Beauty and the Bester – Review | Netflix

BEAUTY AND THE BESTER on Netflix is a new true crime docuseries with three episodes. It covers an infamous case from South Africa. This one is truly wild and features several unbelievable twists. Read our full Beauty and the Bester docuseries review here!

BEAUTY AND THE BESTER is a new Netflix true crime documentary series with three episodes. Across the three parts, you will experience a wild story unfold. One that features several criminal offenses and a prison escape.

The two people from the title of this docuseries are a modern-day South African Bonnie & Clyde, which is just one of the fascinating and crazy elements of the true crimes we’re introduced to in the Netflix production.

Continue reading our Beauty and the Bester review below. Find all three episodes on Netflix from September 12, 2025.

A creative prison break

First things first, when you watch Beauty and the Bester docuseries, prepare for interviews with people who almost come across like characters. Especially a judge from South Africa, whom I admittedly thought would be a “bad guy”.

Turns out, this old white man from South Africa had enough common sense to act on things that others seemed okay with hiding. Kudos to him, and a lesson learned for me.

Though I will say that his use of the term “self-termination” still does not sit right with me.

Initially, this true crime documentary appears to be dealing with the very odd suicide of the maximum prison inmate known as the “Facebook Rapist”. However, we will soon learn that it was murder and also that the body wasn’t his.

Now, it’s a prison break story instead. A wildly creative and absolutely crazy story is about to unfold.

What’s in a title?

As you will learn from the trailer, plot, and final moments of episode 1, the prison break involved Dr. Nandipha. She’s a famous doctor in South Africa with a huge social media following.

The renowned (though that word should be taken with a grain of salt) Dr. Nandipha claimed that she was the wife of the dead inmate. As such, she wanted his remains.

Of course, it would soon be revealed that those weren’t his remains at all.

Dr. Nandipha is a doctor working with various beauty procedures, and his real name is Thabo Bester. Hence, the title became “Beauty and the Bester” as a riff on Beauty and the Beast.

And yes, based on his actions, he absolutely was. But maybe she was, too?

Beauty and the Bester almost wasn’t released on Netflix

If you were waiting to watch Beauty and the Bester on Netflix and sat ready at the usual time of release, you would have to wait a bit longer. Apparently, one last desperate attempt to stop the true crime documentary was made.

The convicted South African rapist and murderer, Thabo Bester, tried to stop the release of his life story in this documentary. To be fair, this show isn’t named after him only, nor does it focus on him more than on her.

His lawyer claimed that this docuseries could infringe on his right to a fair trial, saying: “There is not proof that he had escaped. He has not yet been convicted on this.”

On the other hand, Thabo Bester had already been convicted to a life sentence back in 2012. Yet suddenly, he was out in freedom in 2022, following his assumed suicide-turned-murder-turned-prison-break.

You can read on up the story via the BBC here >

A few hours after the planned release, Beauty and the Bester was available to watch on Netflix.

Watch Beauty and the Bester on Netflix now

The new Netflix True Crime Docuseries has just three episodes, so it’s a quick watch, but also a wild one. Episode 1 is lined up to end with a huge reveal, but both the plot and trailer have already revealed this, so it doesn’t hit as hard.

Then again, this true crime case is so wild that it ultimately doesn’t matter. You’ll want to watch this documentary series because it’s wilder than any fiction.

If you’re intrigued by true crime and want to hear a case covered from multiple angles, then this Netflix documentary is worth watching. Especially as it is so wild that you need three episodes to scratch the surface of who these people are.

Beauty and the Bester is out on Netflix from September 12, 2025.