Mindhunter

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Oct 13, 2017
Season #: 2, 1
User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 436 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 394 out of 436
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 436
  3. Negative: 26 out of 436
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  1. skykappah
    Jan 5, 2018
    10
    Stunning, just stunning, everything about it. Sit back as we are taken on an eye opening macabre journey of how profiling and criminal psychology first started.
    My only gripe is that it's only 10 episodes short.... I could watch an episode a day for years on end.
  2. judahjsn
    Oct 20, 2017
    10
    Incredibly impressed by this show. A lot of shows of this caliber take a few episodes to warm up but Mindhunter is fully formed from the jump. I'm not really into serial killer stories so I was glad to find out that this is so much more than that. Some of the smartest dialogue I've seen in a drama in a long time with perfectly casted actors to sell it. New favorite show.
  3. katezoe
    Oct 23, 2017
    10
    Best new series of Fall season. If you loved Seven and Zodiac then this is must see TV. The director David Fincher again hits a home run! Wonderful acting. Loved every episode.
  4. TheZeroPercent
    Oct 26, 2017
    10
    This show had no scores when I started watching it. To say I was caught off guard is an understatement, this show sorta blew my mind.
    Great binger, right up there at the top of the list for Netflix exclusives.
  5. Qgal5kap
    Oct 26, 2017
    10
    This was great! Hardly ever do I give out 10's, but this is well deserved. Everything else is gonna suck from now on out. Let this be a lesson to all the creators out there. Way to go!
  6. contract
    Oct 21, 2017
    10
    This isn't a show about blood and gore, which is odd for a show about serial killers. It's a show about the earliest stages of profiling killers, and gives an early look into a shift between the belief that evil is caused by birth, and the belief that evil is caused by environment. It tackles one of the most important questions of our time - can the justice system do anything at all aboutThis isn't a show about blood and gore, which is odd for a show about serial killers. It's a show about the earliest stages of profiling killers, and gives an early look into a shift between the belief that evil is caused by birth, and the belief that evil is caused by environment. It tackles one of the most important questions of our time - can the justice system do anything at all about stopping and understanding senseless acts of murder? And it does all that while keeping the viewer entertained with a compelling and dramatic character arc.

    It's a very slow drama, and I think it's best that way. It's not supposed to be about fast paced music, or blood and guts all over, it's supposed to ask these questions that some people even today still refuse to ask.    … Expand
  7. asmanraj
    Jan 6, 2019
    10
    Along with Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, this is my favorite Netflix original series to date. This show is mesmerizing and underrated. I'm eagerly awaiting the second season.
  8. geistreiches
    Oct 14, 2017
    10
    I just started yesterday and this show is good, the interaction between the characters as well as the interviews with the prisoner.. especially the interviews with the prisoner is amazing.. its one of those shows where you just want to go on to see what will happen.. it's an interesting topic to find out what goes on in a mind of a serial killer and how he became what he is
  9. Sunburndmg
    Nov 22, 2017
    10
    The Asbergers show. The characters have this weird dialog thing where they speak with much emotions. I guess thats the thing about this show. I really like it but i think i have some asbergers so be mindful of that.
  10. Bojack_Horseman
    Nov 23, 2017
    10
    What I like about this show is that it doesn't show all the gory and inhumane details and leaves them for the viewers to imagine, and the well written dialogues and great cast doesn't hurt either.
  11. TheTalentBank
    Nov 29, 2017
    10
    This was one of the best new series I have seen in ages. The main characters are incredibly well drawn and the relationship between them really well thought out.

    Mindhunter is a brutal and grisly look into the mind of serial killers and is very dark but what strikes you the most is the level of detail and the meticulous research that must have gone into making it. It is gripping and    This was one of the best new series I have seen in ages. The main characters are incredibly well drawn and the relationship between them really well thought out.

    Mindhunter is a brutal and grisly look into the mind of serial killers and is very dark but what strikes you the most is the level of detail and the meticulous research that must have gone into making it.

    It is gripping and exciting with good dialogue and plotting. Can't wait for season 2.    … Expand
  12. Rtab
    Dec 11, 2017
    10
    While not historically correct in its time-line, the series get the late 1970's right. Lots of old cars, constant smoking everywhere imaginable, music etc. Some great portrayals of serial killers and good acting from the leads.
  13. GrantD243
    Aug 23, 2019
    10
    The best crime-based show I've watched since the first season of True Detective. David Fincher is one of the best of this generation.
  14. geewah
    Jan 9, 2021
    10
    Brilliant.
    One of 2017's best shows.
    Moody cimematography, captivating dialogue and an engrossing story combine to give Netflix their best show to date.
  15. NikolayG
    Oct 21, 2017
    9
    A great, very different kind of crime show. Fantastic actors. It takes place in 1977. The older actor, 50-something, is completely believable as an old school FBI agent. He (along with the younger woman) is the best actor in the show. The younger guy, his partner, is a kind of straight-laced Tom Hanks character. His girlfriend (the other best actor in the show) loosens him up and broadensA great, very different kind of crime show. Fantastic actors. It takes place in 1977. The older actor, 50-something, is completely believable as an old school FBI agent. He (along with the younger woman) is the best actor in the show. The younger guy, his partner, is a kind of straight-laced Tom Hanks character. His girlfriend (the other best actor in the show) loosens him up and broadens his view of his profession. She should be it in the show more. She gives the show a more organic feel. She gives the show its most human dimension, and the show needs more of that. The odd thing is that Anna Torv (formerly of the show, Fringe) is in it and was unrecognizable in her first scenes. She looked quite old, but then across just a couple of episodes her appearance dramatically changes and she looks pretty much as she did in Fringe. I think she lost about 20 pounds during filming but in the show it appears to happen in just a few days. It was very strange.

    The concept of the show is that these two FBI agents travel the country teaching local cops about the psychology of murderers, particularly of serial killers. While they're at it they also interview serial killers in prisons around the country to learn more about what drives them. Anna Torv, an academic, ends up joining them to help turn their informal study and interviews of criminals into something more formal and scientific. They also end up helping the local cops they teach to catch serial killers. It's interesting but it's a bit too coincidental to believe so many local cops would just happen to have serial killers running around their towns. Still, a great show.    … Expand
  16. MeritCoba
    Nov 9, 2020
    9
    I made up a rule of the thumb about series which says that given enough time, they develop into drama. Usually very fake drama too.

    Not so Mindhunter: Season 1. Yes, there is some of it, but it never takes center stage. The core story; that of the group of FBI agents who work for the Behavioral Science Unit who start to explore the minds of serial killers as to better understand them, is    I made up a rule of the thumb about series which says that given enough time, they develop into drama. Usually very fake drama too.

    Not so Mindhunter: Season 1. Yes, there is some of it, but it never takes center stage. The core story; that of the group of FBI agents who work for the Behavioral Science Unit who start to explore the minds of serial killers as to better understand them, is just fascinating. Not only because this is new territory - a new frontier - but those serial killers seem able to play with your mind while you try to understand their. It is akin to delving into forbidden knowledge that cannot leave you unscathed. Almost feels Lovecraftian. The core of the team is formed by the special agent Bill Tench, a seasoned officer and special agent Holden Ford, who is the young brilliant one.
    The two play off each other well, not always without arguments. Tench brings experience and common sense that allows Ford wild hunches to deliver results.

    The key fascination is however the interviews with the serial killers such as Ed Kemper. David Cameron plays him and he rightly has been nominated as best guest actor for the role. These interviews are the central moments for this series. The series does not dwell on these interviews alone. The knowledge is used in various cases, sometimes with success and sometimes without it.

    Possible the least used character is Wendy Carr. While Anna Torv is able to capture the camera, her role as Carr seems underdeveloped. She should have been the third in a trio, but she often feels more like a hindrance and shoved in. As if the writers felt inspired by Sherlock Holmes and then got told they had to work a woman into the story. Tacked on, so to speak.

    I liked this first season very much and would recommend it.    … Expand
  17. TI490M
    Nov 28, 2017
    9
    What a great show! first two eps were boring to watch but then it all changed, it is amazing how a tv show about Serial Killers barely shows some action/crimes and still is amazing, the dialogues are amazing the pictures are genius and ofc the acting is superb!
  18. McGillotine
    Oct 13, 2017
    9
    Without sounding like a complete sadist this show is fun. The acting is spot on , the direction is top and the replication of 70's America is stunning especially for a tv budget and as of this moment i am two episodes in and i am hooked. Fincher really work his magic here especially with his cast, Groff, whose most notable credit is Kristoff in Frozen, play a captivating lead, withWithout sounding like a complete sadist this show is fun. The acting is spot on , the direction is top and the replication of 70's America is stunning especially for a tv budget and as of this moment i am two episodes in and i am hooked. Fincher really work his magic here especially with his cast, Groff, whose most notable credit is Kristoff in Frozen, play a captivating lead, with McCallany playing his more seasoned partner in a side role that is just as memorable. In addition, Britton plays a likable yet terrifying and sadistic serial killer as Edmund Kemper in a role that parallel's Kevin Spacey's performance in Se7en.

    I can't go into too much detail as i will need to watch more but so far i'm finding the pacing, storytelling and acting terrific and cannot wait to see more.    … Expand
  19. BioTofu
    Dec 28, 2017
    9
    + David Fincher directed a few of them
    + Convincing and relatable characters
    + Smart subtle character development + Very good pacing No plot spoilers but I do mention some basic relationships between characters and specific scenes from the show FYI. My favorite show of 2017. great cinematography, fitting music, interesting character development, smooth pacing, engaging story (i    + David Fincher directed a few of them
    + Convincing and relatable characters
    + Smart subtle character development
    + Very good pacing

    No plot spoilers but I do mention some basic relationships between characters and specific scenes from the show FYI.

    My favorite show of 2017. great cinematography, fitting music, interesting character development, smooth pacing, engaging story (i was afraid that it would get bogged down too much half way like in Zodiac).

    To me, the best element of the shows its characters, Holden, Bill and Wendy. The secondary characters such as Holden’s gf Debbie, the FBI colleague Greg, FBI director Sherpard, and the “fascinating” cast of serial killers all add so much to the story and character development. Characters are very different from each other but were swiftly established with minimal boring lazy expositions. They are all memorable in different ways. It is so satisfying to watch how the 3 main characters change in their professional life and personal life throughout the season. I’d like to compare True Detective to this as both are about 2 detectives solving serial killer crime. I couldnt bear to continue watching True Detective after S01E01 because I found the 2 main detectives too unrelatable, and found their conflict in belief too frustrating to watch.

    Here, you get why characters do what they do, say what they say. External influence shapes them as the story progress, I can understand the characters. It is an interesting journey to learn about the backgrounds, motivation, ideas, goals, through carefully, consistently and convincingly constructed scenes. To shape the characters for the audience to learn about them, the directors make very good and subtle use of visuals, story telling and sound elements, such as:
    1. The composition of the shots: I love the one where Bill hugs his son outside his house on the lawn where he looked so small;
    2. The symbolism of locations: Bill feels small at home because he is frustrated that he knows more about murderers than his own son;
    3. Sounds: the director usually starts the prison visit with Holden and Bill parking their car and walking through security, the supposedly mundane day to day sounds of door opening, footsteps, keys hitting the counter, people yelling, become the ritualistic sound of Holden’s ascending (or descending?!) transformation.

    Talking about Holdens transformation, the higher he goes professionally, the lower he gets in his personal life as his work impacts his relationships with Debbie and Bill. BUT! He has to ethically go low in order to learn about the killers so he can climb up to be a better detective.

    The acting on this shows top grade. I enjoy the prison visitations so much. Those interviews, the conversations and interactions, were so finely crafted with amazing dialogues. I really enjoyed the portrayal of the killers on screen.

    The shows focus is not on crime solving like How To Get Away With Murder, but on the characters, the writers merely using the crime solving setting to shape the characters. We might not catch the criminal at the end of the episode, but we always learn more about the characters.

    Shows worth rewatching are always on my A list and Mindhunter certainly belongs to it.    … Expand
  20. JulianIncen
    May 5, 2019
    9
    The episodes directed by David Fincher, the colors used in the shots, the personalization they made on the serial killers, the contrast of personalities between Hold and Tench and an ending that made me get out of bed. For that and much more, it's worth marathoning with it.
  21. avr50
    Oct 19, 2017
    9
    Mindhunter is centered in the mind of serial killers. Some movies and
    TV shows have already done that, but not like this. Mindhunter is one
    of those shows that mess your mind in ways that you can't predict. Is one of those shows that grabs you from the beginning; when you realize, yo have already seen five consecutive episodes. You are fascinated by the characters of the show, and    Mindhunter is centered in the mind of serial killers. Some movies and
    TV shows have already done that, but not like this. Mindhunter is one
    of those shows that mess your mind in ways that you can't predict. Is
    one of those shows that grabs you from the beginning; when you realize,
    yo have already seen five consecutive episodes. You are fascinated by
    the characters of the show, and watching how this experiment (talking
    to serial killers) affect them. The show is very rude with it's
    audience, because they don't miss a single detail about the complicated
    and horrible situations that happens, and help us understand what is
    going on. Don't expect an action show, this is something to see in
    detail. One of the best television shows of the year, also one of the
    smartest.    … Expand
  22. sultan09
    Sep 8, 2018
    9
    Fascinating stuff, superb directing and written very thoughtfully, the origin of criminal profiling and the study of criminal psychology sketched out brilliantly, this show is not for everyone though, and in the end you do get the lesson - don't play with fire!
  23. ComandanteCobra
    Aug 27, 2019
    9
    Well made thriller.
    Adult theme, intellectual, good costumes and dialogues. It's interesting to know a little more about how criminal sociological theory about serial killers was born.
  24. TVBug
    Oct 15, 2017
    9
    I'm on episode three and find myself unable to stop watching. By coincidence, I just finished reading "Whoever Fights Monsters: My Twenty Years Tracking Serial Killers for the FBI" by
    Robert K. Ressler. True Crime has never really been my thing but Ressler's book, which covers much of the same ground as the series (based on "Mindhunter" by John E. Douglas), was interesting, if dark and    I'm on episode three and find myself unable to stop watching. By coincidence, I just finished reading "Whoever Fights Monsters: My Twenty Years Tracking Serial Killers for the FBI" by
    Robert K. Ressler. True Crime has never really been my thing but Ressler's book, which covers much of the same ground as the series (based on "Mindhunter" by John E. Douglas), was interesting, if dark and disturbing.

    Surprisingly, Mindhunter the TV series is often funny, while still remaining fascinating and staying mostly true to the actual events. The well drawn characters make this show a must watch.    … Expand
  25. eva3si0n
    Mar 15, 2018
    9
    One of the best series of 2017. Perhaps here I have seen the best dialogues of characters in series. I didn't see such deep, realistic and psychological series long ago. At once David Ffincher's work is visible. The series stylistics very much remind the Zodiac of 2007.
  26. JorgeLestre
    Nov 23, 2017
    9
    Mindhunter is compelling as it is dark and tense. A thriller led by the flawless David Fincher that tackles one of the most challenging themes in contemporary television.
  27. jaasieljunior
    Dec 3, 2017
    9
    Midhunter é tão incrivelmente instigante que você acaba questionando tudo ao redor da série. Cada minuto é milimetrado e necessário para a continuidade da série,embora o piloto seja extremamente cansativo.Midhunter acerta também nos atores envolvidos e embora um 9 seja uma ótima nota,as próximas temporadas poderão ser superiores a season1.
  28. panslabyrinth
    Oct 14, 2017
    9
    Fincher's Mindhunter is a deeply unsettling and gripping thriller. David Fincher knows what he's doing and will continue to astound audiences for years to come.
  29. JLuis_001
    Oct 28, 2017
    9
    One of the best hits by Netflix in terms of series, addictive, intelligent, entertaining, attractive, dark, funny, very well written, very well acted and very well directed.

    Without a doubt one of the best series of 2017.
  30. ssjonoyoung
    Oct 22, 2017
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I finished Mindhunter now just over a week since it came out. And honestly I do still think it was a good show, I think it was meticulous in it’s attention to detail and a wonderfully plotted storyline that has a faltering quality. The last episode.

    The series follows Holden Ford and Bill Tench two behavioural scientists who are investigating serial killers in a time before serial killers were called as such. They go and interview the murderers to gain insight into the way their mind works and use it to solve crimes. It’s a good premise that is based on reality, the book the series is based on is the memoir of the real life ‘Holden Ford’ though that isn’t his real name. Supported by Doctor Wendy Carr they begin to make real progress.

    I’ll admit I was drawn to the show because I heard Jonathan Groff was in it. I like him as an actor and for the most part I thought he did a splendid job. While my qualms with series stem from how Holden’s character transformed him from this slightly bumbling but intelligent man to an arrogant, egotistical prick Groff did a good job in showing the arc so I must applaud him for it. Even if I don’t agree and think it was dumb as ****

    Holt McCallany’s Bill Tench is the mentor figure that we all kind of want. Blunt but deep down he’s a nice guy. He wants to do right even if it means butting heads with Holden. Holden has all the new ideas he’s very fresh but Bill’s been around a while and acts as an excellent foil to Holden. The way the two bounce off each other is brilliant and I think their relationship is one of the highlights of the series.

    Another highlight is Anna Torv. I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen her in anything before but now I want to. Wendy is incredible. She’s a badass intelligent woman who takes a lead after being asked by Bill to have a look. Though reluctant she joins the study to further research the killers because she sees potential. Yet she becomes so much more than that. She becomes the voice of reason and intelligence in the office with her external perspective playing a large part in helping the study become something more. Professional and remarkable and to top it off she’s a lesbian a secret I hope is explored further in season 2.

    I liked every episode of Mindhunter apart from the last one. Each instalment has purpose and tells a story and reveals so much about the way the mind works. It is it’s meticulous attention to detail that make it great. But the last episode just felt like a waste of time. I think it needed something else other than complete character assassination of Holden. The ending though was a cliffhanger and I’m eager for season 2.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

46
#46 Best TV Season of 2017
16
#16 Most Discussed TV Season of 2017
14
#14 Most Shared TV Season of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Troy Patterson
    Dec 15, 2017
    80
    “All the world is not, of course, a stage, but the crucial ways in which it isn’t are not easy to specify.” The writers (led by Penhall) and the directors (who include David Fincher) of “Mindhunter” play with this and related ideas about masks, frames, screens, and true selves in a distinct tone. As the show flows from mode to mode--slow-burn horror, arch workplace comedy, buddy-cop road movie--it returns its attention to performers, and to the daily problem of giving an audience what it wants.
    Read full review
  2. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Chuck Bowen
    Oct 23, 2017
    88
    Mindhunter is addictive and resonant for its mining of two evocative forms of social contrast. The terrific cast informs Fincher and creator Joe Penhall's sociological schematic with a human element that's unusual for a crime procedural, and the series has a piercing sense of how macro influences micro culture.
    Read full review
  3. Slate
    Reviewed by: Willa Paskin
    Oct 20, 2017
    80
    It’s a head trip, a cerebral consideration of all the terrifying things that can go wrong inside the minds of murderers and men. ... Mindhunter locates its drama in interrogations. The show is, in essence, a string of short plays, two- and three-handers featuring Ford, Tench, and a vile murderer in a room.
    Read full review
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