the ripper reviews

Netflix’s The Ripper is ‘fascinating’, ‘scary’ and people ‘can’t stop watching’

‘It gives the women at the time a voice’


Netflix’s newest true crime series The Ripper dropped yesterday and people are already engrossed in the show, with many giving rave reviews. The critics may not be that keen on it, but a lot of people on Twitter binged it as soon as it came out.

The four-part-series focuses on the serial killer The Yorkshire Ripper who murdered 13 women in the late 1970s. The series documents the police investigation and explains why it took so long to catch him. Unlike other documentaries about the killer, this series is said to take a more “feminist” angle and explores how the victims, often sex workers, were viewed in the investigative process.

What is The Ripper on Netflix about?

Netflix’s The Ripper is a four-part-series that explores the murders of 13 women who were killed over a five year period by the Yorkshire Ripper in the late 1970s. It focuses on why it took so long for the Yorkshire police to capture the Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, who recently died.

The series addressees the problems that led to the delay in his capture, including a “misogynistic” attitude by the police towards the female victims and the incompetence of the police who interviewed Sutcliffe nine times in a five year period before arresting him.

The synopsis for the series reads: “In the late 1970s, British police struggle to identify – let alone capture – the serial killer known throughout the world as the Yorkshire Ripper.”

The reviews of The Ripper are calling it ‘frighteningly good’, ’10/10′ and ‘well worth a watch’

Some critics have been harsh on the Netflix series and many sites have reported on the victims’ families’ response to the documentary who say it “glorifies the brutal violence of Sutcliffe.”

The Telegraph gave it two stars and said there was “little reason for it to exist”, but Decider suggests readers should stream it. They called it “fascinating” and praised it for focusing on the investigative process rather than Sutcliffe himself.

People on Twitter don’t seem the be swayed by negative reviews of The Ripper, as many were watching it as soon as it dropped on Netflix. Many have tweeted about how angry they are at the police’s disdain for the sex worker victims whereas others have joked about Netflix needing to put subtitles on for the Leeds accent.

This is what a few people on Twitter have said about Netflix’s The Ripper:

Watch the trailer for The Ripper on Netflix here:

The Ripper is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook. 

Featured image credit: Netflix

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