The Raincoat Killer: Chasing a Predator in Korea Series Review

The frequency of Netflix's true crime documentaries releases are staggering. And with the amount of their releasing, there will be duds. And unfortunately, "The Raincoat Killer: Chasing a Predator in Korea" was more misses than hits. And while the series was disturbing when it concentrated on the killer himself, the way it concentrated more on the ineptitude of the police was supremely disappointing.  

In 2004, Seoul was gripped in fear as a serial killer murdered the rich and targeted sex workers. This series details the investigation, hunt, and conviction of The Raincoat Killer who's infamy not only impacted society but also changed the police force and their investigative methods for the better.

By the time "The Raincoat Killer: Chasing a Predator in Korea" ended, we were in shock not because of the heinous crimes that Yoo Young-chul committed but more on how incompetent the investigators were in handling the cases involving him. It was really out of luck that they caught You Young-chul (twice at that). We usually watch these types of show because of two factors. First, we want to know how the investigation went and how skill and technology was used to catch the killer. Obviously, these were missing. But if they wanted to show how useless the police were, the show was at least successful on this regard. Second, we want to understand how the killer's psyche works. It can be a combination of both factors or just one of these, if done well, should be enough. And while "The Raincoat Killer" featured both, it doesn't really do it well. In fact, the show barely explores Yoo Young-chul besides some occassional voiceovers that detail his own personal writings. Worse, the show at three episodes was too long in our opinion considering the actual substance that it was able to provide audiences. The case could have been interesting considering this serial killer changed his modus operandi but we really never got any detailed explanations.   

Rating: 2 reels

Why you should watch it:

- You Young-chul was a monster and his crimes were disturbing to find out

- the presentation was slick

Why you shouldn't watch it:

- focuses more on the investigators than the Raincoat Killer

- didn't need to be three episodes long