Netflix original series “Mindhunters” adds a thrilling twist to the basic crime show

By Elora Brow

Online Opinion Editor

Netflix original series “Mindhunters” adds a thrilling twist to the basic crime show.

Netflix original criminal series “Mindhunters” entertains audiences through captivating crime stories and above-average thinking. Although it may appear to just be another FBI crime show, producers  Ceán Chaffin, Joshua Donen, David Fincher, Charlize Theron,  provide a new perspective with more academic thinking than action compared to other current crime shows.

“Mindhunters” is set in the 1970’s and follows FBI agent, Holden Ford (Jonathon Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany), around the country as they interview various killers, trying to figure out why they committed their crimes. It is based off of a true novel,  “Mind Hunter: Inside The FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit”; by Mark Olshaker and John E. Douglas.

The first episode starts off at a hostage crime scene where the captor is holding five people hostage and eventually shoots himself in the head. Holden Ford is a criminal profiler and is at the scene trying to negotiate with the criminal, but ultimately fails in the end, forcing him to search further into understanding criminal’s minds.

A twist on the usual crime shows, “Mindhunters” focuses on the fascinating psychological part of crime instead of the gore and bloody murders. The only real blood and gore shown is typically through photographs which makes it less abrasive to viewers who cannot handle the violence.

Since Ford and Tench track down and investigate serial killers who have committed irrational murders that don’t seem to have an appropriate motive, the viewer is constantly wondering what will occur next. This lack of predictability ensures that the viewer is never bored and able to predict the next outcome.

Having the show set in the 1970s helped add unexpected twists to the show as characters often make racist and homophobic remarks that wouldn’t be tolerated today, but don’t spark any concern to the other characters at the time. The dialogue helps add to the believability of the time period and ultimately keeps the audience in the moment.

Although there are not many action-packed, violent scenes, there is a constant eeriness that lingers in the air for the whole show. Throughout the show it is made clear that the world is in a very dark place during this time and it is definitely felt off the screen too. This eeriness helps keep the viewer engaged because it seems as if something dramatic can happen at any moment.

“Mindhunters” is not the typical crime series but that is what makes it so unique. It allows the viewers to watch something that involves thinking and learning about how the mind works. It opens up a new perspective in the crime-solving world and helps the viewer step into the shoes of real life FBI agents and their true stories.

“Mindhunters” premiered on Netflix on Friday, October 13th and is appropriate for age 16 and up.