Netflix's 'Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer' is truly terrifying.
Netflix's 'Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer' is truly terrifying
An intensely atmospheric understanding of what made the notorious home intruder so captivating.
In just four episodes, the new docuseries from director Tiller Russell immerses viewers inside the violent crime spree that terrorized California residents from 1984 to 1985, and has held the attention of true crime aficionados ever since.
Before his capture, Ramirez murdered at least 14 people in Los Angeles and San Francisco, all of them seemingly chosen at random. He raped and burgled many more, sometimes leaving Manson Family-like scribblings on the walls of the homes he invaded. A self-proclaimed Satanist, Ramirez never showed remorse or gave a reason for his crimes, instead quipping that he was headed for "Disneyland" on the day the State of California sentenced him to death.
If those facts are scary, then Night Stalker's presentation of them is downright horrific.
Between archival footage of Reagan-era Los Angeles, neon pink title cards, and some remarkably gruesome crime scene footage, Night Stalker presents an intensely atmospheric understanding of what made the notorious home intruder so captivating to the public then — while simultaneously reflecting on how much we still don't know about killers like Ramirez today.
Anchored in interviews with the lead investigators on the case — former detectives Gil Carrillo and Frank Salerno (the latter of whom also led the hunt for the Hillside Strangler) — Night Stalker recounts more than a dozen of Ramirez’s confirmed killings. Journalists, survivors, witnesses, and family members of victims recall in painstaking detail the damage done by this lone attacker, as Carrillo and Salerno walk the audience through what it took to catch him.
It's a tightly written and extraordinarily well-edited narrative, offering a comprehensive crash course in the prominent case with a moody style that is undeniably compelling. Distorted perspective on crime scene photos, scratchy audio clips of Ramirez himself, and a score that is unrelentingly agitating make Night Stalker a fresh take on an old subject. Even in the investigation's more monotonous moments, the series' overall tone keeps the pacing urgent and the decades-old case important.
SEE ALSO: The 10 best crime documentaries on Netflix
That said, unlike some previous biographers of Ramirez, Russell doesn't glamorize the high-profile killer. Yes, Ramirez, like Ted Bundy, gained a considerable following of groupies during his incarceration and seemed to revel in the public's search of answers he would never give. While Night Stalker does acknowledge those details to offer a full-picture of its subject, the time and sensitivity given to those directly impacted by Ramirez offers a solid condemnation that never lets his seem cool.
I will be watching this once the schooling is done lol
ReplyDeleteIs it on now l can't find it
ReplyDeletecant find itttt
ReplyDeleteThe scariest storys are the one that are true.......
ReplyDeleteI’m absolutely terrified! Totally gonna watch.
ReplyDeleteI never understood how people are scared of videos lol
DeleteI'm sure he's scared of the idea of the person and their crimes. Duh!
DeleteThe fact he could've been a model, or a bad boy rockstar. He definitely could've tried out for modeling with that jawline, but he chose a different path.
ReplyDeleteOMG I have to watch this I love Richard Ramirez he’s one of my favourite serial killer ( I don’t mean I love who he is but I love his story and how we was caught by a group of normal people)
ReplyDeleteAy bro i get you. My favorite is Jeffrey dahmer
Delete"I'm not afraid of werewolves or vampires or haunted hotels, I'm afraid of what real human beings do to other real human beings." - Walter Jon Williams
ReplyDeleteMINDHUNTER SEASON 3!!! PLZZZZ
ReplyDeletebruh why january 13?!!! School is gonna start damnit ToT
ReplyDeleteI hope Netflix give us a Jeffrey Dahmer & John Wayne Gacy documentary soon
ReplyDelete"Swear upon satan."
ReplyDeleteThis gave me goosebumps.
"im just a guy " Richard Ramirez
ReplyDeleteI say that quote to my self sometimes in my head and think of Richard lol ;D ;D ;D
DeleteThe scariest part is the no motive, the randomness, the inconsistencies of his crimes. To walk into strangers home and brutally murder them, just for them being home & you being able to get inside. Makes you afraid even when your doors are locked. Lol.
ReplyDeleteooops wrong show xD
ReplyDeletei wish it was a movie like they did with Zach Efron/Ted Bundy :(
ReplyDeleteNetflix is the king/queen of all documentaries(of all kinds). Damn.
ReplyDeleteBoring Netflix.........Why wait, when YouTube has copious videos about Richard Ramirez and others ....are people slow? Yawn.
DeleteYes,they are uncroned Kings of all possible lies,fakes and earn good money on stuporing simple people
DeleteI could already tell im gonna watch this more than 5 times
ReplyDeleteThis better have a whole section about how he got caught because it is THE BEST.
ReplyDelete