Mindhunter is an American crime drama based on the true crime book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit. It is set up in 1970s; and follows the works and investigations of two FBI agents. The series debuted worldwide on Netflix in October 2017. and mostly received positive reviews. In November 2017, Netflix Mindhunter was renewed for a second season.
Netflix Mindhunter Review
The first time I noticed the Mindhunter series on Netflix, I actually thought of it as a documentary. The show had recently been launched on Netflix back then; and the way it’s description read, it made it sound like a compilation of interviews with serial killers. I am not really big on Documentaries unless it has something to do with wildlife so I gave the show a pass. Murder mysteries however are my thing and that is what I was searching for on Netflix recently when I came across this show again. I was looking for a some good mystery show to watch and the name Mindhunder showed up in both Netfllix and Google search. Out of curiosity, I looked up the show on IMDB and decided to give it a try after reading all the positive reviews about it.
Is Netflix Mindhunter Worth Watching?
The first season has a total of 10 episodes to it; and after binge watching all off them last weekend, I must say that I am really very impressed. It is an excellent show that by the time it ends, will leave you wanting for more. It is definitely not a documentary that I first thought it to be; although the characters are based on real people. It is inspired by actual events of 70s involving FBI and some of the most notorious serial in the history. The show offers a realistic portrayal of serial killers and is a dramatized account of events. It kind of is an effort to give a sneak peek into the whole serial killer history; and how a simple idea by an agent took shape of a whole new approach in dealing with the serial killers.
Mindhunter is a show about process and, to some extent, science, about how researchers and investigators began to deepen and complicate their; and thus our own, concepts of criminal pathology. The two leads, an “eager-to-prove-himself” young F.B.I. agent and his surly older partner, are played by Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany. Overall, Mindhunter is a very artful, substantial series. It runs on the same lines like Se7en, the silence of the lambs and Zodiac and keeps the viewer engaged till the very end. It may start a bit slow in first couple of episodes but catches up quite fast. In the end, the patient viewer is rewarded with a fascinating, richly layered and suspenseful drama exploring the origins of criminal psychology and criminal profiling.
Conclusion
The show will remind you of The Silence of the Lambs several times. And entertaining it is, and on a high artistic level at that. There are no action sequences here, no chase scenes and no explosion. What you get instead is a couple of FBI agents talking to real life serial killers, interviewing them and then applying that knowledge to resolve some open cases. There in fact are no baffling whodunit mysteries either; but rather a slow burning thriller that will keep you at the edge of your seat. The performances are fantastic, direction is crisp and the narrative engaging.
My final verdict is that Mindhunter is a great show that you will definitely wait for the second season of. You got to be patient with it though. Do not give up on it after watching the initial couple of episodes. Stick with it and let the story grow on you. In the end, you will definitely end up liking this one. I hope the review above was of help. If you too have seen Mindhunter then please do share your thoughts on it in the comments section below.
