A lot of documentaries about serial killing sensationalize the crimes themselves, heightening the fear and fascination we have with the other, the psychopath. This is not a documentary about a serial killer. This is a documentary about the failure of the system to protect vulnerable people. It's focused on a particular time when homophobia was at a peak because of AIDS misunderstanding and fear (although not that much has changed, frankly). The documentary deliberates spends much of its time talking about the environment of fear and violence, because it puts these killings into perspective: there is hardly any difference between these killings and the daily anti-gay violence going on on the streets at that time. These people died because of purposely stoked fear and the culture of homophobia. These crimes weren't connected or solved for too long because the police didn't care about these people.
TL;dr: If you're looking for a documentary sensationalizing a serial killer, this is not it. If you're looking for a smart (if somewhat over-long) documentary on the failure of a system to protect vulnerable people, then this is for you.
TL;dr: If you're looking for a documentary sensationalizing a serial killer, this is not it. If you're looking for a smart (if somewhat over-long) documentary on the failure of a system to protect vulnerable people, then this is for you.