--- title: "MINDHUNTER: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/mindhunter/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/mindhunter" critics_score: 78 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # MINDHUNTER (2017): what the critics said Critics' score 78 from 10 reviews: 9 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics like Mindhunter, and for much the same reasons. The praise gathers around David Fincher’s cold, precise direction and the decision to keep the violence off screen, so that the series works through talk rather than gore. The interview scenes with imprisoned killers are singled out repeatedly, as is the rapport between Jonathan Groff and McCallany, whose odd-couple pairing several reviews name as the show’s engine. Comparisons run to Zodiac and, from one quarter, to Mad Men, for its patience with institutional change. The reservations are about pace and the opening. Den of Geek finds the pilot rough and wooden before the interviews take hold, and The Ringer, the one mixed voice, worries about exposition-heavy dialogue, thin female characters and an early plot that does not yet know what it is. Several reviews cover only the first two episodes, so their praise comes with a wait-and-see. The spread is narrow, from lukewarm to two full marks. ## The Telegraph — Ed Power Rating 5/5. 15 October 2017. The review praises the series for de-glamorizing real serial killers through restrained, elegant storytelling and strong performances, especially the odd-couple dynamic between the leads. It highlights Fincher's spare direction as a fresh take on the genre. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/on-demand/0/mindhunter-season-1-review-much-average-serial-killer-drama/) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 17 October 2017. The critic calls it a smart, restrained crime drama that arrives at the right cultural moment, praising its focus on psychology, masculinity, and misogyny over graphic violence, along with strong performances from Groff and McCallany. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2017/10/mindhunter-review.html) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 13 October 2017. The critic sees the series as a slow-burn character study of the men behind the FBI's criminal profiling unit, likening it to Mad Men rather than a conventional thriller. It rewards patience with its focus on discussion and institutional change over graphic violence. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/oct/13/mindhunter-review-like-mad-men-with-added-serial-killers) ## Radio Times — Ben Allen Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 October 2017. The series is extraordinarily dark and harrowing in its exploration of what drives heinous criminals, but it blossoms into a captivating and visually striking drama. The leads' rapport and the show's resemblance to Zodiac are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/mindhunter-david-fincher-review/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Keith Uhlich Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2017. Festival review. The first two episodes offer a compelling, suspenseful beginning that showcases Fincher's precise direction and the cast's strong performances in exploring the psychology of known murderers. It is engrossing from the start with hope for sustained quality. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/netflixs-mindhunter-nyff-review-1048024/) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 15 November 2017. The first two episodes are commended for their immaculate Fincher-style direction, terse smart dialogue, and promise in exploring the origins of profiling through intense killer interviews. It feels like a chilled True Detective with strong potential. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/netflix-mindhunter-season-1-episode-1-2-review-david-fincher-jonathan-groff-holden-ed-kemper-serial-killer-a7995111.html) ## Variety — Sonia Saraiya Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 12 October 2017. The show takes time to reveal its core question about understanding criminal minds but succeeds in its unsettling, Fincher-influenced approach and subtle commentary on fascination with killers. The performances and focus on interrogation scenes stand out positively. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2017/tv/reviews/mindhunter-netflix-tv-review-jonathan-groff-david-fincher-1202586419/) ## Collider — Allison Keene Rating ★★★★★. 17 October 2017. The critic finds the series engrossing after a hesitant start, praising its blend of procedural cases and larger character arcs focused on the FBI's behavioral study unit. They single out the restrained use of graphic violence and strong performances, especially Jonathan Groff as Holden Ford, for making the show one of the year's best. [Read the review](https://collider.com/mindhunter-review-netflix/) ## Den of Geek — Nick Harley Rating 4/5. 17 October 2017. The review finds the pilot episode rough and wooden but praises the later interview scenes with killers like Ed Kemper and Fincher's cold, dread-filled style; overall it becomes compelling as a procedural on the origins of criminal profiling. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/mindhunter-season-1-review-spoiler-free/) ## The Ringer — Alison Herman Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 13 October 2017. Mindhunter aims to reinvent the serial-killer procedural with David Fincher’s auteur direction, nonfiction source material, and a serialized structure that slows the typical case-of-the-week pace. The review praises the show’s pedigree and factual basis but notes obstacles like exposition-heavy dialogue, thin female characters, and an uncertain central narrative in its early episodes. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2017/10/13/tv/mindhunter-netflix-review-serial-killer-show) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/mindhunter.md