World's Most Evil Killers

Cracking series. Even though most of the cases are familiar to a lot of us, it's filmed nicely with a few extra tidbits of information about some of the worst humans to walk the planet. There were two episodes that were particularly interesting. Killers I hadn't heard of.

The one thing that very nearly stopped me from watching episode 2 and more, was the voice of one of the 'experts' featured in the episodes. If you can't tolerate the sing-song effect that some people have when talking - when they leave the last words as a hiGH nOTE - then you might get irritated. In ep 7, which covers Ed Gein, Harold Schector's high notes hit a peak. I'm guessing it's because he's the author of an Ed Gein book and some other books about serial killers. So he gets super exiTED and emphasISES his senteNCES. He does a slurp type sound too. Might seem a little petty but he covers each episode and it kind of ruins it for me. Other than that, it's a decent watch.

I appreciate the sheer number of experts, input from detectives and almost-victims, and a number of family members and journalists -- they keep it varied and supply a lot of interesting facts on each killer, from childhood to imprisonment and death. Each episode makes a stand-alone documentary. I like Fred Dineage's background commentary -- his voice is clear and easy to follow. Unlike some of these true crime shows, they don't use the same shots over and over from one episode to the next. I've watched the first 7 seasons a couple of times, but can't find season 8. If you like true crime, this show will have many killers you've never heard of before.

I've watched tons of shows like this: Forensic Files, Unsolved Mysteries, etc, and this one is really good because it examines killers I have never heard of. Most of the shows about serial or spree killers focus on the well-known ones we have heard of a million times, but this one (in addition to the famous killers) focuses on quite a few in the British Isles.

I think the narrator and experts do a good job of adding insights that stimulate further understanding.

I have limited knowledge of the geography in the British Isles, so I find the limited descriptions of the areas there kind of aggravating. I barely know where London is, so saying "north of Kent," or something similar means absolutely nothing to me. It's like me saying "south of Springfield" and expecting understanding from a foreign audience.

The people assessing the criminals are a joke. Elizabeth Yardley lost all credibility when she claimed Trichotillomania is a self-harming condition. It's as harmful as nail biting or skin picking. It's an anxiety tick. The narrator is REALLY dramatic and ten times louder than everyon eelse. Anyone making judgments that weren't actually there or involved seemed like time killers to make the show longer. Added very little to the substance. Also, some of these killers were nothing compared to some not mentioned at all. I was wondering after the first season if they were only focusing on the UK but then things got really evil when they started including the crazy US folk. If they went further than this century, they'd have an endless supply of evil.

World's Most Evil Killers is, quite frankly, a mess. It's not a documentary, it's a loud, disjointed, and poorly constructed series that feels like it was assembled with minimal effort and even less respect for its audience.

The editing is especially hard to ignore. The same wipe transition, paired with the exact same grating sound effect, is used so often it becomes the focal point of every episode. It doesn't build suspense. It doesn't set a mood. It's just lazy. So lazy, it's actually insulting.

The narration only makes things worse. The narrator delivers every line with the charm and subtlety of a car alarm. It's loud, abrasive, and completely mismatched for the tone this kind of subject matter deserves. Instead of pulling you into the story, it actively pushes you out of it.

Visually, the show looks and feels cheap. The storytelling is thin, the atmosphere nonexistent, and the production feels more like a low-budget rush job than anything carefully crafted. There's no real insight, just recycled visuals and noise. (seriously guys, just pay attention to how Netflix does things)

And here's the real mystery: How did this make it to nine seasons so far? Nine! It's too obnoxious to enjoy for more than nine minutes, let alone nine years. In a genre full of thoughtful, compelling work, this one doesn't even try to compete.

Skip it. There's better content out there that actually respects your time and intelligence.