‘How I Caught My Killer’ follows the investigation of those murders that might have never been solved if it were not for the clues left behind by the victims before they died. The docuseries is now streaming on Hulu.
Story
Episode 1 focuses on the murder investigation of a transwoman, Nikki Kuhnhausen. Nikki’s popularity on social media causes the police to solve the case by gaining access to her Snapchat account.
In episode 2, the police have a hard time finding the killer of a teen. When they stumble across her journal, they discover secrets that paint a clear picture for them.
Episode 3 follows Brandy’s mother as she tries to find her missing daughter. A few text messages from Brandy lead her to a house in the middle of nowhere, and that is all she needs.
Episode 4 sees the unveiling of a secret that helps the police identify the killer of a college student from among multiple suspects.
In episode 5, when the police find the body of a young girl on a beach, they try to solve her murder case by relying on her cell phone and a single social media status.
The murder of a teen shocks a peaceful community in Episode 6. The fitness app on her phone tells the story of her last moments and provides answers to puzzling questions.
In episode 7, the police fail to solve the murder case of John Ray. When the cold case unit reopens the case seven years later, they realize that John had delivered the name of his killer on a silver platter before he died.
Episode 8 focuses on the murder of a successful reptile breeder. The police realize that he had predicted his death and suspected someone who was very close to him.
The neglect by the police causes a serial killer to roam free in episode 10. However, the actions of his victims and their loved ones bring the killer to justice.
Positives
The docuseries displays footage from courtrooms and bodycams to recreate as well as to give a glimpse of the real-life moments that were a part of these cases.
At times, the docuseries perfectly captures the anguish of those who were related to the victims and are still suffering. These scenes are raw and authentic, and they leave an impact on the viewers.
Negatives
While the premise seems to be interesting, the docuseries does not do it justice. It is too dramatic to be taken seriously.
The inclusion of the voice narration makes it worse. It is not only unnecessary, but it also breaks the flow of the narrative. The narrator’s questions are aimed at generating curiosity, but they serve the exact opposite function.
In fact, the narrators make the episodes seem too repetitive. Just when the viewers start to get invested, the repetitive information successfully frustrates them. Furthermore, some cases do not seem unique either.
The episodes are filled with music. It works at times, but it mostly does not fit in with what is being depicted on-screen.
Verdict
There are several exceptional true-crime docuseries out there, and ‘How I Caught My Killer’ is not one of them. It almost tries too hard to get the viewers invested, and perhaps that is why it does not succeed.
How I Caught My Killer
Director: Nate Horowitz, Adam Eurich
Date Created: 2023-01-13 03:33
2
Also Read: How I Caught My Killer summary and endings explained