This new true crime docuseries on Netflix has cracked the site’s top 10 most-watched shows list — and for good reason.
The killer of TikTok tells the wonderful story of Esther Estepaa 42-year-old solo traveler who met a named content creator on a trip to Spain, then mysteriously disappeared.
The two-part documentary plays on the fear of the worst-case scenario that occurs while traveling alone. again worst case scenario to meet someone online.
TikTok The killer is popular with Netflix subscribers right now, but is it worth streaming?
Is the ‘TikTok Killer’ Based on a True Story? And Is It Worth Watching?
yes, The killer of TikTok is based on a true story of Esther Estepa. Esther was a single woman traveling in Spain who had the misfortune of befriending a man named José “Dynamite” Jurado Montillaa TikTok content creator whose social media videos eventually led to his arrest for Esther’s disappearance. Before that, the two had met in the lobby of Esther’s hotel in Alicante. On the morning of August 23, 2023, the two went out to take a trip that ended in Montilla calling the emergency services for Esther. Although he was released from the hospital the next day, his family started receiving secret messages from him on WhatsApp, saying that he was starting a new life in Buenos Aires. Was it really Esther who sent those messages?
Then in 2024, Esther’s remains were found, and evidence was successfully linked to Montilla, who is currently awaiting trial. The killer of TikTok tracks Montilla’s past convictions that include 28 years in prison, and Esther’s family’s search for their daughter using the digital trail left by her accounts and Montilla’s social media. The docuseries is a compelling look at how social media is a deceptive mask and a valuable investigative tool.
The Two-Part Series is Effective, Effective and Compassionate
Sometimes, true crime stories are very engaging, written over the course of four or six episodes and very re-readable. Instead, The killer of TikTok it keeps things tight with only two episodes, allowing the story to be told in a more effective way, which also has a greater impact on the audience as a result. The series is incredibly direct and doesn’t waste time, but it also allows Esther’s family to speak for themselves as people who were deeply involved in the investigative process to find their missing daughter. Eventually, he discovers that they found information about Montilla’s past that the police ignored.
Indeed, it was the family’s strong determination to seek justice that was a big part of why Montilla was arrested. This is something that happens all too often when it comes to the ineffectiveness of law enforcement in these types of cases – especially when it comes to finding missing women. Thank you, TikTok the killer not only foregrounds the words of Esther’s family and their determination, but also paints a vivid picture of who she was while living as an active traveler and adventurer.
It Creates a Real “Danger of the Unknown” About Social Media
We all know that people can create fake personas very easily online, but the increasing proliferation of social media in our daily lives has also broken down the barriers we once put up when it comes to creating connections there. We do everything online, from making friends to dating to finding jobs and networking. So, we’ve become very accustomed to taking people’s social media at face value, since most of our lives are on social media now to begin with. This is probably part of what led Esther to be friends with Montilla, a man who was sentenced to 123 years in prison, of which he served only 28, for four murders.
Montilla managed to create a friendly facade on social media that tricked Esther into believing that he was a safe person to be around (although he still denies that he had a hand in her death). Ironically, it was his social media activity and complete documentation of his time and relationship with Esther to his 6,000 followers that ultimately led to his undoing. After his oversharing allowed authorities to link him to other people who disappeared in the same area, they had a whole trove of evidence to build their suspect. The killer of TikTok it will make you think twice about who you start chatting with online.
Broadcast TikTok The killer now on Netflix.
