Catch Me A Killer

As a long-time fan of UK crime dramas, Scandi noir, Korean revenge films and series, this one piqued my attention. I'm nearly done with it and it's only been a couple days, so that's a good sign.

The series opens with a bit of a reference to Cracker (UK), and throughout there are touches of UK forensic psychology dramas like Wire in the Blood and Touch of Evil, as well as Prime Suspect for the resistance local police departments put up to psychological profiling and detective work.

The stories are all true. Most are just one episode, which is unfortunate insofar as there's less of the juicy build we are accustomed to with classic crime series. There's also a bit of rotation amongst the actors, as the crimes occur in different places.

These are not crimes that we get to try to solve - it's not a puzzle crime mystery series.

But if you've ever wondered if ScandiNoir can be done in a bright and sunny location, the answer would be yes.

Charlotte Hope does a fantastic job. Not unlike Holly Grainger's step up from her partner role in CB Strike to lead in The Capture (also good!).

The.content of the episodes was interesting; and all well acted. Some early episodes seemed forced, as if the resolution of the crime came too easily; but it is a tv episode, not a documentary. The main character became too intense and basically unlikable; yet none of her colleagues intervened. Some of the supporting actors, Vaughn Lucas, and the actor who played Mark, softened her and added dimension, but essentially she was becoming ego maniacal believing only she could solve the case. I found this aspect excellently acted. In reality this aspect would be a huge problem for co-workers.

The smoking was ridiculous. It was distracting and it appeared to be a police force of chain smokers.

I came across this series quite by accident & binge watched it. The cases were all different, very realistic & found the profiling fascinating. The main actress did an exceptional job portraying someone who was truly passionate about her line of work. The human aspect was compelling. The chain smoking was a little off putting, and as an ex-smoker I found it distracting, but I assume it was authentic, so I put up with it! It was interesting to see how the cases took over the profiler's life. That was sad, but I understand it. When you find work you're passionate about it can take over your life, at your own expense. I've been there! I'm on episode 10 & our profiler is really loosing it. I hope the last episode (the next one) leaves us with some sort of closure, but I'm preparing myself for the worst in case that doesn't happen. I've enjoyed the stores, dark as they are! Very realistic!

A lot of firsts in this series, and the message comes across very strongly. Profilers were few and far between in the nineties even in the US let alone in South Africa. Micki Pistorius is a pioneer in the field, so much so that she gets the attention of Robert Ressler, who defined the term, serial killer.

The series takes the viewer on a journey of the first South African profile as she goes about solving cases of many serial killers. All are real cases. I never knew there were so many serial killers operating in South Africa.

It's well made and a little concerning but well worth watching. I recommend it.

I had no idea what this was when I started the show. Despite part of this being hard to watch - it's very well done. This is the true story of horrific crimes, but I give the series credit for showing the crimes in a respectful way. There is not much gratuitous violence - most of what we see of the crimes comes from the profiler and her reactions to them. We also see what happens to a person when they are exposed to so much violence. Nobody can see terrible things every day without consequences.

The landscape of South Africa looks incredible, and it's a stark contrast to the crimes committed. The acting is great - Charlotte Hope is amazing. The direction is good. It's a bit slow, but appropriate for its subject matter. You can tell it's based in the 90s - they caught that vibe perfectly.

Give it a watch - it's a bit sad, but a very good series.