“How did the truth stay buried for so long?”
In their first trailer for their new true crime drama, Peacock aren’t shying away from the grim reality of John Wayne Gacy’s infamous rash of crimes.
Often, true crime dramas tend to focus on the criminal, delving into their life and perhaps highlighting reasons why they committed their acts. However, Devil in Disguise seems to be taking a very different approach.
From the first full trailer we can glean that Devil in Disguise is gritty, dark, and very much focusing on Gacy’s victims and their families.
Also highlighted at great length is the police investigation behind the Gacy killings. In particular, the toll the case took on those in charge of the operation, as we see tables flipped, screaming matches, and smug defence attorneys.
However, Gacy still lurks in the background, in a chilling performance by Michael Chernus.
Seemingly friendly, hard-working, and even doubling as a children’s entertainer, John Wayne Gacy hid a dark secret. Between 1972 and 1978, Gacy murdered at least thirty young men, ranging from ages 13 to 30. His cookie-cutter home became the final resting place of several victims, as Gacy buried their bodies in his crawlspace.
The hunt for Gacy’s victims seems to be explored at great length in Devil in Disguise, as Gacy is seen unwilling to divulge their locations… Or even how many victims he truly had. This remains a sad reality for many families, as the true number of crimes Gacy committed remains unknown.
Devil in Disguise comes to us from showrunner Patrick Macmanus, who has previously produced the successful true crime-based dramas Dr Death and The Girl from Plainville.
All eight episodes of John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise will premiere on Peacock on October 16th 2025.
You can check out the full trailer below:
