Ghislaine Maxwell - The making of a monster

"Ghislaine Maxwell: The Making of a Monster" (2022), a three-part Channel 4 documentary directed by Erica Gornall, is a chilling probe into the life of the convicted sex trafficker. Spanning her privileged yet toxic upbringing as Robert Maxwell’s favored daughter to her role as Jeffrey Epstein’s enabler, the series uses archival footage, survivor testimonies, and interviews with Oxford peers like George Monbiot and Mariella Frostrup to trace her descent. Episode one, "Queen Bee," exposes her rude, entitled demeanor and a disturbing party game involving blindfolded men groping women, foreshadowing her later crimes. The second and third episodes, "Hidden in Plain Sight" and "The Reckoning," detail her New York pivot post-1991, where Epstein replaced her father’s malign influence, and her callous dismissal of victims as “trash.” The documentary excels in giving survivors a voice, with harrowing accounts of Maxwell’s manipulation, though it struggles to fully explain annuals the "why" behind her actions, leaving her psyche elusive—a strength, as it avoids excusing her. Critics praised its timing post-conviction (Rotten Tomatoes: 85%) but noted its gossipy tone (IMDb: 7.5/10). At 195 minutes, it’s gripping but occasionally repetitive, best for true-crime fans seeking a nuanced, unsettling portrait.