TRUE-CRIME: “Catch Me a Killer.” / “Manhunt.”

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“Catch Me a Killer” (Amazon Prime) 11-part true crime series set in South Africa, based on cases worked on by forensic psychologist and police investigator Micki Pistorius in the 1990s. Focus is on investigations that secured convictions for many serial killers. The series reminds us of the Netflix series “Mindhunter,” which delved on criminal profiling or criminal psychology. 



       Similar with British true-crime, “Catch Me a Killer” is by-the-book cinematic annotation of the cases rather than an elongated character study, which is the allure of (lead writer) Amy Jephta's concise scripting and the tight direction of the tag team of René van Rooyen, Tracey Larcombe, and Brett Michael-Innes. 

       Charlotte Hope portrays Micki Pistorius. She seems slight and fragile but delivers a consistently firm performance. 🎥💻📽


“Manhunt” (Sundance Now) British drama based on murder investigations. The series focused on the true story surrounding the investigation into the death of French student Amélie Delagrange. The second series focuses on the search for serial rapist Delroy Grant.



       After watching two or three dozen British true-crime dramas, I feel that I need a little break from the genre. Not that I am complaining; I did enjoy all those series. Besides, there's not much remaining true-crime material in streaming that I haven't seen yet, LOL! 

       “Manhunt” is pretty much like the rest. A by-the-books dramatization of a police blotter. No tedious lectures or high-handed moralizing. Just a notebook-tidy  “police procedural.” 

       There is a second series but it was transferred to Acorn, which means we gotta pay an extra subscription fee. Nope, never mind. 🎥💻📽


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