With Halloween quickly approaching, now is the perfect time to start Netflix’s creepiest shows. One of my favorite Netflix series of ALL time, which recently came out with a second season, is Mindhunter.
If you’ve never heard of Mindhunter before, it follows the creation of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, which used criminal psychology and profiling to understand how and why criminals do what they do. While these fields of research are used to understand criminals of all kinds, this series focuses on serial killers. It highlights the FBI agents and psychologists who interviewed imprisoned serial killers in an attempt to understand how they think, and apply this knowledge to ongoing cases.
While this show doesn’t show much in terms of gore and shocking details (aside from the first scene in the pilot), it contains haunting conversations with serial killers that will truly chill you to the bone. The actors who portray the killers are spot on both in terms of demeanor and appearance, with most bearing a striking resemblance to the real killers themselves. The acting is truly nothing short of phenomenal. Additionally, the cinematography is beautifully done, giving even the simplest shots a powerful impact.
While this show mainly focuses on criminal psychology, its setting in the late ’70s and early ’80s highlights a lot of social issues seen in this period of time, mainly in the second season. It shows the extreme judgement cast upon LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as heavy prejudice againt black Americans, particularly in the South. It also doesn’t shy away from the flaws of our criminal justice system, and it really opens up a larger narrative beyond the horror of many classic serial killer stories.
While the second season of most popular shows can tend to be a bit disappointing, this is one of few shows where the second season was just as good, if not better than the first. I seriously could not give it high enough reviews! So, if you’re a true crime junkie like myself, you NEED to binge-watch Mindhunter this fall!