‘Last Call’ Trailer: HBO’s Queer Serial Killer Docuseries Investigates ’90s NYC Murders
The systemic erasure of queer killings is investigated in the HBO docuseries “Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York.”
Directed by Anthony Caronna (“Susanne Bartsch: On Top,” “Pride”), the four-part series unpacks the homophobic lack of police effort to find Richard Rogers, a serial killer targeting gay men in the early 1990s New York City nightlife scene. The documentary is based on Elon Green’s book “Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York.”
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Per the official synopsis, in the early 1990s, with homophobia and hate crimes on the rise as the AIDS crisis worsened, a serial killer preyed upon gay men in New York City, infiltrating queer nightlife to find his victims. “Last Call” dives deeply into the prejudices and attitudes of the times, when deep-rooted biases in the criminal justice system and the media’s distorted public perception of the victims undermined the investigation and enabled a brutal killer to prey on a marginalized populace.
The complexities of the closet combined with a long-standing mistrust of law enforcement further complicated the case. The documentary series also highlights the heroic efforts of activists, including the NYC Anti-Violence Project, to force law enforcement to recognize and protect the queer community.
“Last Call” features interviews with Matt Foreman, Bea Hanson, and David Wertheimer of the
NYC Anti-Violence Project, which was instrumental in voicing the need for attacks against the queer community to be acknowledged by law enforcement.
The docuseries is executive produced by two-time Academy Award nominee Howard Gertler
(“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” “Crip Camp”), director Caronna, author Green, Liz Garbus, Dan Cogan, Jon Bardin, and Kate Barry.
Charlize Theron, Beth Kono, AJ Dix, Matt Maher, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Tina Nguyen also executive produce.
“Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York” premieres July 9 on HBO and Max. Check out the trailer below.
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