The Serpent.
Jumping back and forth in time, the Netflix hit follows the crimes of notorious jewel thief and serial killer, Charles Sobhraj who terrorised Southeast Asia during the 1970s.
In
The Serpent, Charles Sobhraj and his long-time girlfriend, Marie Andrée-Leclerc use their assumed identities as the gem-dealing married couple, Alain and Monique, to con young backpackers and wayward travellers by promising them adventure and free housing at their home in Bangkok.
But while the series seems like a work of fiction, there are some truths that inspired the show and its characters.
Before you dive into your newest binge-watching obsession, we ve unpacked the truth behind
What Happened To The Women In Charles Sobhraj’s Orbit Refinery29 12 hrs ago
The Serpent begins with a disclaimer that the true crime drama, which is based on the life and crimes of serial killer Charles Sobhraj, is only inspired by true events. Some of the names and circumstances have been changed both for dramatic purposes they’re trying to make some captivating television, you understand but also out of respect for Sobhraj’s very real victims and their families.
In real life, Sobhraj was accused of more than 20 murders throughout India, Thailand, Nepal, Turkey, and Iran in the 1970s but was never convicted of murder until 2004, reported the BBC at the time. Nicknamed “The Serpent,” Sobhraj was known to prey on young, usually Western travelers (and particularly women) who making their way along the “Hippie Trail” of the 1970s, or the overland route between Europe and South Asia that became popular for young backpackers in the 1960s and ’70s.
Netflix s
Sobhraj may have killed upwards of 24 people. Apr 1, 2021
“This drama is inspired by real events” the title card played at the onset for each episode of Netflix and BBC’s
The Serpent is usually code for malarky. “Inspired by true events” typically gives filmmakers the leniency to depict almost anything: extraterrestrials, exorcisms, etc.
The Serpent also takes the extra precaution of warning viewers that the dialogue in the film is entirely fabricated. All this language, however, is less for dramatic setup than legal insurance;
The Serpent depicts a series of real international crimes and real historical victims. The crimes are almost too great to be believed, the victim’s experiences too horrifying to be imagined.
My chilling encounter with serial killer Charles Sobhraj
As The Serpent draws to a close, one writer recalls interviewing the serial killer in prison - and his shocking lack of remorse
Natural born killer: Charles Sobhraj
In December 2003, Central Jail in the Nepali capital Kathmandu was everything one might expect from a prison in a developing country. Its high walls, interspersed by watchtowers topped with barbed wire, were patrolled by armed guards. The visitor’s room was a cold, dirty, rectangular cell, divided by a chest-high wall topped with a wire fence. Visitors were forced to sit on low benches. One had to crane one’s neck upwards to see the prisoners on the opposite side of the wire, their hands and feet shackled. When the room was busy, everyone shouted.
Inspired by the true story of a fraudster and murderer who preyed on tourists travelling through Asia in the 1970s, The Serpent is the latest true crime drama being binged in lockdown.
Starring Tahar Rahim as killer Charles Sobhraj, and Jenna Coleman as his lover and accomplice Marie-Andree Leclerc, the eight-part drama is currently showing on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer. A hidden darkness on Asia s hippie trail - the twisting, real-life story of a murderer, thief and seductive master of disguise, is how the BBC bills it, and reviews have praised Rahim s performance as the ice-cold killer who became one of Interpol s most wanted men.