“I’ve had a few highlights in my 41-year career, but Fourniret’s goes way beyond that.This sentence, delivered by former prosecutor Francis Nachbar, gives a brief insight into the horror behind one of France’s most famous criminal investigations.
For 16 years, someone nicknamed the “Ogre of the Ardennes” kidnapped, raped and killed women and young girls. If the killer, arrested in 2003, has confessed to 11 crimes, he remains one of the prime suspects in 21 other cases. In 2008, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
After watching the death of Gregory Villemin, the Netflix platform offers a five-episode documentary series called The Fourniret affair: In the head of Monique Olivier.
Produced by documentary filmmakers Michelle Fiennes and Christophe Astruc, this investigative piece not only chronicles the drama and trial that ensued, but focuses more specifically on the role of the criminal’s wife.
Presented as docile, mute and under the influence of the butcher, Monique Olivier is quickly seen as weak. “It feels like we are dealing with a service noodle“, the former police chief even appears in front of the camera.
However, there is nothing. The documentary series reveals that numerous tests have shown her to have a high IQ, above average. After that, the wife becomes an accomplice. “He was a manoeuvrer, he was a thinking leader“, explains one of the experts interviewed in the documentary.
This true crime offers an elaborate staging and reconstruction like Gregory. Along with lawyers and psychologists, several relatives of the victims are holding back. The documentary must be seen and heard at times, especially when Monique Olivier admits and explains in detail the atrocities committed by her companion.
Some subscribers have responded to the announcement of the series on social networks, pointing to a form of opportunism. “The propaganda of serial killers must stop. Enough of the crazy people on the loose“, we can read under one of the platform’s tweets.
“If not, do you mind releasing this kind of documentary rather than highlighting the victim? It would be fairer“- says another internet user. Nevertheless, the series takes an important place in the relatives of the victims and their testimonies.
Given a 28-year ineligible sentence, Monique Olivier could return to court for the 2003 cases of Marie-Angel Domes, Estelle Muzzin and Joanna Parrish. Trials could be held next November.
The Fourniret Affair: In the Head of Monique Olivier is available on Netflix.
Source: Allocine
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
