Unlike some Netflix docs, The Raincoat Killer never outstays its welcome. With each episode clocking in at around 45 minutes or so, the three parts complement one another nicely and tell a much larger story that certainly resonates to this day – especially the commentary about that rich and poor divide.
Visually, The Raincoat Killer uses a combination of light reenactment footage, crime scene photos and a neat map that helps to show the general area. Each crime is marked with a growing blood spatter, which also reinforces the extent of this man’s devastating murder spree – especially during May and June of 2004.
Narrated entirely in Korean (there are dubs for other countries but it’s the annoying kind that distractedly talks over the native tongue) the dialogue is insightful and largely complements the eerie soundtrack that spikes during particularly unnerving or tense moments.
If you’ve never heard of this case, strap yourself in and prepare for a very gruesome ride. The Raincoat Killer is a nasty, gnarly case that slips into the underbelly of Korean culture and refuses to let up until the end of the final episode.
Serial killing is horrible. People losing their lives for no discernible reason other than a person’s whims is a horrible thing to think about, much less be exposed to. The Raincoat Killer is a documentary series on how one of Korea’s most prolific serial killers, Yoo Young-chul, was caught by the police.
From the get-go, the series arrests the viewers with its arresting background music and calm but serious voiceover. As with almost all other docuseries, this one, too, has a lot of reenactments and interviews. However, unlike some, this one does not go overboard with the editing software. It’s nice when documentaries know that they’re not there to showcase visual prowess. Rather, it’s about telling people a story. The Raincoat Killer is nice to watch because it focuses on the story at hand and remembers that real life is much worse than fiction.
However, if you’re not a fan of reenactments, then this one would probably feel a bit much. There’s a lot of that. Nevertheless, we follow the crime spree chronologically without much fuss and it’s easy to follow. It does not point to the fact that there are absolutely no crime scene videos or pictures. There are tons of those. But the reenactments are more in number, along with interview footage.
The Raincoat Killer gets more interesting when the profiler comes in, though. I have always been fascinated with criminal profiling and the expert in the series, who was also a part of the investigation, adds another layer of intrigue in an already interesting case. Plus, the added layer of social issues in Korea at the time is also a nice addition and provides context to a lot of things… but not serial killing, probably. That doesn’t have any rhyme or reason.
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