Crazy, Not Insane

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Crazy, Not Insane

2020

1h 58m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

33 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Psychiatrist Dorothy Otnow Lewis stirs controversy for her views on serial killers and the death penalty.

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Critics Consensus

Crazy, Not Insane isn't as narratively disciplined as documentarian Alex Gibney's best work, but Dorothy Otnow Lewis' clinical analysis of murderous psychology may prompt unexpected sympathy for the devil.

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Becca James

Chicago Reader

Dec 30, 2020

A forensic psychiatrist known for her controversial views on serial killers and the death penalty, Lewis is an absorbing subject.

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Neal Justin

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Dec 30, 2020

Focusing on Dr. Dorothy Otnow Lewis, a rebel psychiatrist who believed in multiple personality disorder long before her colleagues did. The videos of her interviewing mass murderers are riveting.

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Katie Rife

AV Club

Dec 16, 2020

B-

It's a fascinating idea, enhanced by some hair-raising interview footage that could make the most skeptical mind question whether there might be something to Lewis' theories.

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Milana Vujkov

Lola On Film

Jan 25, 2024

4/5

Dr. Lewis is exceptionally empathetic, at the same time, she is painstakingly, surgically inspecting every facet of the perpetrators’ lives [...] like a true detective would (a parallel she would appreciate), tracing the villain origins of [DID] creation.

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Sayan Ghosh

The Hindu

Sep 27, 2023

...what intrigues them more is the age-old question which has never been met with a satisfying answer — what makes an individual indulge in prolonged periods of frenzied killing?

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Fernanda Solórzano

Letras Libres

Oct 26, 2021

Crazy, Not Insane approaches the topic of serial killers from what I believe is a quite necessary angle. [Full review in Spanish]

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Julian S.

@akajulianscott Sep 19, 2025

CRAZY, NOT INSANE navigates the gray zones of human behavior, unpacking the wild, often violent impulses Lewis has spent a lifetime studying.

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Agnes F

@rendbezsolika Jun 27, 2024

Mindblowing findings from a compassionate psychiatrist. You'll feel sorry for serial killers. Really.

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pj m

@RT55555596 Jan 15, 2022

Intense, thought provoking.

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Oct 27, 2021

It is a documentary about Dr. Dorothy Lewis's work on the psychology of killing. However, the work mostly focuses on her study on serial killers and DID, the question of what motivates us to kill is not properly investigated as the doc rather chooses to focus on the cases with a history of abuse. I am not an authority about the matter, hovewer, I find it insufficient that only counter perspective to that of Lewis is an former goverment worker who had been portrayed one-sided.

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Aug 9, 2021

Daring, schoking and mostly fascinating, this documentary is a inmersive exploration of human brain, and its behaviour in a world full of abuse, violence and trauma.

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Mar 8, 2021

This was an eye-opening documentary, well put together, cogent and fascinating, on how serial killers come about. Dr. Dorothy Otnow Lewis was a knowledgeable and empathic descriptor, showing audio and/or footage of interviews with serial killers along with more of the story. It was a completely unforgettable take on the forensics of the underlying foundation of the serial killer personality and process.

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Alex Gibney

Director

Laura Dern

Narrator

Alex Gibney

Writer

Erin Edeiken

Producer

Alex Gibney

Producer

Ophelia Harutyunyan

Producer

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Crazy, Not Insane: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Psychiatrist Dorothy Otnow Lewis stirs controversy for her views on serial killers and the death penalty.

Director: Alex Gibney
Producer: Erin Edeiken, Alex Gibney, Ophelia Harutyunyan, Joey Marra
Screenwriter: Alex Gibney
Production Co: Jigsaw Productions
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 18, 2020
Runtime: 1h 58m

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