About I'll Be Gone in the Dark (HBO)

I'll Be Gone in the Dark is a six-part documentary series based on the book of the same name by Michelle McNamara, produced by HBO. The series explores McNamara's investigation into the dark world of the violent predator she dubbed "The Golden State Killer," who terrorized California in the 1970s and '80s and is responsible for 50 home-invasion rapes and 12 murders.

McNamara lived a quiet life as a writer, mother, and wife, preferring to stay out of the public eye, until she couldn't keep her investigative side hidden any longer. She died suddenly while investigating the unsolved crimes, leaving a void that her husband Patton Oswalt, collaborator Paul Haynes, and researcher Billy Jensen sought to fill by finishing her book.

Making / Production

The series was directed by Liz Garbus, Elizabeth Wolff, Myles Kane, and Josua Kuory. It weaves together original recordings and excerpts from the book along with new interviews, archival footage and police reports to create an immersive and comprehensive look into how this complex case unfolded.

Actors

• Amy Ryan: Voices Michelle McNamara, wife of Patton Oswalt and the book's author, who spent years investigating the Golden State Killer.
• Paton Oswalt: Husband to Michelle and a driving force in getting her book completed after her death. He shares insights into Michelle's obsession with unsolved crimes.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The title of the series and book is derived from a taunt that the Golden State Killer made to one of his victims: "You'll be silent forever, and I'll be gone in the dark."
• Michelle McNamara coined the name "The Golden State Killer" for the then-unidentified murderer and rapist.

Awards

The series has been praised for its delicate handling of a dark subject, and in 2021 it won the Critics Choice Award for Best Limited Documentary Series.

Quotes

• "One day soon, you’ll hear a car pull up to your curb, an engine cut out. You’ll hear footsteps coming up your front walk...That’s how it ends for you." – Michelle McNamara

Music, Soundtrack

• The score for the series was composed by Philip Sheppard, with the end credits sequence featuring Leonard Cohen's "You Want It Darker."