Netflix’s New True Crime Series Might Be the Most Disturbing Thing You Watch This Week

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Premiering on Netflix September 12, 2025, the chilling docuseries Beauty and the Bester is a truly disturbing true-crime story. The three-part documentary details the shocking crimes of Thabo Bester, a convicted South African rapist and murderer. He notoriously escaped from prison by pretending to be dead, and he was aided in this elaborate scheme by celebrity surgeon Nandipha Magudumana, with whom he had become romantically involved.

When Bester and Magudumana escaped, everyone started comparing them to famous outlaws like Bonnie and Clyde. As a true-crime fanatic, I have to say, this story is absolutely mind-blowing! The sheer deadly deceit, the way so many people were involved, the problems with the justice system, and how celebrity culture played a part in their eventual capture… it all adds up to a truly unbelievable tale. Honestly, I don’t think I’ll come across a more riveting story this week, this month, or even all year!

‘Beauty and the Bester’s Stunning Premise

Directed with a good rhythm and realistic feel by Anthony Molyneaux, Beauty and the Bester is a true-crime documentary on Netflix. It takes viewers inside Mangaung, a highly secure prison in South Africa. There, in a cell, is Thabo Bester, also known as the “Facebook rapist”-a well-known criminal who pretended to be a talent agent to attract women online. He was found guilty of two rapes and one murder in 2012.

In 2022, officials in Mangaung announced that Bester had died after seemingly burning to death in his cell at 3:00 AM on May 3. This was the first reported case of someone dying by self-immolation in the prison, and many details surrounding the death didn’t add up. An examination of the remains revealed the person had died from a blunt force injury before the fire even started. A subsequent murder investigation confirmed that the body found in the cell was not, in fact, Bester. This meant Bester had escaped and a different corpse had been burned to cover up the escape.

Three days after the fire at the prison, Nandipha Magudumana went to the morgue to identify Bester’s body. Magudumana, who is a cosmetic influencer and a doctor known from TV, had been visiting Bester while he was in prison since 2017. Even though he was serving two life sentences for rape and another for murder, Magudumana started a romantic relationship with Bester five years before he pretended to die, and she assisted in his escape from prison.

The investigation revealed that Bester pretended to be dead before breaking out of prison, with assistance from Nandipha. Even more surprisingly, Nandipha was married (though separated) and had two children, putting her family at risk to help a convicted serial rapist and murderer. The compelling documentary primarily asks: who exactly is Nandipha, and what motivated her to help such a dangerous criminal?

Thabo and Nandipha’s Media Seduction Draws Celebrity Comparisons


Netflix

After Nandipha assisted Thabo in escaping from prison in May 2022, the couple evaded authorities for almost a year. During their time as fugitives, they drove over 2,300 miles from Mangaung Prison in Bloemfontein to Tanzania without being apprehended. The media drew comparisons between Thabo and Nandipha’s criminal activities and romantic relationship to those of Bonnie and Clyde Barrow, the famous bank-robbing couple who became well-known in the 1930s.

As the media increasingly focused on the two fugitives, it started to unintentionally make their criminal behavior seem romantic. This trend, which began with films like Bonnie and Clyde and continued with Natural Born Killers, brings up important questions about whether the media helped to celebrate Thabo and Nandipha, instead of condemning their terrible actions. The fact that their fake death and bold prison escape were so sensational is matched by how the media portrayed their relationship.

There are plenty of shocking true-crime stories available in 2025, and Beauty and the Bester follows up on the 2024 Showmax true-crime miniseries film Tracking Thabo Bester. Be warned: both of these documentaries are deeply disturbing and likely to be among the most unforgettable real-life crime stories of recent years. Thankfully, the story does have a relatively positive resolution.

Where Are Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana Now?


Netflix

Even though Thabo had been living in Johannesburg using different names for almost a year, it was their trip to Tanzania with Nandipha that finally led to their arrest. Before they were caught, Thabo and Nandipha were reportedly living a lavish lifestyle, obtaining large amounts of money through fraud committed against various businesses, both private and local. Despite their attempts to hide, using their wealth to blend in, Thabo and Nandipha were eventually brought to justice. This case highlights the challenges of tracking individuals who actively try to conceal their identities. Further investigations are still ongoing.

Approximately a year after escaping police in May 2022, Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana were arrested on April 7, 2023. After being taken into custody by authorities in Arusha, Tanzania, Thabo and Nandipha were brought back to South Africa on April 13.

After Thabo Bester was caught, he was told to resume serving his life sentence for the rape and murder convictions he originally received. But he wasn’t sent back to Mangaung prison, the one he broke out of. Instead, Bester was held in C-Max, the highly secure section of Kgosi Mampuru prison in Pretoria, South Africa. On top of his existing life sentence, Thabo also faced new charges related to escaping from prison.

The documentary series points out that after his arrest, Bester repeatedly attempted to get a laptop in his prison cell. He also tried to prevent Netflix from releasing Beauty and the Bester. This suggests he feels no remorse and might be planning more crimes.

Nandipha Magudumana is currently held at the Bizzah Makhate Correctional Centre, a women’s prison in Kroonstad, Free State, South Africa. She is facing multiple legal charges connected to Thabo’s escape, including accusations of defiling a corpse, fraud, and obstructing justice, among others. Nandipha’s father was also arrested for helping Thabo escape from prison. As of September 2025, however, her trial has been postponed, and she is still waiting to be sentenced.

It’s often said that truth is stranger than fiction, and Beauty and the Bester perfectly illustrates that point. This is a profoundly disturbing true-crime story, and it’s likely to be one of the most shocking things you’ll watch on Netflix anytime soon. Beauty and the Bester is available to stream on Netflix.

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2025-09-30 02:04