Acosador nocturno: A la caza de un asesino en serie

Muchos amigos y conocidos no entienden que me gusten las películas de terror. Por qué me expongo voluntariamente a algo que creen que es negativo, que me produce ansiedad y que me da miedo. Intento en vano explicarles que las películas de terror no son negativas para mí, que no siento ansiedad después de verlas y que, a lo sumo, me dejan un poco «anestesiado», lo cual es aún más cierto con los dramas de calidad que ellos ven. Intento explicarles que el terror es un entretenimiento de género, construido sobre la capacidad del director para jugar con el espectador, con sus emociones, y al mismo tiempo con una forma de hacer cine que requiere mucha más innovación que los mejores dramas relacionales. Puedo ver cinco películas de terror en un día y 30 en un festival de cine. Eso hace que los disfrute aún más y que tenga más hambre de ellas. Porque quiero habitar en el mundo de fantasía de la imaginación ilimitada de sus creadores, que solo puede ser igualada en diversidad por el género de la ciencia ficción. ____ Pero lo que para mí es el terror, en el mismo sentido de la palabra que perciben esas personas que no entienden el género, son cosas como esta miniserie. Construido no sobre la imaginación de entusiastas creativos, sino sobre la base real de un documental que revela una anomalía incomprensible, un elemento nocivo de nuestro mundo que personifica el asco y el mal máximos. Solo necesito ver series como este espectáculo una vez al año. Antes fue la película húngara El hijo de Saúl. También reflejando la realidad y también, paradójicamente, sin la etiqueta de «terror» entre sus géneros oficiales. (21.01.2021)

A crime documentary from Netflix about the hunt for a notorious serial killer who terrorized Los Angeles in 1985, killing in the name of Satan. Three hours of suffocating and unpleasant material about Richard Ramirez, who oozes evil miles away. It is interesting that this guy killed without any pattern. He raped old, young, women, men, and even children, and only a few people were only attacked. It is not pleasant to watch, the crime scene photos are very brutal, the dialogues are impressive, and the collection of evidence is incredibly demanding. It watched in one breath. It is really very good and definitely a must for fans of serial killers and gritty crime. 8/10. (07.02.2021)

It reminded me a little of Fincher’s Zodiac, and I’m not speaking so much about the formal aspect, but about the feeling that watching both films evokes: the repeated frustration in the face of an inhuman enemy who doesn’t follow any rational pattern and leaves almost no clues that would allow to put a stop to their almost mystically terrifying actions. But whereas Zodiac casts doubts and deconstructs the procedural investigation, in this case, the killer was caught and the process results in oppressive satisfaction. The creators manage to tell a fairly intimate story about two police officers who almost never closed their eyes during the investigation and feared for the lives of their families, and, through the often brutal nature of the crimes and the amount of period material, the viewer is unknowingly forced to relive that atmosphere (on which Zodiac greatly relied) inside their own head. They also tell the events chronologically and we look at the murders according to when they were motivationally connected to key suspects, which works well to keep the curiosity about which of the trails will eventually lead the detectives to the tireless maniac. The range of motivations around the entire case is extremely complex and they not always manage to bring them to life – some of the testimonies are not very constructive, while others are hurt by tedious re-enactments (this format should provide a continuous flow of information connecting the hypotheses of the time with a retrospective reflection in various thematic circles), but the documentary is still very well structured and holds your attention from the first to the last minutes (which is also aided by the smart dosing of key twists and the questions at the end of each episode, in the style of a serial narrative). I didn’t even mind the high degree of subjective opinions or the occasional glorification of law enforcement officers that pushes aside the deeper emotions – but it’s not about psychology, it’s a description of exhausting procedures, and I quite liked it. 85% (15.01.2021)