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Netflix’s “The Witness” Tops Ratings, Revisits Rachel Nickell Murder

6/9/2026

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Summary

The Witness Captivates

The Witness debuted June 4, 2026, became one of Netflix’s biggest U.S. shows, and earned a 90% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
Critics praised its human approach.
The drama, from Alex Hanscombe’s memoir Letting Go, recounts the 1992 murder of Rachel Nickell and stars Jordan Bolger and Max Fincham as Hanscombe and his son.
FlixPatrol data show the series and its companion documentary The Murder of Rachel Nickell drew large audiences worldwide.

Summary

Hanscombe Brothers Reveal

Alex and André Hanscombe appear in Netflix’s documentary “The Murder of Rachel Nickell,” their first in-depth public sharing.
Alex’s 2017 memoir “Letting Go” recounts growing up in the crime’s shadow.
André’s 1996 book “The Last Thursday in July” details his experience after the murder.
In a joint statement, the brothers said they hope the film leaves viewers with faith, hope, love and perseverance.

History

Historical Context

Errol Morris’s 1988 documentary The Thin Blue Line, made on a $1.2 million budget and earning a 100 % Rotten Tomatoes score, exposed flaws in the 1976 Dallas police shooting case and helped overturn Randall Adams’s conviction in 1989. That precedent of true-crime storytelling now guides Netflix’s 2026 series The Witness, which revisits the 1992 Rachel Nickell murder and spurs renewed public and legal scrutiny.

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The Witness Captivates

The Witness debuted June 4, 2026, became one of Netflix’s biggest U.S. shows, and earned a 90% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
Critics praised its human approach.
The drama, from Alex Hanscombe’s memoir Letting Go, recounts the 1992 murder of Rachel Nickell and stars Jordan Bolger and Max Fincham as Hanscombe and his son.
FlixPatrol data show the series and its companion documentary The Murder of Rachel Nickell drew large audiences worldwide.

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