. People deal with the complexity of sexuality every day, doesn't mean they'll all become killers. People, athletes in particular, deal with all manner of trauma, it doesn't mean the majority of them end up in jail.

The producers and director gave several minutes worth of these being contributing factors to what Aaron Hernandez did, despite questions over his character existing at the tail end of high school and into college. And it may be true to an extent that those things did. Yet, only a couple of minutes toward the end were dedicated to people saying that, ultimately, Aaron Hernandez was responsible for the choices he made. Maybe those who were involved in the making of this documentary threw that in to provide something resembling balance, but it certainly didn't seem like they were saying he was ultimately responsible for the choices he made.

So much unnecessary information

[raenamcintosh · 5/10 · 18 January 2020]

They gave us wayyy too much information trying to fill up three 1 hour long episodes. Director needs to learn how to EDIT because this could have been about 90 minutes. Really felt like I was watching a doc about football at times instead of a murder. Can't count how many times they went off topic and I was thinking "Okay but....do we really need to know about this? Get to the point." Really frustrating. There is such a thing as too much backstory!!!! They interviewed people they didn't need to interview talking about things that absolutely did not matter at all.

Nothing New Here! Guess It's On The Editing Floor

[zacharytharris-51466 · 6/10 · 16 January 2020]

Too many trivial witnesses own personal stories restricted viewers a more in-depth persona of Aaron Hernandez! I Will never defend or condone murdering someone but emphatically Child Sexual Abuse, Homophobic Father, NFL( Finances 1st & Players Last and look the other way until there's a controversy), Demonic reporters Michelle McPhee, Gerry Callahan & Kirk Minihane who outed him on national radio, Advanced CTE and his Untrustworthy Mother conscientiously were motivators in silencing his life after the victims!