This one came out of nowhere and we have to wonder, who the hell has been looking at our search history?
Fine, we admit it. We have been digging through some pretty disturbing true crime stories for TrulyDisturbing, but when a film lands in our inbox boasting that it is “based on a true story,” you can bet our ears perk up.
Now we have the trailer for Gaskins: The Hitchhiker Killer, a new true crime horror drama centered on Donald “Pee Wee” Gaskins, one of the most notorious serial killers to come out of South Carolina. The film is directed by Chris Helton, with Taylor Stiles portraying Gaskins and Shena Verrett, Warren Levi Haney, Carlie Maze, and James Roseman rounding out the cast.
Taylor Stiles as Donald “Pee Wee” Gaskins
And if you aren’t familiar with Gaskins, well, let’s just say this is one of those true crime stories where the words “you can’t make this stuff up” don’t really work because someone apparently already did.
Gaskins had been committing crimes for years before authorities finally began connecting him to a string of murders. Investigators eventually uncovered bodies buried near his home, while Gaskins himself would go on to confess to killing more than 100 people. That enormous number remains largely unverified, however, making it difficult to separate his documented crimes from the many claims he made about his own murderous history.
Gaskins pleaded guilty to eight murders and was serving consecutive life sentences when he murdered fellow death row inmate Rudolph Tyner in 1982. That killing ultimately landed him back on death row, where he remained until his execution in South Carolina’s electric chair in 1991.
The new film appears to focus on Gaskins’ criminal history and the bloody trail that eventually caught up with him, covering the period from the 1960s through the 1980s. It is being billed as a period piece and true crime story, with the filmmakers taking the narrative feature route rather than delivering yet another documentary about the infamous killer.
WATCH THE TRAILER FOR “GASKINS: THE HITCHHIKER KILLER” BELOW
And yes, before anyone asks, this isn’t the first time Gaskins has been dragged out of South Carolina’s darkest history for the screen. PBS and South Carolina ETV previously produced Pee Wee, a documentary examining the killer and his notorious criminal history. What we noticed, though, is that Gaskins: The Hitchhiker Killer is taking a considerably different approach.
The film will arrive on Digital and On Demand Aug. 28, 2026.
So, naturally, we will be watching.
