Director: Sam Hobkinson
Genre: True crime; Documentary
Cast: Cari Farver, Dave Kroupa, Christopher Maher, Jessica N Johnson, Ryan Avis, Katie Otten
Duration: 90 minutes
Now streaming on Netflix
Those of us raised on Lifetime movies, Catfish, and episodes of 48 Hours will likely assume that the new documentary Lover, Stalker, Killer offers little in the way of surprises. Even Netflix’s description — with a pointed mention of “online dating,” along with the use of phrases such as “romantic obsession” and “deadly extreme”—suggests that this is the kind of story common in the pre-serial era, before “prestige” and “true crime” were used in the same sentence. But Lover, Stalker, Killer is a slick, sophisticated, and tightly told account from the American heartland — one that keeps its focus firmly on those who experienced the central crime, not the person who committed it.
You have likely never heard of the case detailed in Lover, Stalker, Killer, and the filmmakers are just fine with that. “I like to tell films from within the story, meaning that the viewer only knows as much as the protagonist,” director Sam Hobkinson says. To that end, we meet Omaha, Nebraska mechanic Dave Kroupa, not as a guy who survived something wild 11 years ago, but as a dude who hopped on a couple of online dating platforms to meet women for casual encounters.
The more dramatic elements of the film include visual nods to Japanese horror films, a Brian De Palma – worthy score, and copious reenactments — many of which feature Kroupa as himself. There is an ongoing debate about the ethics of reenactments within the journalism community, with many arguing that they are harmful to people who have survived crimes. Hobkinson is well aware of that discussion, and says that “as soon as we sat down with Dave, we understood that this is not somebody who is going to be traumatised by reliving this.”
–vanityfair.com
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