Deceitful, cunning, and manipulative… Cold-blooded killers. The worst of the lot. We call them serial killers. They have been haunting us both in real life and on the screen with some of the top-rated shows revolving around them. The thing is, these shows have mainly been restricted to the West.
To bring to light these enigmatic members of society in the Arab world, Alsharq Discovery Channel is introducing the first-ever show about Arab serial killers, Dark Minds, which is currently streaming on Netflix.
A Deeper Dive
Simply put, the series follows the stories of the most prominent serial killers in the Middle East, taking an in-depth look at aspects that haven’t been discussed before.
Set up as a documentary, viewers get to unpack many aspects of each killer including their motives and methods. Putting the puzzle pieces together, you will be guided by rich interviews with specialists, criminal and legal experts, as well as doctors.
Who Are The Serial Killers?
This isn’t going to be a show just about one serial killer like the very popular Egyptian TV show Safah El Giza. Instead, we’ll get to learn about multiple serial killers from all over the MENA region.
From Tunisia, Jordan, and Lebanon to Egypt, Iraq, and Morocco, stories you probably never heard of will come to the surface. Each episode will revolve around a serial killer from each of these countries. Here is a quick snippet of each one:
Tunisia’s Naceur Damergi
When someone’s nickname is “The Butcher Of Nabeul,” you know that they mean business. He was known as the most dangerous serial killer in all of Tunisia and the last person to be subjected to the death penalty.
Lebanon’s Tanielian Brothers
Sometimes, these killers come in twos, and that is the case for brothers George and Michel Tanielian, whose crimes shook all of Beirut. They were linked to the murder of both taxi drivers and passengers.
Iraq’s Loay Al Taqi
For a touch of irony, one of the serial killers is… believe it or not, a doctor. You know, the one who pledges to care for the sick and to do everything in their power to save lives. Well, that is not the case for Al Taqi, who turned Al-Jumhuriya Hospital into his very own murder playground.
Egypt’s Safah El Giza
Last year, the TV show “Safah El Giza” was all the hype as Egyptian actor Ahmed Fahmy tapped into his acting chops to transform into the killer. Now, the serial killer is once again hitting our screens as we uncover the story of Gaddafi Farag, who had relationships with many women who he eventually killed.
Jordan’s Bilal & Susan
So far, we had doctors, brothers, and killers targeting taxi drivers, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be a Bonnie and Clyde in the collection. Meet Bilal and Suzanne, a couple who, beyond tying the knot, liked to commit murders together, 11 horrific murders to be exact.
Morocco’s Abdulaziz Al-Tijari
Known as Medyouna Butcher, he is a serial killer all about real estate as he committed 6 different murders for the sake of taking his victim’s belongings and homes.
What Else You Should Know
The entire show can be watched on Netflix. The first season was released with seven episodes, each devoted to one of the serial killers. Lebanon’s Tanelian Brothers get two-part episodes, episodes 2 and 3.
What is special is that in the second part (Episode 3), we get introduced to the two men convicted who reveal their side of the story and the unique motivations behind their behavior through captivating interviews.
The entire show does raise an important question: with more and more shows about Arab serial killers entering the limelight, what does this mean about criminality in the Arab world, and how do you think it shifted?