One Line Review: Chasing a Predator in Korea is as fascinating as it is terrifying at the same time.
YouTube Trailer The Raincoat Killer
Starring: Yoo Young-chul
Director: Kim Hee Sook
Release Date: Oct 22 2021
Introduction
The Raincoat Killer: Chasing a Predator in Korea is a docuseries produced by Rob Sixsmith and directed by John Choi. The showrunner is John Choi. The series is comprised of three episodes, each of which is approximately 45 – 50 minutes in length.
Plot Summary
Yoo Young-chul was a serial killer who terrorized Seoul in the early 2000s by hammering his victims to death. This docuseries tells the story of the manhunt for a serial killer.
Serial killing is a heinous crime. Individuals losing their lives for no discernible reason other than their own whims is a horrifying concept to contemplate, let alone be exposed to on a regular basis. The Raincoat Killer is a documentary series that tells the story of how Yoo Young-chul, one of Korea’s most prolific serial killers, was apprehended by the police.
Cutting edge BGM
With its arresting background music and calm but serious voiceover, the series captures the attention of viewers right from the start. This docuseries, like almost all others, includes a significant amount of reenactment and interview footage. The editing software is not overused in this case, unlike some others. I appreciate when documentaries recognize that they aren’t there to demonstrate their own visual prowess. Rather, it is about telling a story to a group of people. The Raincoat Killer is enjoyable to watch because it keeps the focus on the story at hand while also reminding us that real life is far worse than fiction in many ways.
If, on the other hand, you’re not a fan of reenactments, this one might be a bit much for you. There’s a lot of it around here. Nonetheless, we are able to follow the crime spree in a straightforward and straightforward manner, and it is simple to follow. It makes no mention of the fact that there are no crime scene videos or photographs available. There are a plethora of them. However, there are more reenactments, as well as interview footage, than ever before.
Dialogues made to perfection
It is harrowing to listen in on the conversations of those involved in the investigation as they describe the gruesome scene in front of you. The thought of anything else other than what these innocent people went through makes it difficult to think clearly. You’ll get shivers down your spine at the thought of it. As we begin with one case and invariably move on to another, and then another, the case only becomes more and more complicated and horrifying as we progress through the cases. The Raincoat Killer does an excellent job of bringing the urgency of the situation to the forefront of the story.
The Raincoat Killer also includes a discussion of the failure of the Korean police at that time to cooperate and bring the perpetrator to justice as quickly as possible. The fact that smaller crimes were not taken seriously and that they were committed using extremely primitive methods resulted in many cases, including Yoo Young- chul’s, remaining unsolved for an extended period of time. However, this will be resolved as soon as possible.
When the profiler is brought in, however, the Raincoat Killer becomes a lot more interesting. In general, criminal profiling has always piqued my interest, and the expert in the series, who was also a participant in the investigation, adds another layer of intrigue to an already compelling case. Aside from that, the added layer of social issues in Korea at the time is also a nice addition and helps to put a lot of things into context… but probably not serial killing. That is completely random and without rhyme or reason.
Conclusion
Raincoat Killer: Chasing a Predator in Korea is a no-frills docuseries about a horrifying serial killing spree in Korea that is unapologetic in its portrayal of the situation. There are no complicated editing techniques to give you a headache, and there is no attempt to dodge the issue. Because it says things straight, it is probably one of the things that make this series so entertaining to watch.
