Summary
A detailed documentary surrounding the investigation into South Korea’s notorious Raincoat killer.
Netflix documentary series The Raincoat Killer: Chasing a Predator in Korea was released on the streaming service on October 22, 2021.
Netflix strikes again with its latest serial killer docu-series The Raincoat Killer: Chasing a Predator in Korea.
This three-part limited series is based on the true story and the real-life case of Yoo Young-chul; a self-confessed serial killer, sex offender, and cannibal. Born in 1970 in Gochang Country, Yoo Young-chul spent seven years in prison on various charges before committing his first murder in September 2003. He targeted sex workers and wealthy elderly people in Seoul, bludgeoning them to death with a hammer before burying some of the remains in the mountains above Bongwon Temple. When caught he confessed that his actions were inspired by movies including Normal Life and Public Enemy and that he hated women and rich people. He was charged with 20 murders, and his story became the basis for the film The Chase, which would also be an interesting watch if you’re craving more after this series.
Yoo isn’t described as a typical serial killer, so this makes a very interesting documentary on how they investigated the case and eventually caught him. For example, he didn’t take an item from his victims, his motive was difficult to establish and they found predicting the next murder and solving the case a challenge.
In this documentary series, we get a similar, well-known format where we see details from the police investigation into Yoo Young-chul, never-before-seen footage, and interviews with experts and authorities who worked on the case. There is nothing new or groundbreaking in this series, nevertheless, this documentary is full of intrigue, detailed knowledge from experts, and guaranteed to fill your murder-serial killer documentary fix. What was nice and refreshing is this documentary hasn’t over-done it with the editing — I felt as if the filmmakers cared more about telling you a story than trying to impress visually. No strobe light effect, no dramatic, well-dressed settings for the interviews, no harsh, deep, loud music. It’s all very tame, which allows you to actively listen rather than be fed information.
There are a lot of reenactments, so be prepared for that. If you’re not a fan of those, you might not find this docu-series entertaining to watch. However, I would overlook them for the detailed stories. Each person interviewed has a raw, vivid honesty, as if all this horror only happened yesterday. It is truly awful what these people went through and being able to hear and examine each individual experience really opens your eyes to how much effort and emotion goes into a case like this.
There is a profiler, which adds a layer of intrigue. A profiler’s job is to investigate behavioral analysis of what happened at the crime scene. This is used when the motives are not clear. This allows viewers to investigate and delve into what type of person can be capable of such horrendous crimes, and why. What is also interesting is how they touch upon the failure of the Korean police, implying that perpetrators, not only in this case, could have been brought to justice sooner. Hopefully, they can learn from cases like this.
This series is gripping from start to finish. You learn a lot about the politics of South Korea, at the time, and how that can affect an investigation. With only three 45 minute episodes this is a quick binge watch and after all the time you’ve spent watching the recent Korean hit Squid Game, you can easily watch this and be just as hooked and enthralled, if not more. I highly recommend this series if you’re a fan of serial killer documentaries or if you’re wanting something quick to binge-watch.
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