The first critics’ reactions to Netflix and David Fincher’s new show Mindhunter are in, and they’re initially mixed.

The show, which is set to air on October 13 on the streaming service, centres around criminal investigator Agent Ford (Jonathan Groff) and his colleague (Holt McCallany) as they interrogate serial killers, before relaying their findings to police. It’s based on a 1997 novel of the same name by John Douglas, which was itself the inspiration for Agent Crawford in the horror classic The Silence Of The Lambs.

With an embargo on initial reactions now lifted, a number of critics have shared their thoughts on the series.


Chris Longridge at Digital Spy has called the David Fincher drama “jarring”, citing some clunky dialogue as holding back the otherwise positive, “unmistakably Fincher-esque production”.

Meanwhile, Rory Cashin at JOE also praised Fincher’s unmistakable style, stating that the series “puts the viewers right on the psychological frontlines with the agents, and anyone who is a fan of Fincher’s work will know that he doesn’t hold back or mollycoddle. You’ll be entertained, for sure. But you’ll also be creeped out, completely rattled, and left with nothing else to talk or think about once you’ve seen it.”

Guy Lambert at The Upcoming was also highly positive about both Mindhunter and Netflix dramas in general, writing: “With music that will make the audience’s feet tap and moments to make them grip their chairs, this promises to be a very original and unpredictable series, with sudden turns as displayed in a racy and gory opening sequence. The question is, will Mindhunter maintain its momentum through to the end? Well, since it is Netflix, probably yes.”

Mindhunter is set for release via Netflix this Friday October 13.