Popsugar Entertainment Netflix The Serpent: Pictures of the Real Charles Sobhraj The Serpent: Chilling Pictures of the Real Killer, Charles Sobhraj 2 April 2021 by Stacey Nguyen Image Source: Getty / PRAKASH MATHEMA One of the most unsettling watches of the year, Netflix's The Serpent follows the terrifying true story of serial killer Charles Sobhraj, who murdered travellers on the Hippie Trail in Southeast Asia during the '70s. In The Serpent, the notorious "bikini killer," who is of Vietnamese and Indian descent, is played by French-Algerian actor Tahar Rahim. Wearing aviators, bell-bottoms, and other sartorial fixtures of the '70s, Rahim delivers a chilling performance where we see the inner workings of someone whom many consider a ruthless narcissist. But does he actually look like Sobhraj? Scroll ahead for real pictures of Sobhraj through the years and decide for yourself. February 1997 Image Source: Getty / Robert Nickelsburg / Contributor 1 / 6 October 2003 Image Source: Getty / Devenrda M Singh / AFP 2 / 6 October 2003 Image Source: Getty / Devenrda M. Singh / AFP 3 / 6 August 2008 Image Source: Getty / Prakash Mathema / AFP 4 / 6 May 2011 Image Source: Getty / Prakash Mathema / AFP 5 / 6 May 2014 Image Source: Getty / Prakash Mathema / AFP 6 / 6 NetflixThe SerpentStreamingTrue CrimeTrue Stories