Created by Joe Penhall, who recently had his play The Constituent at The Old Vic in London, Mindhunter is a deep dive into serial killer territory. It charts the journey of Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) as they interview convicted criminals in prison. Directed in part by David Fincher, this Netflix series puts down solid foundations in Season One, setting up relationships and unpacked crucial plot points. Those first ten episodes are slow and methodical, dwelling on atmospherics, and exposing horrific details as documented by these behavioral science experts. Holden is withdrawn, introverted, and detail orientated. Tench is the veteran in this partnership who has been around the FBI for a little too long. Their dynamic is volatile, unpredictable, and tenuous in the short term, directly affected by the things they see and interviews that take place.
The third part of this equation is Doctor Wendy Carr (Anna Torv), who adds an impartial angle to this working relationship. Mindhunter spends a lot of time with characters talking, dissecting, and exploring uncomfortable information. Set in the late 70s, culturally everything was in flux. Innovative approaches to music, film, and television all fed into this melting pot of exploration. Criminal investigations were experiencing a similar overhaul, including the introduction of profiling to decide what types of people might potentially become killers. Although initially scoffed at, these revelations would become the basis for serial killer investigations going forward. From Ed Kemper (Cameron Britton) to Richard Speck (Jack Erdie) and beyond, no stone was left unturned in trying to establish a method that would work in finding these people.
Mindhunter Season One could never be called an easy watch. Injury detail, forensic photos, and vicarious camerawork all contribute to a sense of unease. Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, and Anna Torv prove invaluable in grounding this series. Sharing the repulsion of dealing with these criminals every day and trying not to take it home. David Fincher is also present in that detail, pulling back the curtain on an uncomfortable truth about human nature, which reveals some of us to be savages. Meticulous, calculating, and indifferent to consequences – these people exist in our everyday life.
At 75 years old, Edmund Kemper, the co-ed killer has been denied parole yet again in 2024. In this opening season Cameron Britton brings him to life with devastating accuracy, creating a truly compelling on-screen presence who seems extremely sane. Eloquent, engaging, and willing to discuss his unusual habits for the sake of clinical analysis, Kemper is the key to season one of Mindhunter. Painting a picture of normality from within the confines of his prison cell yet destined to remain behind bars until death comes calling. However, maybe that’s the point Penhall, Fincher, and his ensemble are trying to make – killing someone comes down to conscience and consequences. If you lack an understanding of either anything is possible.
Mindhunter Season One is now streaming on Netflix.