Sometimes, evil wears a smile. “Dorothea”, based on the true story of Sacramento serial killer Dorothea Puente, was released to cinemas this month before heading to video-on-demand on November 4.
The film, directed by Chad Ferrin and released by Epic Pictures’ horror label Dread, stars Susan Priver as Puente, a grandmother who drugged, killed, and buried her elderly tenants in the 1980s.
The cast includes genre veterans Lew Temple (The Walking Dead), Brinke Stevens (“House on Haunted Hill”), and Ginger Lynn (“The Devil’s Rejects”).
It’s the second title in Dread’s true-crime horror series after ”Ed Kemper”, with a “Richard Ramirez” feature already in development.
“‘Dorothea’ is the second in our series of unflinching true crime films that explore the darkest corners of human nature,” says Dread CEO Patrick Ewald.
“Director Chad Ferrin masterfully transports audiences to the era in which these horrifying events took place, capturing both the atmosphere and psychology of the time.”
When real evil meets reel horror
In the West, productions like Netflix’s “Dahmer” and A24’s upcoming “My Friend Dahmer” sequel have proven that audiences are drawn to dramatisations of real-life violence that promise both entertainment and insight.
The appeal lies in blurring the boundaries between fact and fear, making audiences question not only what they’re watching, but what society finds watchable.
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East meets West in true-crime storytelling
While Dorothea exemplifies Western true crime’s psychological realism, Eastern horror often takes a different path — one rooted in allegory, folklore, and social critique.
Film scholar Takahiro Onoda notes that “Eastern crime horror tends to externalise guilt — it’s about collective trauma and moral decay — whereas Western versions often internalise it, focusing on the killer’s psychology.”
In South Korea, Na Hong-jin’s “The Wailing” (2016) and Bong Joon-ho’s “Memories of Murder” (2003) grounded supernatural or procedural horror in real unsolved crimes and cultural anxieties.
Japan’s “Confessions” (2010) reinterpreted revenge and justice through minimalist tension rather than gore, while China’s “The Looming Storm” (2017) blurred crime drama and existential dread.
These titles are proof that fascination with the true and the terrible transcends geography.
What it means for the genre
For studios, true-crime horror is a double-edged sword: unforgettable stories with intrigue, but also scrutiny over ethics and accuracy.
For viewers, it’s a safe confrontation with evil in front of the digital screens.
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Geoffrey H. Latayan 
Vivien Bernardino