David Fincher’s ‘Mindhunter’ Feeds Our Obsession With Serial Killers

Hitting Netflix with high praise (8.9 from IMDb, 96% from Rotten Tomatoes, and 9.2 from TV.com), Mindhunter is the next drama from Netflix to look out for.

The show focuses on two FBI agents who are comically different. Holden (Jonathan Groff) is an ordinary FBI agent who becomes interested in the study of serial killer minds after developing an interest in sociology grad student Debbie (Hannah Gross). After going back to school to understand the criminal mind some more, Bill (Holt McCallany) and Holden set out to teach techniques to cops and detectives across the country. During their travels they help solve local murder cases and end up wanting to understand the deviant mind even more. The two begin interviewing serial killers and getting under their skin and into their minds.

The premise of the show might not seem interesting at first. But the interviews are what really draw viewers in. The interviews are based on real life, with some pretty gruesome and unpleasant details. If you can stomach the idea of someone explaining what awful things they did to their mother’s severed head, then Mindhunter is the show for you.

Not only does the show delve into the actual minds of serial killers, but the first couple of minutes of every episode depicts a murderer in the making, giving even more of a glimpse into how the deviant mind develops.

The show is a drama and thriller all in one. You get an idea of the men conducting the interviews, what drove them to this job, and what this kind of work does to someone. You get to understand how someone can stray so far from what is considered normal in society, and what triggers one to snap or is it something that builds up over time.

Mindhunter is a show that dives deep into your own mind and will probably make you question if someone you know might be a little deviant.