A brand new true crime docu-series has come to Netflix, and just a couple of days have been enough for some viewers to binge Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer. While binge-watching is a popular way to consume Netflix content (and avoid spoilers), it turns out that some viewers have discovered a downside of watching the four episodes of Night Stalker in quick succession. The serial killer series is keeping people up at night.
And that's not altogether surprising! Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer follows the hunt for Richard Ramirez, a serial killer who was active in California in the mid-1980s, committing some horrendous crimes. Although the case itself is famous enough that the major beats might be pretty well-known, Night Stalker delves into the details of the case in some harrowing ways that are evidently enough to prevent viewers from getting a good night's sleep.
Some of those viewers took to social media to share their experiences with Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer... or, more precisely, their experiences with trying to get back to business as usual after watching Night Stalker. Take a look at some standout reactions:
Richard Ramirez may not be at large to go on a new murder spree starting outside the bedroom of everybody who checked out this new docu-series, but I for one can't blame anybody whose imaginations run wild at night after watching something called "Night Stalker" that tells a true story! This series includes no shortage first-person interviews, archival footage, and original photography, making it much more chilling than anything scripted.
For the sake of this person's kids, I hope that his sons didn't wake up every time he charged into their rooms! At least it's safe to say that the Night Stalker was not, in fact, trying to get them. That said, Netflix revealed in the series description that the goal of the show was to paint a portrait of how it felt to live in fear when anybody could be the next victim, so I think the streamer accomplished what it set out to do with Night Stalker!
I'm going to go ahead and assume that most people don't have a secret weapon panel in the headboard of their bed, so hopefully even those who are the most on edge after watching Night Stalker don't actually feel compelled to arm themselves. Still, I think this gif is a pretty great illustration of what viewers are reporting as feeling after watching the four episodes. Another person went for what might be the perfect still image:
Well, maybe it'll be easier to hide a brutal post-Night Stalker hangover via Zoom meeting than it would have been in person! Honestly, maybe the aftermath of Night Stalker would have been easier on viewers if the docu-series had released on a Friday, like most Netflix series do. Instead, Night Stalker premiered all four episode on Wednesday, January 13, which may have meant two more workdays of the week to deal with despite newfound fears of the Night Stalker!
Apparently, the Night Stalker doesn't have to be the only one moving around a house to put the fear of a serial killer in viewers. At least a Roomba is pretty much the least scary alternative to a serial killer, if you ask me! At the end of the day, Night Stalker seems to have shaken up a lot of people when they're either alone or the only one awake, which is perhaps best illustrated with this:
In case you haven't checked out Night Stalker just yet and haven't been deterred by all the viewers who haven't been able to sleep since watching the story of Richard Ramirez unfold on screen, you can find all four episodes streaming on Netflix now. If you have already watched and are in the mood for more true crime, there are 11 more unbelievable true crime series worth streaming on Netflix. And hey, if you've had enough of serial killers after Night Stalker, there are always lighter options. How about some baking? Nobody dies on baking shows!
For more of what's on the way in the not-too-distant future, be sure to check out our 2021 winter and spring premiere schedule.
