This Night Stalker review contains spoilers…
It’s tough to know exactly where to begin when discussing a series like Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer. As the latest addition to Netflix’s ever-growing library of true crime docu-series and films, it’s one of their grimmest yet – and that’s saying something. With such an extensive back catalogue, Netflix really have outdone themselves in producing something quite so grotesque.
Not that it’s their fault – the source material is utterly shocking. The series covers the horrendous crime spree of serial killer Richard Ramirez, which shook the residents of Los Angeles and San Francisco to their core. The self-professed Satanist carried out a relentless string of home invasions that began in June 1984 and culminated in August 1985 when he was captured. These intrusions often resulted in the rape and/or murder of any occupants, and the complete ransacking and deliberate vandalism of the property.
Ramirez attacked indiscriminately, with no correlation between age, background or gender. Victims were aged as young as six and as old as 82. Many younger victims were subject to kidnapping and repeated sexual assaults before being abandoned. It’s unclear why they were ultimately spared (although some weren’t – his first murder victim was just nine years old at the time of her death). Due to the savagery of his crimes and because many of them were perpetrated at night, Ramirez was given an ominous nickname by the press – Night Stalker.
The Night Stalker quickly became the talk of the town, leaving many of the area’s inhabitants terrified in their own homes. The widespread panic was exacerbated by the press who made the attacks front page news.
Unlike many similar series, Night Stalker focuses primarily on the killer’s victims, their families, and the two cops who led the investigation – young detective Gil Carrillo and his partner Frank Salerno. Salerno was well-respected for his high profile role in the capture of the “Hillside Strangler” (who killed 10 people and was later revealed to be two people – cousins Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono Jr.). Carrillo is portrayed as the documentary’s main protagonist and his background is covered extensively across the first couple of episodes. It’s clear that he genuinely loved being a police officer and was in awe of the more senior Salerno. There are some genuinely touching moments featuring Carrillo – particularly while recounting the relationship he had with his father and his interactions with six-year-old victim Anastasia Hronas.
Each episode is made up of countless recreations of the attacks and the events immediately before and after them. These mainly include a car cruising through dimly lit streets, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it stabbing or bludgeoning, and a blood-soaked weapon falling to the floor. It’s formulaic but effective. Graphic crime scene photos are sprinkled throughout to emphasise just how awful these crimes were, but they never felt gratuitous or insensitive.
We’re frequently informed of the numerous police blunders that jeopardised the investigation and the reckless interference of local media who threatened to leak crucial information about the case (often to Carrillo and Salerno’s chagrin). It’s frustrating to hear prominent journalists from the time recall their deliberate interference, even if they did think they were doing the right thing. It certainly isn’t portrayed that way here and the whole thing serves to highlight key failures of both the police and press.
While I appreciate that director Tiller Russell was keen to divert attention away from Richard Ramirez, the series is inexplicably light on details regarding his past. A quick Google search will tell you this information could have filled an entire episode. Instead, we’re given an extremely brief overview of his troubled and abusive upbringing and an unnecessary focus on his ‘bad boy’ image which supposedly attracted scores of women. Obviously, the Night Stalker’s Satanism was a key talking point, as was his fascination with pentagrams. Unfortunately, it’s never made clear where those beliefs came from or how much thought he actually put into them. There are odd audio clips of Richard spouting some Satanic nonsense, but that’s about as far as these episodes go in explaining things. It’s all interesting stuff but doesn’t provide any meaningful insight into the mind of this depraved serial killer. The series certainly felt lacking in this department.
Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer doesn’t make for easy viewing and I found myself frequently looking away from the screen in disgust. It’s incredibly gripping throughout and there’s every chance you’ll be on the edge of your seat as you root for Carrillo and Salerno to bring Ramirez to justice. Of course, they eventually did – but it was a tireless hunt. Ramirez died eight years ago in San Quentin State Prison while awaiting execution. And while it’s reassuring to know he’s long gone, you’ll be triple-checking your doors and windows at night after watching this.
Final score: 8/10
Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer is now streaming on Netflix.
Do you agree with our Night Stalker review? Let us know your thoughts about this Night Stalker review and the entire series in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other Film & TV articles…
