The Hunt for the Red Ripper

A startling documentary about the world’s most brutal serial killer Andrei Chikatilo, a former Russian school teacher who was sentenced to death last October after a dramatic trial in which he was convicted of killing, mutilating, and cannibalising 52 women and children. Chikatilo is currently held in a bare provincial prison cell in the south of Russia awaiting a date with his executioner, giving exclusive interviews before and after the trial and plenty of astonishing footage captured by the police and KGB. We hear from relatives of his victims, former work colleagues, and experts on serial killers with the Moscow psychiatrist who proclaimed him sane. Highlights of the dramatic trial included the judges summing up and the sentencing which brought cheers and spontaneous applause from a packed courtroom in Rostov.

Directed by Martin Coenen, The Hunt for the Red Ripper leans on a strong ensemble — Andrei Chikatilo — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1994.