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A new Netflix crime miniseries, “The Witness,” dramatizes a horrifying true story and is earning widespread praise for its treatment of its subject matter. The three-part series is based on the true story of father and son André and Alex Hanscombe, whose wife and mother Rachel Nickell was stabbed to death on Wimbledon Common in 1992. At the time of her killing, Alex was just two years old. He was also the only witness to his mother’s murder.
The story of Rachel’s killing is truly harrowing and will be tough to take for more sensitive viewers. But even after the initial ordeal, André and Alex endured yet more hardship, as a firestorm of media attention swirled around Rachel’s murder. Making matters worse, the police investigation became increasingly shambolic as it went on. “The Witness” explores Alex and André’s experiences dealing with the aftermath of their tragedy, which, at times, became just as traumatic as the murder itself.
Alongside the miniseries, Netflix has released a documentary titled “The Murder of Rachel Nickell,” which is shaping up to be one of the best new true crime documentaries. Speaking to Tudum, Alex explained how he and his father had given interviews before and that other shows had been made “with the best intentions” but that these other projects “were just scraping the surface.” With “The Witness” and “The Murder of Rachel Nickell,” Netflix and the Hanscombes have given their story the small screen treatment it deserves.
The Witness is a powerful, important drama
True crime is becoming an increasingly contentious topic. 2025 was the year true crime entertainment went too far, and the more sensationalist examples have been met with significant criticism. Case in point: Ryan Murphy’s Ed Gein Netflix series drew condemnation from not only professional critics but also “Longlegs” director Oz Perkins, who announced he would be making a point of avoiding Murphy’s show precisely because “the Netflix-ization of real pain is playing for the wrong team.”
Thankfully, “The Witness” and its accompanying documentary represents something else entirely, centering the victims’ experiences and telling the story with their full support. Thus far, that has proven quite compelling, with “The Witness” earning a stellar 100% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes in addition to debuting near the top of the Netflix charts around the world. Indeed, the series hit the streamer on June 5, 2026, and it immediately shot to number two on the most-watched Netflix charts in 47 countries (via FlixPatrol).
At the moment, the RT score is based on just five reviews, so that 100% will likely drop as more critics weigh in. But for now the praise is undeniable, with Chris Bennion of the Daily Telegraph commending British star Jordan Bolger in particular on “a phenomenal, star-making performance.” As well as top notch acting and a real sensitivity for Alex and André’s experiences, the series even works in real-world news reports, heightening the sense that it’s genuinely trying to take stock of what Rachel Nickell’s murder revealed about wider society. It not only makes for a powerful drama but an important one.
“The Witness” is available to stream on Netflix right now.
