Miniseries · HBO
I'll Be Gone in the Dark
After a decade of terror, the Golden State Killer vanished. One woman refused to let him disappear.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Amy Ryan
Michelle McNamara's Words (voice)
7 eps
Adam Drucker
Self - Michelle's Friend
1 eps
Jennifer Barth
Self - Executive Editor, HarperCollins
1 eps
Billy Jensen
Self - Crime Writer, Citizen Detective
3 eps
Paul Holes
Self - Ret. Chief of Forensics, Contra Costa County
4 eps
Kathleen Conroy
Self - Michelle's Sister
2 eps
Mary Rita Skrine
Self - Michelle's Sister
2 eps
Maureen Stratton
Self - Michelle's Sister
2 eps
Daniel Greenberg
Self - Michelle's Literary Agent
3 eps
Bob McNamara
Self - Michelle's Brother
2 eps
Kera Bolonik
Self - Michelle's Friend, Writer
2 eps
Barbara Rae-Venter
Self - Investigative Genetic Genealogist
1 eps
Gillian Flynn
Self - Author, Gone Girl
1 eps
Larry Crompton
Self - Ret. Detective, Contra Costa County
5 eps
Wes Ryland
Self - Joseph DeAngelo's Nephew
1 eps
Patton Oswalt
Self - Michelle's Husband
6 eps
Michelle McNamara
Self (archive footage)
6 eps
Paul Haynes
Self - Michelle's Researcher, Citizen Detective
6 eps
Melanie Barbeau
Self - Citizen Detective
5 eps
Gay Hardwick
Self - East Area Rapist Survivor
1 eps
Karen Kilgariff
Self - Host, My Favorite Murder Podcast
4 eps
Bob Hardwick
Self - East Area Rapist Survivor
1 eps
Anne Marie Schubert
Self - Sacramento District Attorney
1 eps
Michael G. Bowman
Self
1 eps
Thien Ho
Self - Sacramento Deputy District Attorney
1 eps
Chris Lombardo
Kathleen Lombardo's Brother
1 eps
Tom Olis
Kathleen Lombardo's Neighbor
1 eps
Kim Knebel
Kathleen Lombardo's Neighbor
1 eps
Grace Puccetti
Self - Oak Park Attack Survivor
1 eps
Kris Pedretti
Self - East Area Rapist Survivor
1 eps
Linda O'Dell
Self - East Area Rapist Survivor
1 eps
Jane Carson-Sandler
Self - East Area Rapist Survivor
1 eps
Bonnie Colwell
Self - Joseph DeAngelo's Ex-Fiancée
2 eps
Jennifer Carole
Self - Daughter of Murder Victim Lyman Smith
1 eps
Debbi Domingo
Self - Daughter of Murder Victim Cheri Domingo
1 eps
George Seibel
Self - Former Homicide Detective, Chicago Police Dept.
1 eps
Lisa Ortiz
Self - Joseph DeAngelo's Cousin
1 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How I'll Be Gone in the Dark actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
I'll Be Gone in the Dark reads strongest on Character Depth, Bingeability and Serialized.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The story
What it's about
An exploration of the case of the Golden State Killer who terrorized California in the 1970s and 1980s, committing 50 sexual assaults and 10 murders, and true crime author Michelle McNamara's obsessive quest to find justice on behalf of his victims.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E01
Murder Habit
Delving into the world of online chat rooms and crime blogs, writer Michelle McNamara becomes immersed in the graphic details of the Golden State Killer case, connecting with like-minded sleuths, trading facts, photos and leads. After pitching a story to Los Angeles Magazine, she hits the ground running, interviewing several EAR survivors and retired detectives who worked the case.
- Directed by Liz Garbus
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Elizabeth WolffProducer
- Michelle McNamaraExecutive Producer
- Dan CoganExecutive Producer
- Dave RathExecutive Producer
- Liz GarbusExecutive Producer
- Lisa HellerExecutive Producer
Direction
- Elizabeth WolffDirector
- Josh KouryDirector
- Liz GarbusDirector
- Myles KaneDirector
Cinematography
- Thorsten ThielowDirector of Photography
Music
- Philip SheppardOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- HBO Max Amazon ChannelStreaming
- Google Play MoviesBuy
- Fandango At HomeBuy
- YouTube TVStreaming
- HBO MaxStreaming
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Where to go from here
Watch Next
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A crime story told with the patience of a novel.
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Never stop watching
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