Netflix has added the true crime series The Fall: Skydive Murder Plot, which explores the extraordinary case of Victoria Cilliers, a skydiver who survived a 4,000-foot plunge after both her parachutes were sabotaged. The series, first broadcast on Channel 4 in 2024 and previously available on Disney+, is now streaming on Netflix as of June 30.
Survival Against the Odds
Victoria Cilliers sustained catastrophic injuries but miraculously lived after falling from 4,000 feet in Wiltshire. The skydive was a gift from her husband, Emile Cilliers. Initially considered a tragic accident, investigators later found evidence that both parachutes—including the emergency backup—had been deliberately tampered with before the jump.
Investigation and Trials
The documentary details how police quickly focused on Emile Cilliers, accusing him of attempted murder. It reveals a web of deception involving affairs, debt, sex clubs, and escorts. Victoria battled through recovery while caring for her young child, and the series covers two criminal trials. It also exposes that this was not the first time her life had been endangered.
Unique Approach to True Crime
The series blends interviews with real individuals, including detectives and Victoria Cilliers herself, with dramatised reconstructions featuring actors. Neil Bishop plays Emile Cilliers, while MyAnna Buring portrays Victoria. Buring is known for roles in Netflix's The Witcher, The Responder, and Unforgotten. The series also shows behind-the-scenes footage of the actors and director creating these sequences.
Critical Reception
The innovative format divided critics. One reviewer stated: "In stretching beyond its genre's reliance on titillating gore, this was more brave – and more disarming – than other programmes in the true crime stable." Another noted: "The Fall: Skydive Murder Plot takes an innovative approach, with overlapping elements of both methods. The result is sometimes mannered, even bordering on arty but never less than absorbing." A viewer commented: "This stylised, rather clever approach risks being a distraction, yet by episode one's last shot, of Cilliers herself arriving on set to explain first hand the whole shebang, you couldn't help but lean forward. Game on. The story becomes as much about her as her husband."
The Guardian described it as an "astonishing true crime story" but added: "It's sticking every bell and whistle available on to a narrative that doesn't require embellishment."
The Fall: Skydive Murder Plot is now streaming on Netflix, Disney+, and Channel 4.
