The Raincoat Killer: Chasing a Predator in Korea (2021) User Reviews

...surprised - sadly not in a good way

[ricewithaspoon · 5/10 · 22 October 2021]

I was very surprised by this documentary I was actively waiting for - & not in a good way.

Very very little original material.

Weird filler scenes, newly filmed 'dramatisation' material, to 'illustrate' what these 'detectives' are talking about.

Mostly subjective blabber from inept detectives remembering stuff, and statements - like him being the first serial killer in korea (what??) - ... i will be needing fillers to counteract the forehead wrinkles i got during watching this one.

And not once did they show him (without a mask) or play recordings of interrogations.. everything is re-enacted.. Ugggh, i'm disappointed.

After that i googled a bit of course and found more facts & information on a blog than was laid out these 3 hrs.

I think they should have made a podcast out of this material and not a 'documentary'.

Fascinating for all the wrong reasons

[leebattersby · 7/10 · 28 October 2021]

Ye Gods, this is like watching the Tiger King of serial killer documentaries. I have never, in my *life*, seen such a grotesquely, comically, inept and incompetent pack of Keystone Cops outside of, well, you know......

It's just jaw-dropping.

Interesting story, poor documentary

[Calicodreamin · 6/10 · 23 October 2021]

A very interesting true crime story, but a poorly made documentary. Spending a lot of time focusing on the psychological profiling of the killer and rushing through 'investigations' and aftermath. A strange storyline that's for sure.

This ISN'T a "Mockumentary"....

[MNKim1967 · 3 November 2021]

"The Raincoat Killer", et al, is a documentary on how, despite being one of the most abjectly inept police forces to exist, the Seoul, Korea police caught a serial killer. Apparently, the Seoul police worked on a reward basis for promotion, so they didn't bother themselves with any other crimes but murder; you'd think they'd have been better at it. The documentary is incredulously amusing at times, which is disturbing. It also gave insight into who the P. D. found valuable in society and who they didn't/don't.

Offbeat true crime documentary

[jondallaslawyer · 7/10 · 23 October 2021]

I like to watch true crime documentaries. "Raincoat Killer" is unusual because (1) the serial killer is in Korea, a country with a low crime rate, and (2) many of the various law enforcement personnel are emotionally connected to the crimes in a significant degree. I thought the doc was well worth watching.

As an aside, I'm perplexed by many of the early reviews here by self-styled "film critics." Nearly all of them are either unreasonably negative or unreasonably positive. I sense a definite bias by these 20-35 year-old "film critics." If a movie is made by Marvel, or is pretentious, or has dragons, hobbits, vampires, or zombies, it gets a '10.' If a movie has a serious, mature subject matter, it gets rated 4 to 6. A user of imDb should always keep this in mind.

Who really was the Raincoat Killer?

[CCK1996 · 6/10 · 25 October 2021]

We were told his name, but were never shown his face other than from a distance. If he escapes again, which wouldn't surprise me, I wouldn't have a clue if he sat down beside me in a coffee shop. And what about his background? Did he work? Where did he go to school? What was he like as a kid? What did his friends or associates say about him? And why was he called the Rain Coat Killer other than the cops put a yellow coat on him while walking through public. Was it yellow so they could find him easily in a crowd if he decides to walk away from police custody again? Worth a watch, but poorly done in several other ways than what I mentioned.

Was this a comedy?

[gdbyehollywood · 6/10 · 23 October 2021]

They cops had me rolling in the first episode. I didn't know if they were real cops or comedians joking about the serious of the events. They really sounded scared!! If the cops have no back bones what is the public suppose to do?! It's a good watch and honestly I could see how easy it's to become a "serial murderer" in Korea. The fact this is recent too.

Has its share of flaws, but definitely worth checking out! [+66%]

[arungeorge13 · 7/10 · 23 October 2021]

Having seen a good number of serial killer thrillers from South Korea (including Memories of Murder, The Chaser, I Saw The Devil, The Chase) and almost everything featured in the true crime section of Netflix, I thought I was wholly prepared for this one. The killer (Yoo Young-Chul) is probably one of the most vicious and ruthless beasts you'll ever hear about. While the documentary focuses mainly on the compelling manhunt, it also attempts to humanize the crime divisions of the Seoul police by portraying them as a flawed bunch but with genuinely relatable emotions. It must have been exceptionally tiresome to catch a serial killer with zero motive, utter lack of evidence except for a shoeprint, and the randomized selection of victims. On one occasion, he's targeting a more affluent section of the city, and on another, he's targeting isolated sex workers. But the fact that he escaped after being arrested once is a major stain in the careers of all officers involved.

The whirlwind of emotions that the investigating officers go through is showcased in a believable, non-exploitative manner. Though the makers could have given a tad more focus to the victims, the documentary never falls short of engaging. Each episode is a crisp 45-55 minutes, with the makers not resorting to any odd editing gimmicks or overly stylistic tropes. The team tackles the recreation of some of the gruesome incidents with sufficient flair. They focus solely on the documentary telling a gripping story rather than throwing in oodles of style that dilute its realism. The interviews with the criminal profiler are undoubtedly more interesting as he tries to paint a somewhat vivid picture of what goes through a motiveless serial killer's mind while committing the crimes.

could've been better

[blanceto · 6/10 · 25 October 2021]

Frustrated. So many things could've done better. The story only focus on the useless and incompetent police officers which I don't understand why this become the main view while the story could focusing more on the perpetrator himself. How he ended up being like that and such. And the reenactment scenes also doesn't make it sounds or seems thrilling to watch. This can be squashed up into one episode rather than stretching it out too much into three parts. Slow paced with no guarantee of clear closure for the viewers is risky.

The frightened little man killer

[alaningle7 · 6/10 · 22 October 2021]

Before I review this I wish the media would name serial killers with more appropriate names. He is not the raincoat killer but a frightened little man killer who preyed on the elderly and weaker females. The series reviews the case of a serial killer who unusually changed his modus operandi. It starts with a brief overview of the gap between rich and poor in Korea and the feelings of alienation of some in the early 2000's. I do not think this is relevant as many people I am sure had more deprived childhoods but did not turn into psychotic killers. Over 3 episodes it gives the timeline of the murders and uses talking heads of the people involved. It talks to the criminal profiler on the case and the detective's and prosecutors and also the brother of an early victim and most fascinatingly the female forensic head who amongst them all seems most empathetic. It is quite honest as it shows the crudity of police operations at that time and the only good to come from these horrific killings was the major improvements made in criminal investigations.

A story of police incompetence

[natemansur · 5/10 · 30 October 2021]

It is a story of how the Seoul, South Korean police were utterly incompetent and let a serial killer go on killing. As for what the officers interviews it sounds like their still in denial that it was their fault. (I can only speak from the English translation). They came off as blaming the system rather then themselves. Even when two officers didn't communicate and the killer walked right out of the interrogation room they spoke as if he planned it all. One redeeming factor was they didn't show his face or give him any type of "fame". Though there was no real focus on the victims either. Overall sloppy as a documentary.

One of those times when I cried watching such documentaries

[laceup-96849 · 8/10 · 16 November 2021]

A excellent documentary of a sick person, I was sick to my stomach watching it myself, especially victims being people that were degraded in our society made it more emotional, Horrific things happened, the incompetence of police was sad to see but they have learned from it and are doing a better job now, My condolences to all the victims.

Never before seen videos and information, but...

[RaidersOfTheLostCommunist · 7/10 · 13 January 2022]

There isn't much here to be honest, they barely go into his background or his true motivation. Yes there is some information, but just not enough. They never talked about movies that he was interested (the ones that inspired him to kill).

I think it would had been better without the cheesy re-enactments and the cheesy voice overs. Also they should had showed more of the crime scene and the aftermath.

Anyways, it is pretty decent and kept my attention even though I was expecting more.

7/10.

Slow Pace

[ladawnclarepanton · 4/10 · 23 October 2021]

It's difficult to separate the review from the incompetence of the Korean police force. The lead officer is a buffoon and they didn't take the killings of women seriously because they were s*x workers. So there's that. But the documentary is slow so paced. And doesn't include forensic work. The cartoonish element is annoying.

Really???

[mf2812 · 22 October 2021]

This is a decent enough watch but could have been shorter and made into a single documentary. The most disturbing thing about it is how the South Korean police did not have a clue about chasing a serial killer until 2004. It's like their own Jack The Ripper....... Only over 100 years later!

If these guys just went home to eat and sleep they would have probably caught the guy sooner.

[anaraguilar · 6/10 · 26 January 2023]

The most interesting thing about the documentary was seeing the difference in culture between that of Koreans and where I live ( the U. S) .

They were so focused on "honoring" the victims that they began staying in hot cars for days doing stake outs when they didn't even have any leads. Another guy didn't even go home for 3 months because he was working around the clock without any leads. I'm no detective but when you absolutely have no leads, what can you possibly be doing for 3 months straight in an office making your wife bring you underwear? It's like they enjoyed punishing themselves ( or hey, maybe they just didn't want to be home). They were working so hard and not smart. They were making mistakes due to their sleep deprivation too.

The police officers were also so focused on profiling and assumed things about what the killer should look like.. this crime was not committed in the 1800s, a police officer of all ppl should know a serial killer doesn't have a particular look or personality. You just can't assume anything.

While I appreciated watching how they handled the case differently, it also frustrated me.

Intrigue

[estathena2 · 7/10 · 30 October 2021]

A worth-watching documentary that focuses on law enforcement - the investigation as well as the science rather than glorifying the crimes and the perpetrator. Methodical, honest, & painfully emotive.

Ignore the low ratings!

[TreeFiddy53 · 7/10 · 27 October 2021]

Folks that like true crime, this one's for you. It could have been a single 1.5-hr long video, but it has 3 episodes, 40-50 mins each, all well shot and well narrated. I wouldn't have minded another episode. While it's not anything new from the other true crime docs, it's surely worth a shot.

Lacks an edge

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 28 October 2021]

THE RAINCOAT KILLER is the latest Netflix true crime series, this time around charting a serial killer who shocked South Korea in the 2000s. It's noticeably made by Asian-Americans rather than the Koreans themselves and as such it lacks the kind of depth and careful detailing that Korean cinema and TV is known for. Mostly it consists of reenactments and talking head footage from the cops involved. Interesting enough, but it lacks the edge of the best of this genre.

The police were intellectually challenged

[rory-24669 · 6/10 · 13 January 2022]

With the watch but the admitted incompetence By the Seoul police is unbelievable !

At times I thought it felt more like a comedy.

The police force was responsible for many preventable deaths. In the end a very sad tale.

I love Korean police procedural shows

[bonniath-13968 · 7/10 · 15 March 2022]

Korea/America are similar, but still different, that's why I'm so interested in police investigation shows. I wish I could understand the language a bit more, not having to just use subtitles. Still, good production of show. Also want to go to Korea!!!

Feel like wasting my time. What a missed opportunity!

[techiebug · 4/10 · 23 October 2021]

After ep 3 ended, I was a bit shocked to find out the series ended. They spent all their time filming 3 eps without even revealing the killer's face. Then ended it there without even telling what the killer worked during the day. Is this a joke???

The Korean Police is the real Criminal

[roz-oz · 8/10 · 20 December 2021]

I have watched countless true crime documentaries, and in a lot of them, it's clear that the crimes could had been resolved much earlier than when they did if the police was competent. Recent examples of true crimes I ve watched that demonstrate police incompetence in different countries are "Dig Deeper: The disappearance of Brigit Meier" (Germany), "The Women and the Murderer" (France). However, the police incompetence in this documentary is beyond anything I ve ever seen before. I won't list examples as I don't want to spoil it for the prospective viewer, but I must say that I sincerely hope that drastic changes have been implemented in the Korean police force, and overall system as in this case the police was more dangerous than the actual criminal. Incompetence, corruption, laziness and so much more nouns to describe the korean police. Literally speechless...

Not a great documentary in this genre.

[deloudelouvain · 6/10 · 16 December 2023]

The Raincoat Killer (what a stupid name by the way): Chasing A Predator In Korea is a true crime documentary about the chase of a South-Korean serial killer. Netflix has some good documentaries like that but this one wasn't of the best quality. A lot of uninteresting interviews, about superstitious beliefs from the investigators, about what it meant for their future careers and so on. What I will remember is the incompetence of the police forces (again I would say when you think of other famous serial killer cases), this time in South Korea and not in the USA. The most annoying thing about this documentary were the subtitles. They disappeared way too fast so it was almost impossible to read everything, a thing that I as a foreigner am used to as I watch everything with subtitles. So unless you understand Korean it is just difficult to follow. Add to that that it was repetitive and not very interesting (I would have preferred more information about the killer and his motives) and you get an okay but not great documentary.

Netflix, please reconsider your sound design!

[brucewillisisaghost · 4/10 · 22 October 2021]

This series' criminal case is actually pretty interesting and exciting. But I couldn't stand the permanent loud sounds and base that wants to build up and keep tension. It's necessary from a storytelling point of view - but please not all the time. Less is more. The people speaking are too quiet. The sound design distracts from the story.