If you love biographical true crime, Epic Pictures’ DREAD label has another horror film to add to your roster. Following Ed Kemper and Richard Ramirez is the story of an elderly woman hiding a sinister secret: Dorothea.
DOROTHEA is a chilling true crime horror that unearths the monstrous secrets of Dorothea Puente, a soft-spoken grandmother who drugged, murdered, and buried her elderly and disabled tenants beneath her garden. Behind her warm smile lurked a predator who used kindness as bait and survival as justification. As the story peels back layers of trauma, deception, and calculated cruelty, it reveals a harrowing portrait of a woman shaped by abuse and driven by greed. Dorothea forces audiences to confront the terrifying truth that real evil often hides in plain sight.
Dorothea (2025)
The real life Dorothea, sometimes known as the “Death House Landlady,” spent her days offing the tenants of her boarding house while collecting their social security checks. Dorothea starts us at the end with an imprisoned and dying title character (Susan Priver) spewing her woes to prison staff. Through narrated flashbacks, we see how Dorothea went from abused housewife to dangerous granny, never once stopping to think about others’ lives, families, or money.
You’d think that this series of serial killer biopics would be made in a similar fashion, but not Dorothea. I have already mentioned the flashbacks, but the vibe and style of this movie is different as well — and, I’m hesitant to call it this, but fun! Dorothea’s actions are atrocious and irredeemable, but the way Priver plays her makes this killer seem like a good time. She makes jokes to herself before going in for the kill. Lew Temple, Brinke Stevens, Ginger Lynn, Brenda James, Cassandra Gava, Cyril O’Reilly, Ezra Buzzington, Robert Miano, Brandon Kirk, and William Salyers join her as various victims and concerned citizens making Dorothea a well-rounded and lively movie to watch. It almost felt like I was speedrunning a lifetime of murder with all the background we’re expertly given as an audience. Nothing was too much or out of place, and the story was smooth as butter.
Dorothea is a conundrum for me. On one hand I feel bad for the abuse she has suffered, and on the other hand, she totally deserved to go to prison for all the harm she caused the residents of Sacramento. Then there’s a third hand where I secretly hoped she’d get away and drive off a cliff like Thelma and Louise. Unlike many serial killer horror films, DREAD flipped the script and made their films interesting, suspenseful, and — for lack of a better term — full of sunshine. Dorothea may be about a prolific killer, but it isn’t sensationalized with dark backdrops, droning audio, and fresh-faced actors with “Instagram Face.” As the synopsis states, the way Dorothea was filmed lends to the “hiding in plain site” aspect of these murders. No one ever suspects the kind old lady.
I really enjoyed Dorothea, not only because it gave light to a series of crimes I didn’t know about (so it was educational, in that sense), but also because of its energy and style. Dorothea is almost a fever dream movie playing inside of her own head, reliving the nostalgia and good ol’ days where she was on top. The scares are sublte and the blood is light. The true terror comes from knowing this happened to some of society’s most vulnerable, done by one you’d least expect.
Dorothea will be available to rent or purchase on VOD on November 4th. For more, information visit the Epic Pictures website and follow DREAD on Instagram.
Also, check out my chat with Director Chad Ferrin on YouTube!
