There is always a hazy boundary when documenting the life of someone that was pure evil like Richard Ramirez. That boundary requires a firm sensitivity in not glamorising the subject, after all, there is a stratum of society that idolises this type of infamy. One has to observer the following that Charles Manson or Ted Bundy still receive, even if it is only in small patches.
Yet, the Night Stalker supurbly manages to document the chaos that transpired in Los Angeles in 1985, glorifying the detectives and other elements, but thankfully, not glamorising the monster to whom the documentary refers.
The series is about Richard Ramirez, a Satan worshipping lunatic, dubbed the ‘night stalker’, who molested, battered, sliced, hammered and murdered everyone from young children to the elderly. The story is smoothly depicted through the eyes of those closely associated with the crimes – Detectives Gill Carrillo and Frank Salerno, along with television news reporters, survivors, and relatives of the victims.
There are a number of outstanding elements to the documentary, firstly, the music. Similar to Stranger Things and its iconic theme, the music in Night Stalker, pays both homage to the era, as well as drawing the senses deeper into the narrative. Working seamlessly with the cinematography, it creates an eeriness that anchors in the brain.
Likewise, the cinematography, is subtle but penetrating. Whether it be aerial night shots of suburban Los Angeles that capture the dark, shadowy emptiness of light on the streets to archival footage, which gives the audience a vibe to 1980s Los Angeles. These elements aid in placing the viewer in what was the hunting grounds of the night stalker.
The narration of the Night Stalker is direct and effective, in that it is predominately told through the eyes of the detectives. Both Carrillo and Salerno are in a bar for the most part, but this setup makes it personal, as though they are sharing a drink with you as they recount the obstacles they faced from dealing with police bureaucracy, navigating the media, and in Carrillo’s case – marital pressures, all whilst trying to catch the monster that lurks in the dark. There is also the heroic and haunting narration from one of the victims, who was six years-old at the time, along with other victim’s relatives.
The Night Stalker is an outstanding documentary. Like all great stories, it lingers in the brain long after and makes you question certain parts of humanity. Too sum degree, it also exposes the ‘glamourous’ notion that is attached to Los Angeles and the 1980s from those on the outside.
