There has been a lot of buzz lately surrounding the new Netflix docu-series “Evil Genius.” In my opinion, this buzz is well deserved.
This series is a true crime story that took place in the early 2000s in Erie, Pennsylvania. It’s the story of the a “pizza bomb” bank heist that caught global attention because of its peculiarity and pure outrageousness. In this four episode long docu-series, the narrator and creator of the series walks you through his personal investigation of the complicated crime while including the perspectives from many people involved in the case.
The things I liked most about the series are:
The Editing
The way this story is put together through the editing of the series is genius, no pun intended. Throughout the episodes, you are reminded about aspects of the case that you forgot about that once become relevant again. The creators of the series build in moments where the audience can make their own connections and have ~aha~ moments throughout the telling of the story.
Timing and suspense
The editing ties into timing and suspense, because it’s created through editing. Unlike the traditional documentary style, the “Evil Genius” is split into multiple episodes that create suspense between episodes. Each episode ends with a cliffhanger that entices you to continue watching to find out what happens next.
The Narration
Another important factor of the series was the constant narration. The man who narrated the story is the same person who first-hand researched the entire story. His narration makes the storytelling more personal and helps connect to the audience.
Although I personally don’t have any complaints, some online media critics have one common one. According to a few critics on mediacritic.com, the series drags on and is unnecessarily long.
Evil Genius is a very compelling show that you will want to binge.