The TikTok Killer – Review | Netflix Docuseries

THE TIKTOK KILLER on Netflix is a true crime documentary series in two parts. It’s from Spain, and the case is sure to anger you. I don’t think this is a particularly strong production. However, I recognize the immense value of having the victim’s friends and family tell the story. Read our full The TikTok Killer documentary review here!

THE TIKTOK KILLER is a Netflix true crime documentary in two parts. Why everything is made as a series these days, I don’t know. The runtime of this is ideal for a documentary feature. Having said that, this true crime documentary production would have been better with a shorter runtime. The entire first episode leads to a “reveal” that was already covered in the opening moments.

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH…

The true crime documentary titled TikTok Star Murders >

I suppose it has to do with the perceived lack of attention span of many. If this is the case, then the solution is hardly dragging something out over two episodes rather than one shorter documentary. In any case, I’m probably just annoyed that this isn’t one of the better true crime documentaries I’ve watched.

Continue reading our The TikTok Killer documentary review below. Find it on Netflix from March 6, 2026.

From missing person to murder victim

As The TikTok Killer begins, everything from the fast-paced cuts in the opening sequence to the title reveals that the true crime in this Netflix docu-series is a murder. So, while the first episode is about Esther, who vanishes very suddenly and without a trace, we already know it will end badly. Esther will go from being a missing person to a murder victim, and you cannot help but feel for her family.

And her family is indeed doing all they can to figure out what happened to Esther. “Helping” them is the TikTok travel vlogger José Jurado Montilla. He seems to be the last person to have seen Esther, and does all he can to share what he knows.

Often via his TikTok, which is used to document the traveling he does.

Convicted Serial Killer Turned TikTok Charmer

When I say “travelling”, it’s more of a drifter situation, so he sleeps in shelters or out in the wild. His heartfelt videos about missing Esther will get a very sinister edge, as it becomes clear that José, also known as “Dynamite” Montilla, is a man who spent nearly 30 years in prison.

Why? Because he’s a convicted serial killer with four murders on his record.

As Esther’s family discovers this – something the police have strangely overlooked – they continue speaking with him. Not because they think he cares for Esther, but because they fear he has killed her. Montilla is quite literally a dirty old man with few teeth and an uncanny ability to make stuff up.

Watch The TikTok Killer on Netflix now

This new two-episode Spanish true crime documentary comes from director Héctor Muniente (American Greyhounds). It’s not a particularly good production in terms of storytelling, but when it comes to true crime, I think you need to judge it by more than “just” this. Personally, it means more to me whether those who knew (and loved) the victim are interested in it being made.

With The TikTok Killer, the family and friends of Esther, who sadly lost her life at just 42 years old, are very involved. And I don’t mean just with the documentary, but also the actual investigation. As such, this true crime production is made both with the blessing and wish of those who miss the murder victim.

Very much unlike the case with A Friend, A Murderer (which was supposed to have another focus), but exactly like Friends Like These. This is why I’m pulling the rating up to “Fresh” rather than “Rotten”. With true crime, one key component is adequately describing the actual case and those involved with it. However, another key component is the why of it being made.

With this one, it’s made because the family and friends of Esther want the story out. I honor that and feel it outweighs the too-long runtime and the strange decision to have two episodes instead of one feature.

The TikTok Killer is out on Netflix from March 6, 2026.