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Limited Series – Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy

Play trailer 2:24 Poster for Limited Series – Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy Oct 2025 Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 7 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
When teenager Rob Piest goes missing in the Chicago area, the prime suspect is revealed to be an affable and well-liked local businessman named John Wayne Gacy. As officers tail, interrogate and eventually arrest Gacy, it becomes clear to the Des Plaines Police Department that the young man is just one of many who have disappeared at his hands. Lieutenant Joe Kozenczak and Detective Rafael Tovar lead the investigation that uncovers the remains of 32 young men and boys Gacy murdered, as well as the holes in the system that allowed Gacy to evade detection and capture for more than seven years. Meanwhile, a rivalry ensues between Gacy's lead defense lawyer, Sam Amirante, and the local prosecutor, William Kunkle, as the former tries to prevent Gacy's execution while the families attempt to understand how and why their sons were taken from them.

Critics Reviews

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Nick Schager The Daily Beast As considerate as such ventures get. Even with regards to its fiend, it proves more interested in understanding his madness than deriving boogeyman scares from it. Oct 16, 2025 Full Review Randy Myers San Jose Mercury News [The series] goes even one step further by documenting the harrowing experiences of those left behind with gaping holes in their hearts. The multi-tiered approach makes what happens all that more gut-wrenching, poignant and powerful. Rated: 3.5/4 Oct 15, 2025 Full Review Cristina Escobar RogerEbert.com The show portrays these truths artfully with a moral clarity that echoes through the script, off the screen, and into our lived, imperfect reality. Oct 15, 2025 Full Review Joel Keller Decider Devil In Disguise: John Wayne Gacy is certainly more empathetic of Gacy’s victims and their families than many other serial killer dramatic series have been. The approach is enhanced by Michael Chernus’ excellent portrayal of Gacy. Oct 16, 2025 Full Review Karina Adelgaard Heaven of Horror ...a direct and dark portrait of the infamous serial killer, while also leaving room to focus on the victims, which is always important. Rated: 4/5 Oct 16, 2025 Full Review Carissa Pavlica TV Fanatic It struck a nerve in me that I haven’t been able to shake. It didn’t do it with shock value; it did it with humanity. Rated: 4.5/5 Oct 15, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Kristopher C. Chernus is absolutely fantastic in this, and it's definitely the role that will propel his career forward. But the real magic is in the show's structure. It’s a true-crime story that genuinely honors its victims, steers clear of horrific death scenes, and tackles social issues with a perfectly measured hand. Ryan Murphy should take notes Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/16/25 Full Review C T Michael Chernus Did a great job playing John Wayne Gacy Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/16/25 Full Review Brian E I understand the positive reviews, but ultimately it was a long drawn out slog, with every moment of real tension ignored for a whole lot of talking heads. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 10/16/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy — Limited Series

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Cast & Crew

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Michael Chernus

John Wayne Gacy

Gabriel Luna

Rafael Tovar

James Badge Dale

Joe Kozenczak

Michael Angarano

Sam Amirante

Chris Sullivan

Bill Kunkle

Marin Ireland

Elizabeth Piest

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Oct 16, 2025 Ten Days After teenager Robert Piest disappears on his mother's birthday, Des Plaines Police Department officers track, interrogate and tail the contractor Piest was last seen with -- John Wayne Gacy. Details Episode 2 Aired Oct 16, 2025 Johnny Officers excavate the crawl space beneath John Wayne Gacy's home; Gacy shows Amirante, Kunkle and Kozenczak where he disposed of Rob's body; Johnny Szyc and his best friend, Lynn, venture into Uptown. Details Episode 3 Aired Oct 16, 2025 Samuel and Randy The media circus begins; Amirante questions whether defending Gacy is the right choice; the Piests cope with the reality of what Gacy did to Rob; Sam Stapleton and Randy Reffett navigate boyhood in Uptown. Details Episode 4 Aired Oct 16, 2025 Billy A psychiatrist interviews Gacy, revealing disturbing details about his past; Tovar and Kozenczak confront the dark truths of the systemic failures that allowed Gacy to kill for so long; a love story unfolds between Billy Kindred and Maryjane. Details Episode 5 Aired Oct 16, 2025 Billy and Dale A blizzard buries Chicago; Kozenczak tracks down Gacy's surviving victims; Kunkle and Kozenczak attempt to break Gacy's accomplice, David Cram; Billy Carroll introduces Dale Landingin to the lucrative, but sometimes dangerous world of sex work. Details Episode 6 Aired Oct 16, 2025 Tim, John and Rob In the past, an inebriated Gacy confesses to Sam the ways he groomed, sexually assaulted, tortured and killed countless boys and young men. Details Episode 7 Aired Oct 16, 2025 David Kunkle and Sam are knee-deep in Gacy's trial; Tovar volunteers to drive Gacy to and from court, attempting to compel him to come clean about how many he killed; the disturbing tale of how Gacy befriended and groomed David Cram is revealed. Details Episode 8 Aired Oct 16, 2025 Jeffrey The life of Jeffrey Rignall, one of Gacy's few surviving victims, is chronicled; Gacy's execution day causes massive protests and reunions as victims' family members and those who worked the case seek closure; Amirante tries to move on. Details
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Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy — Limited Series

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Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy — Limited Series

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Season Info

Director
Maggie Kiley, Bille Woodruff, Larysa Kondracki, Patrick Macmanus, Ashley Michel Hoban
Executive Producer
Patrick Macmanus, Noah Oppenheim, Liz Cole, Ashley Michel Hoban, Ahmadu Garba, Kelly Funke
Screenwriter
Gregory Locklear, Matthew White, Ashley Michel Hoban, Ahmadu Garba, Sebastian Rea, Patrick Macmanus, Larysa Kondracki
Network
Peacock
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date
Oct 16, 2025