Evil - Gesichter des Bösen

I admit that I am morbidly fascinated by the darker side of humanity and this show definitely skews more in that direction, but I wasn't expecting the heart-rending emotions that it showcased as well. This is truly a sad show (in a good way) that often brings me close to tears while viewing it. It is definitely worth watching.

The stories are told by the real victims, not actors, who visibly shake and cry while they tell their story, so you feel their fear and pain. It is very intense and emotional. The stories are true and scarier than any horror movie I have seen.

A few episodes into season 1 made me rethink the wisdom of not locking my doors and windows at my rural home. And I have a pit bull mix who weighs in at 68 lbs of muscle. This series will snap anyone out of a false sense of security. The recurring theme thru-out is family & friends who didn't see the impending doom headed their way. Some did, but were paralysed by fear. Either way you'll understand the answer to the question "Why didn't anyone do anything?" In quite a few episodes family spent years trying to get psychological help for their family member. Others repeatedly turn to law enforcement for help. Then there's the people who rationalized the evilness so that they didn't have to deal with it. Those are infuriating. This series is compelling, the 1st person interviews heart-breaking, the actor reenactments well done, the occasional update at the end is fascinating. I recommend binge-watching this... during the day and with locked doors.

This should almost be reclassified as a horror which makes it being a documentary even more harrowing.

Similar to a documentary, this starts off from a low level and slowly builds. There is a victim or witness who is usually a family member or close associate who lays all the back ground for what they are about to reveal. Like a good horror the build up is slow and deliberate. They take you into their world and show you how the situation slowly and almost casually started. There is a lot of reflection and this can only be done in hindsight with full knowledge of what was coming. I can imagine the subtle clues and signs were just that and certainly nothing to run to police or run away from. A lot of families have these types of characters and usually they grow out of it and go on to be normal family people. These stories are about the ones that did not.

I think the worst stories are where the person being interviewed had no knowledge of what was to come, weren't fully involved and when it did come felt guilty for not being a better parent, son, sister or what have you. The grief is real and the remorse, although unwarranted, is overwhelming.

Although there is an amount of recreation, I don't find it overly dramatic, more to put the viewer into the witnesses or victims situation. To see what they saw and went through. The people being interviewed genuinely seem to have been through hell, and are now almost devoid of emotion when they talk about it. It's a very eye opening look into how evil people can be and what effect that has on the innocent.

The reviewers who have attacked the people being interviewed for not seeing the signs and acting or just not getting out, accusing them of being weak and generally being laptop cowboys are the ones in need of help. The very lack of compassion and failure to understand that real life is not like the movies is concerning. That most of these stories involve innocent children shows me they haven't watched many of the episodes. Time to push the keyboard away and go out and see how the real world works.

The presentation and ability to tell a real story and sell the heart wrenching devastation that follows, earns an 8 from me.

What would you do if the person you loved most turned out to be a devil in disguise.... Most of us will never have to answer that question. The people in this series do. A harrowing insight into the people who have committed some of the most heinous unthinkable crimes as told by their immediate loved ones. Many of whom have never spoken before. A raw emotional series that look at the life leading up to these tragic events and how it affects everyone invoked. Very highly recommended.