Plot Synopsis

RILLINGTON PLACE is a three-episode scripted series that tells the true story of notorious serial killer John Reginald Christie and the miscarriage of justice that saw a man hanged for a crime he didn't commit. This terrifying insight into this notorious case from the 1940s and early 1950s reveals how Christie betrayed and manipulated those around him -- his wife, his neighbors and ultimately the British justice system -- with deadly consequences. Yorkshireman Christie is a sexually dysfunctional hypochondriac and malevolent narcissist masquerading as a mild-mannered ledger clerk. An inveterate liar with a long criminal record he none-the-less presents an image of respectability and authority as a wounded war veteran and officer of the law. Despite successfully concealing his true psychopathic and sexual perversions from most of the world, he is ultimately unable to resist his urges eventually murdering at least six women, including his wife, Ethel, a submissive and weak woman, who is the perfect partner for Christie. She enables him to play the role of respectable husband and member of the community, conforming to the stereotype of supportive wife while remaining unwilling to examine too deeply her own misgivings about her husband's character or nocturnal activities. Twenty-five-year-old Timothy Evans is a storyfier, full of tales, boasts and swagger. The victim of a childhood illness which left him unable to attend school he is uneducated and illiterate with limited horizons. In a tempestuous marriage to a young wife with a daughter he dotes on he is trapped in a poverty cycle which is exacerbated by his unreliability and story telling. Naive, misguided and lacking in insight, he is easily maniuplated by his older, more cunning neighbor John Christie, tragically unaware of his ulterior motives or dark past. Timothy's wife, Beryl, is a 19-year-old spirited young woman. Left motherless at a young age and the eldest of 4 children she has jumped from the frying pan into the fire. Finding herself in a tumultuous marriage with little money or personal freedom she finds it hard to cope with the realities of adult life and motherhood. When she falls pregnant again she sees only one solution to her predicament putting her at loggerheads with her husband and allowing Christie to manipulate his way into her life. The story opens with Ethel and Reginald Christie setting up home in 10 Rillington Place after a long separation. Then, newlyweds Tim and Beryl Evans move into 10 Rillington Place with tragic consequences. Finally, under the stress of Timothy Evans' trial Christie's true nature begins to reveal itself. RILLINGTON PLACE had its U.S. premiere on Thursday, October 5, 2017 at 3:01am ET/12:01am PT, when Sundance Now debuted the entire three-episode series.