Bernie Madoff, the former financier turned fraudster, is a monster. As the mastermind of the largest Ponzi scheme to date, he stole billions from unwitting investors and almost singlehandedly contributed to the economic downturn of the late aughts. But before he was discovered and committed for his crimes, Madoff was beloved and brilliant—a living legend not just on Wall Street but in the world. Using a mix of reenactments, archival footage, and expert testimonies, this four-part docuseries dissects Madoff to reveal and even explain the history and possible motivations behind the man.  

As true-crime series go, Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street is riveting and enlightening, paced in such a way that will have you gasp intermittently even if you’re no stranger to his story. Madoff is humanized here but never romanticized or lauded, making it a fair but moving watch at once.