Ghislaine Maxwell: Filthy Rich: Why this watchable, mostly informative Netflix doco is hopefully the last word

With the recent release of this documentary, I feel like we might have reached the end of the media's obsession with the case. And unless a new facet of the story turns up, then the book might finally be closing on Jeffrey Epstein and the whole sordid, revolting saga that has played out over decades.

Maxwell – like you don't know! – was the partner, public girlfriend and enabler of Epstein. When Epstein died in jail before he could be tried for his crimes, the spotlight turned on Maxwell to maybe offer up some possibility of justice being done. One of Maxwell's lawyer's most obvious lines of defence was that she was a scapegoat and should be seen as another of Epstein's victims. But, they would say that, wouldn't they?

Maxwell came from a life of apparent privilege. But the reality, behind the money and the glamour, looks diabolical. Her father, Robert Maxwell, was a massively wealthy and influential newspaper tycoon. But after his death, he was found to have stolen hundreds of millions of pounds from his own companies by emptying their pension funds.

If Maxwell felt any sort of shame or embarrassment over what a repugnant tosspot her old man turned out to be, she hid it well. She was a fixture on the New York and London social circuits, with a string of high-profile boyfriends to pay for whatever was left of daddy's stolen loot wouldn't cover.

When Maxwell started seeing Epstein, they were an apparently perfect couple, with her wiles and social skills smoothing the way for the famously rude and impatient financier to actually have a social life. But, as we all know now, they had a dark, parallel life that involved preying on teenage girls for Epstein to molest and rape. With Maxwell being the one who would charm and win the trust of the victims who she served up to Epstein for years.

The film offers up the obvious pop-psychology of positing that Maxwell saw Epstein as a father-figure after her own father died – and no one will doubt that's got some truth to it. But it doesn't even come close to excusing or explaining her actions.

Stripped of its gossipy tone and occasional awe at the circles she moved in, Ghislaine Maxwell: Filthy Rich is just another portrait of a monster. But, at 101 minutes long and all over in a single instalment, it is a watchable and mostly informative trawl through the filth.

But seriously, Netflix, where's all the documentaries about nice people?