The Highwaymen brings the story of Bonnie and Clyde to Netflix, albeit from the point-of-view of the lawmen chasing them, and introduces a new generation to the legendary outlaws.
While the two were killers and thieves, they somehow ended up as pseudo-celebrities to many people — with thousands mourning their deaths when the lawmen finally caught up with them.
But, how many people did Bonnie and Clyde kill and why did people love them anyway?
How many people did Bonnie and Clyde kill?
The classic movie Bonnie & Clyde, starring Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty, dealt with their fame and celebrity status and told the story from their point of view.
In the new Netflix original series The Highwaymen, the story is told from the side of the lawmen and was a bit more honest about the path of destruction left behind by Bonnie and Clyde.
So, how many people did Bonnie and Clyde kill before the Texas Rangers posse took them down?
During the two years that they rode roughshod through the Midwest, Bonnie and Clyde killed a reported 13 people, which included nine police officers.
This was added to the bank robberies and car thefts that attracted the police’s attention to begin with.
Why did people love Bonnie and Clyde?
Bonnie and Clyde were deceitful and had the traits of today’s reality stars. They were able to make their actions look a certain way and people bought into it.
“If they were around today,” said John Lee Hancock, the film’s director, “they would have more Instagram followers than the Kardashians.”
The big thing was that many people thought Bonnie and Clyde were Robin Hood styled bank robbers — stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.
While this was something that Clyde Barrow especially worked hard to make people think, it was based on lies.
See, while Bonnie and Clyde robbed lots of banks, and killed lots of people, they also robbed a large number of smaller mom-and-pop gas stations — stealing from the poor.
They also robbed small town grocery stores, meaning that they would steal from the same people who loved them.
The Highwaymen streams live on Netflix.