Night Stalker: Tortura e Terror

The slo-mo blood soaked hammer is a sign of things to come. A lot of the graphics, footage and photos were manufactured, staged or unnecessary. Seems like they were really trying to be auteurs with the presentation when the subjects, the detectives, are better when just left to tell their story. The bar scenes reused for all policemen seemed like they were forcing some aesthetic that didn't need to be done.

As a true crime fan who grew up in Los Angeles during the 1980's, naturally I was looking forward to this documentary series. Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer however, quieted my concern that it would glamourize Richard Ramirez. It did not. Far from it.

It is a celebration of the lead homicide detectives who worked tirelessly to capture an elusive, vicious killer. It also shines a great big light on the survivors, who reflect on the victims.

I appreciated the fresh approach to showing the crime scene photos - avoiding the typical horror soundtrack and overly macabre display. There are countless documentaries on serial killers that do this, but this one took a more sober approach, perhaps out of respect to the victims and their families.

Richard Ramirez's childhood and his trial is glossed over, but this is hardly a complaint. It never set out to cover the same old story, but a few more minutes delving into this segment would've felt more complete. A strong 9 out of 10.

I've seen a few documentaries on Richard Ramirez that were kind of the usual formula. This film differs being largely centered around the two main investigators and their perspective. The pressure they faced, and the mistakes they made. Added to that, plenty of people who lived through this era are interviewed; the media, family members of the victims, and the victims who survived. There's also nice use of old news footage.

Admittedly, the series is not perfect. It doesn't go into much about Ramirez' motivation, his background, or his psychological issues. Despite that, if your a true crime aficionado, you should find this film to your liking. Seeing and hearing from so many credible people directly involved in the case is not the usual. That's where the series succeeds, and why I give it my recommendation.

Very disturbing/ well made documentary from Netflix.

" A soul driven by the devil cannot be rescued. "

It was an emotional rollercoaster to go through the burglaries, assaults, murders and witnessing the still terror in the survivors eyes despite it has been decades since then.

You'll hate him for all the pain he has caused to people. Regardless, this mini series will open up the doors to hell and tell you a real story of how cruel a soul can get. Worth binge watching? Definitely.

Brought me right back to that miserably hot summer with all the doors and windows locked tight in my parents' house in Rowland Heights. Lt. Richard Walls of the Sheriff's Information Bureau, seen about half way through the last episode, was my late brother-in-law. He did a large number of news appearances and interviews, both local and national, during that investigation.