Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Disturbing true crime docu has violence, peril, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Lover, Stalker, Killer
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In LOVER, STALKER, KILLER, Dave Kroupa is newly divorced and looking to restart his life. He moves to Omaha, takes a job as manager of a car mechanic shop, and starts dating online. He meets Liz Golyar, a single mom, and quickly they are spending lots of time together, complete with overnight dates. Still playing the field, he goes back online and meets Cari Farver, another single mom. Their two weeks of fun ends when Liz shows up to pick up her things. Cari had assured Dave that all she wanted was to have fun together, but the encounter triggers an alarming response. Now Dave is receiving a barrage of texts claiming he's ruined Cari's life. She will get revenge, the texts say, hurt Liz, and hurt his ex-wife and kids. While no one can find Cari, she relentlessly threatens injury and death. The stalker escalates and Liz's place is broken into, the walls spray-painted with "whore," and her clothing slashed. Then her place is burned down, killing her pets. Murder ensues. The local police take the problem seriously, but it isn't until Dave moves again to escape the threats that a new set of detectives and an IT genius understand the strange mystery and find the perpetrator.
Is It Any Good?
It takes a lot of filler to bring Lover, Stalker, Killer to its 90-minute feature length. That said, the story is still bizarre, fascinating, and disturbing. All the elements are there -- online dating gone wrong, a triangle of romantic jealousy, the escalating threats of a cyber- and real life-stalker, arson, murder, clever police, and a brilliant IT mind to unravel the mystery. Plot twists abound, including a moment when a police officer discovers that someone he works with may be involved. Self-inflicted wounds and hidden selfies help solve the case.
But, seemingly to add to the film's length, interviews go on too long. Unnecessary scenes scored with mysterious or threatening music add nothing to our knowledge and deliberately slow the narrative so that it feels like the filmmakers are trying to delay sharing just how strange the story is until they absolutely have to.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how little we can really know about people who present themselves on online dating apps. Can you think of ways to protect yourself from unstable or violent people posting on the internet?
Did the police do a good job figuring out this case? Why or why not?
What's the appeal of true-crime stories? Why do so many people become armchair detectives?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: February 9, 2024
- Director: Sam Hobkinson
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Documentary
- Run time: 90 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: March 30, 2024
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
What to Watch Next
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate