Mindhunter Series Review (Season 1)

Released: October 17th 2017

Created by: Joe Penhall

Number of Episodes: 10

Where to watch: Netflix (UK and United States)

Starring: Jonathon Groff, Holt McCallany, Hannah Gross, Anna Torv and Cotter Smith

While the crime genre has long commanded a significant level of interest, the efforts placed into the small screen have often relied on thriller and action elements to make their impact, namely Keifer Sutherland’s long-running 24 series. Bringing together a fine list of producers alongside committed acting talent, Mindhunter is an excellent effort to create a more rooted take on the criminal investigation sub-genre.

Taking place in the 1970s, Mindhunter (based on the book of the same name by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker) chronicles the FBI’s efforts to understand the thinking and motives of brutal murderers. Led by the young Agent Holden Ford (Jonathon Groff) and his partner Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) a group is established to specialise in the interviewing and research of psychologically unstable convicts. The series is framed both in and out of the character’s working lives, gradually revealing more about each of them while progressing their arcs; Holden meets and falls for hippie masters student Debbie (Hannah Gross), Bill has some family drama behind the scenes and later on the team expands to include other members. From the offset, you’re intrigued by Holden’s motives, sharing his frustration at the lack of knowledge possessed by the Bureau and this translates brilliantly to the plot of each episode. Despite the close encounters between agent and serial killers, much of the brutal crimes examined are sanitised within photographs and descriptions and this works to create a distance between the two entities. Holden and his team may study the nature of psychopaths, but they are often shielded from the more sadistic points of the violence; this in turn, generates a dramatic tension between the characters, as the stress levels begin to mount and accountability from other sections of the FBI begins to point in their direction. Around two thirds into the series, an unnamed character is given small segments in the runtime, and this is the only part of the narrative that feels out of place; we learn very little about this person and outside of tying into the series theme of psychological analysis, he doesn’t factor into the progression of the main cast, making it feel unnecessary.

With its strong focus on realism, the cast all do an excellent job at delivering varied personalities and individual flaws. Holden feels especially engaging, even relatable to some with his fierce dedication to his work juxtaposed against his rarer social outings. On the other hand, Bill is more grizzled and seasoned, his experiences playing off his partner very well. Later on, insights by psychology professor Wendy Carr (Anna Torv) provide another strong dynamic, with the series taking the time to dedicate plenty of screen-time to her in one episode. This is one of Mindhunter’s greatest strengths. There’s a superb chemistry between every member of the cast combined with a clear focus on their working days. With a few exceptions, the characters are shown to live their lives by routine; Holden and Bill hop on planes, turn in their equipment to prison guards, stage prolonged interrogations of violent killers then head back to the office before doing it all over again. It’s a style of occupation that’s well suited to the ten episodes, which look at different incidents in pursuit of an overarching goal; understanding why some are driven to kill and mutilate. This in turn, allows for a consistent switching of settings from California to Kansas City, which is where the series’ surprisingly deep production values.

The showrunners have worked in a few aesthetic features to set Mindhunter apart; the colour palette is heavily saturated, grounding the series in the seventies effortlessly and the constantly changing locations mentioned earlier mean that things never grow stale. The camerawork is precise and fluid, always keeping the characters in focus and often status also plays a role, be it the closing of doors or contrasting costume work that represents the more frictional moments that build throughout the investigation efforts. Often Holden looks out of place, his suit sticking out amongst all the zany fashion trends of the time and at other points the camera will face sideways on, pitting some characters and their opposing views against each other. A liberal use of close-up shots ensures that all the mixed and wild emotions spinning around the minds of psychopaths are placed front and centre, ensuring that the intrigue always reaches its peak. The soundtrack features a range of classy period-piece tracks that are often played over the end credits of each episode and these work equally well.

While it differs from the straightforward action and thriller elements of other Netflix franchises, Mindhunter is, above all else, incredibly smart with its plot and characterisation, creating a well-realised adult themed series with enough realism and detail to get you thinking.  

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars (Brilliant)