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.
