In the 1970s, over thirty young men were kidnapped and murdered by John Wayne Gacy. A retelling of Gacy’s story is coming to life by creator Patrick Macmanus, known for bringing the Dr. Death and The Girl from Plainville stories to life for Peacock in Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy. Severance star Michael Chernus leads the series, portraying the serial killer. The uncomfortable yet troubling story sheds light on not just Gacy, but the victims.
Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy unpacks the true story of John Wayne Gacy. A man who was a community leader, had an all-American job, and even volunteered to entertain sick kids. But behind that mask was a deeply troubled man who killed over thirty-three men between 1972 and 1978. It exposes Gacy’s twisted layers, the gut-wrenching stories of grief, and the systematic failures of the crime system.
Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy
With the success of shows like Ryan Murphy’s Monster series, focused on Jeffrey Dahmer and the Menendez Brothers, and even Peacock’s Dr. Death, streaming platforms have taken advantage of the true crime obsession. One of the biggest things these shows attempt to do is have audiences attempt to get into the minds of these killers to possibly show what made them tick. And that’s precisely what Patrick Macmanus did with bringing John Wayne Gacy’s story to life.
It’s fascinating that the decision that Macmanus made by beginning the series of Gacy having already committed many of his murders. But what this allowed him to do was allow viewers to see how Gacy wore many masks within his life. Gacy was calculating to the point of manipulating how he spoke to people. It was almost as if he was three steps ahead of everyone around him, including the cops, and it was quite impressive.
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Michael Chernus had the tall task of portraying the duality of the human who was John Wayne Gacy. It was the mannerisms that Chernus got down that made his performance impressive. As I mentioned, in the way that Gacy spoke, he was able to manipulate those around him to make them believe he was this great guy. Not only that, there are scenes where Gacy was so cold in his battles with the cops that Chernus delivered frightening monologues.
The supporting cast only elevates Chernus’s ability to deliver this great performance. It starts with the detectives chasing him down, because when you get to those chilling interrogation sequences, or when Gacy brings them to the sites of the bodies. You are watching Gacy play games, and the pure frustration we see come from the likes of Gabriel Luna, Michael Angarano, and James Badge Dale in the roles of detectives amplifies the scenes. Followed by the Piest family (one of the Gacy’s victim families), who are trying to find their kid, led by Marin Ireland as the mother, Ireland’s sense of emotion, care, and distress was filled with such a profound impact. You couldn’t help but feel the pain.
There is a lot to unpack in Gacy’s life, but I didn’t feel like it warranted the full eight-episode run. I thought this went the similar path of Dr. Death, where it almost overstayed its welcome. When you are watching a series like this, you would rather not sit there and think to yourself, “What is this adding to the story?” And I found myself saying that several times throughout. Had this been a tight 5-6 episodes, it would’ve been much better.
Is Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy Worth Watching?
If you are a true crime junkie, you will be enamored by Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy. It gives you insight into the unique and cold-blooded mind of Gacy. I truly loved how creator Patrick Macmanus didn’t make this an origin story but inserted us right into the middle of Gacy’s life and allowed flashbacks to set the tone for some of the why. Led by a career-best performance by Michael Chernus, be sure to add this to your watchlist.
Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy releases on Peacock on October 16.
