My Father the BTK Killer Review: A Heartfelt and Chilling Documentary

My Father the BTK Killer Review: This true crime documentary follows Kerri Rawson’s quest to seek answers surrounding her father, the infamous BTK killer Dennis Rader, and shares her experience sharing a home with the seemingly unassuming and unimpressive man.

The film has a runtime of 93 minutes.

My Father the BTK Killer Review

My Father the BTK Killer is an odd cookie of a documentary that follows the infamous BTK killer’s heinous crimes from the investigator’s mouths, while his daughter, Kerri, discusses her life with him and adds context to the crimes. It’s a very interesting and moving watch that focuses on creating a complete picture of the man and the monster, and it will leave you with many thoughts.

I mean, it’s a given that we don’t always know the people who surround us, and they will always leave us surprised in some way or another. However, Rader’s community only saw him as an everyday person who was a devout churchgoer with a normal family. It’s so shocking to one day realise that the man whom you have loved since you were born is one of the most heinous serial killers in history, and Kerri’s retelling of her life with Rader is nothing short of chilling. There are moments of heavy emotions as well, and the series does a good job of connecting the dots between the crimes and what was going on in Rader’s life at that moment.

It, thus, gives us a rare insight into a chilling situation that we usually don’t get to have and focuses on the families of the perpetrators who are left not only shocked, but also traumatised, exposed and villainised for no fault of their own. I think the film does justice to showcasing Kerri’s terrifying reality and her mixed feelings surrounding her father’s crimes and where that has led her to her own life. I was absolutely arrested watching the documentary unfold, and although there are no more “juicy” updates on Rader’s crimes, the documentary does add interesting commentary on victims’ mentalities in the wake of such terrible crimes.

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Of course, this isn’t to say that Kerri is a victim in the traditional sense of the term. We are still given a rather powerful showcase of all the people who lost their lives to Rader’s sick fantasies, and are left heartbroken for the lives lost. However, the film does draw our attention to the families of the perpetrators, their neighbours and acquaintances as well, who were as clueless as the rest of the nation about the monster living with them. It’s scary as it is heartbreaking and adds a new perspective that we often don’t think about in these scenarios.

Final Thoughts

I found My Father the BTK Killer to be quite moving and emotional as it focuses on the victims rather than the perpetrator. Instead of giving Rader even more attention, which he clearly desperately wanted, it shifts the focus to those left behind and the utter chaos that Kerri’s life devolved into after the truth came out. It’s great if you need a different perspective on these true crime shows, and they will hold on to your attention for a long time.

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