Netflix’s latest true crime documentary, Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes, has left viewers stunned. Released on 30 July, the three-part series explores the chilling crimes of notorious serial killer David Berkowitz.
The new documentary series features previously unheard audio recordings of Berkowitz, now 72, and fresh insights from those directly involved in the case.
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Joe Berlinger, it revisits the terrifying year in New York City between 1976 and 1977 when Berkowitz terrorised residents.
Who was the Son of Sam?
David Berkowitz was arrested almost 50 years ago after killing six people and injuring several others. He gained the nickname “Son of Sam” after taunting police and media through letters during his killing spree.
The Netflix documentary features rare audio interviews recorded by journalist Jack Jones. Berkowitz, who is serving a life sentence in New York, speaks openly about his troubled upbringing and the anger that fueled his crimes.
A troubled childhood
© NetflixBerkowitz tells Jones in the documentary how learning he was adopted deeply affected him.
“I thought there was a man out there that hated me and was possibly going to try to kill me for causing the death of his wife,” Berkowitz explains, reflecting on what his adoptive father told him about his birth.
Berkowitz admits in the documentary that this moment was a turning point. He began lashing out at his adoptive mother, destroying her belongings and withdrawing from others.
Later, Berkowitz discovered that his biological mother was alive and that his father had abandoned him. He describes himself as a “loner,” consumed by anger over feeling unwanted and alienated.
“I was so angry, I blamed others, and I started committing my crimes to make people pay attention to me,” he reveals chillingly in the series.
Reign of terror
© NetflixThe documentary captures the fear gripping New York during Berkowitz’s crime spree. With victims seemingly random, residents were terrified, and many women dramatically changed their appearance to avoid becoming targets.
Women with long brown hair cut their hair short or dyed it blonde. Others avoided going out entirely, and parents pleaded with their daughters to stay home.
TIME Magazine described Berkowitz’s random violence vividly in August 1977: “He haunted lovers’ lanes, attacked couples coming from discotheques, and even opened fire at girls on house porches.”
Inside the mind of a killer
© NetflixBerkowitz targeted couples specifically because of resentment linked to his own birth.
Director Joe Berlinger explains: “When Berkowitz realised he was the product of an affair, he began targeting young lovers having illicit sex in their cars, producing unwanted children.”
But Joe acknowledges many people experience difficult childhoods without becoming violent: “Lots of children have traumatic childhoods, and they don’t turn into killers. That endlessly fascinates me.”
Powerful interviews
© Courtesy of NetflixThe documentary includes emotional interviews with Berkowitz’s surviving victims and family members of those killed.
Wendy Savino, now 88, appears in the series as Berkowitz’s first victim, shot in April 1976. She reveals she has carried a sketch of Berkowitz in her handbag for 47 years, highlighting the lasting impact of the crimes.
Lessons from the documentary
© NetflixJoe believes the Son of Sam case is foundational to society’s ongoing obsession with true crime.
He says: “The way Berkowitz interacted with the media, the way the media willingly cooperated—everyone in New York couldn’t wait for the next headline.”
The filmmaker also highlights differences between policing in the 1970s and today, noting how the lack of computerised data-sharing allowed serial killers to evade capture longer.
Despite conspiracy theories, the documentary clearly states Berkowitz acted alone, and the killings stopped immediately after his arrest.
Berkowitz speaks out in 2024
© NetflixJoe interviewed Berkowitz by phone for the documentary in 2024. Berkowitz expresses deep remorse for his crimes, describing being trapped in a “dark space.”
Berkowitz says: “My life spun out of control, and I just couldn’t get on that right path.”
When asked what advice he’d give to his younger self, Berkowitz replies candidly: “‘Dave, run for your life. Get help.’ I could have gone to my dad. I could have gone to my sister. But I kept everything to myself.”
Viewers react strongly
© NetflixFans binge-watching Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes have taken to social media, describing the experience as “chillingly intimate.”
One viewer wrote: “Out of all the true crime series on Netflix, Conversations with a Killer just may be one of the most chillingly intimate documentaries yet.”
Another agreed, saying it was “one of their best true crime docu-series.”
A third viewer added: “I’m just going to hide in my room and watch Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes!”
However, not everyone was completely convinced, with another viewer saying: “Netflix’s new docuseries is a bit of a slog. It has no point of view and offers little new information.”
Despite mixed reviews, the overwhelming response from viewers is that the series delivers powerful insights into one of America’s most notorious killers.
Whether viewers loved it or found it unsettling, Netflix’s Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes is clearly having an impact.
The true crime documentary is streaming now on Netflix.
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