Mindhunter vs True Detective ‒ Is Netflix better than HBO?
Mindhunter is one of the best series Netflix has ever shot, and you must see it right now. But how would it fare against the king of suspense, that is HBO's True detective?
But why Mindhunter vs True detective? Because these are the most interesting crime thriller series to be released in the last few years. They have great scenes, brilliant casts, outstanding scripts, and beautiful camera work. There is even a Mindhunter vs True detective Reddit you should check out.
This is the Mindhunter vs True Detective showdown, and believe me, it will be worth it.
If you’re into binge watching and somehow you missed out on Mindhunter, do take your time and give it a go. It will surprise you more than almost all the Netflix series so far.
Source: netflix.com
This crime thriller series created by Joe Penhall is also produced by him and, amongst others, David Fincher and Charlize Theron. Yes, that is the same David Fincher that directed Fight Club. Few things in this world are more iconic in a director’s resume than Fight Club, and fewer still more likely to ensure that this series becomes a flagship for Netflix. Fincher envisioned 5 seasons for Mindhunter. As of now two of them are already out, with an unconfirmed third due to be shot in early 2020.
Netflix has built up quite a reputation when it comes to crime thriller series that reshape traditional takes on the genre. But although these series have achieved good numbers and a decent following, the truth is that after Narcos, Netflix has found this particular segment hard to top.
And there are two reasons for that. First, it’s hard to launch another wonderful series so close after the end of one of your biggest hits. Secondly, the TV crime thriller segment was taken hostage by HBO’s True Detective.
Source: netflix.com
Mindhunter is set around FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany)
They are joined by psychologist Wendy Carr (Anna Torv) to set up the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit within the Training Division at the FBI Academy in Virginia.
They are an unlikely match, with Ford being "the maverick genius" and Tench his "organized overseer".The show walks you through the difficulties they face while setting up their unit and trying to interview imprisoned serial killers to understand how they think. All in the hope of applying this knowledge to solve ongoing cases.
Source: netflix.com
Mindhunter’s two seasons so far have revolved around murders and serial killers.
And not just any serial killers, but the most infamous in American recent history. With Mindhunter set between 1977 and 1981, you get to see Charlie Manson, the BTK Killer or Ed Kemper. But that is not what makes the entire plot so interesting. What gives these series an edge, is the way the writers managed to incorporate the real-life event that is the creation of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit, with the interviews and concurrent murders. To channel that into one show and throw in some background drama that helps in character creation is a pretty hard task. Yet the plot manages to transform Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit written by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker, into a solid basis to build on.
In keeping the action evenly paced with the gloomy cinematography and good interpretation, Mindhunter succeeds where others have failed. To make a movie that is both engaging and full of drama without relying on over-constructed and very graphic murder scenes.
The real catch of the plot is that this is not a movie about serial killers, but about how it felt to be among the first to interview and document their murders in search of behavioral patterns. And no other series to this date does a better job at better describe this investigative pioneering spirit.
Source: hbo.com
True Detective has a completely different direction. In the Mindhunter vs True Detective arena, this show from HBO starts as the favorite. But will it manage to keep its title against the well-directed Netflix crime thriller? Every season is independent and set in a different location and timeline. But all three seasons so far were the brainchild of the same man. Nic Pizzolatto.
A man that had only written short stories, but who deserves most of the credit for this flagship HBO show. Pizzolatto’s stories are very good and masterfully scripted. He uses two main characters, their stories, and goes for a full complete closure at the end of every season. That means there is more time for backstories to build around the characters, and this is a show that uses plenty of timelines. Having better fiction, and complementing it with graphic images of murder victims comes as an added plus that ties it all up.
But there are limitations to these kinds of rigorous plot mechanics. The series rallies behind the cast. Plot gimmicks that worked in one season don’t work so well in others. Pizzolatto seems to get tangled up between bringing new enticing ideas and keeping the original recipe. In the end, all he does manage to do in season 3, is to work with even more timelines and leave the drama in the hands of excellently played characters. Although he tries to substitute overextended scenes with cinematography.
Source: hbo.com
Mindhunter has the best attention to detail that you can find in any Netflix series. We are talking brilliant visual elements right down to grocery bag logos from the era. The way the series is shot bears the unmistakable mark of David Fincher. And you can see his influence even in the episodes that he was not actually on set for. If you’ve seen just 10 frames from Fight Club you’ll know what I am talking about. The gloomy lighting is pretty much the same as the one you can find in the movie that made Edward Norton a star, but shots now have a living documentary feel to them.
The camera seems to always be fixed and centered and only strays off during agent Ford's panic attack, at the end of season 1.
Source: netflix.com
The lighting is even throughout, the colors never seem out of place, and the attention to detail is magnificent. The winning argument here can be found in the disparity between neat details and mental burden, a cinematography trick that is reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock's drama setting techniques. This kind of approach holds together the numerous story-lines in one spectacular imagery flow.
That is not to say True Detective doesn’t have good cinematography. The first season was even filmed on 35mm film, to better capture the realistic feel and great acting skills of its impressive cast.
The HBO series does a spectacular job, but you must take into consideration that it has more creative liberties as it follows a more fictional script. The images are sometimes almost as concealing, and long shots of Woody Harelson, Matthew McConaughey, Colin Farell, or Mahershala Ali are almost always perfectly filmed with relevant close-ups and greatly staged action scenes. The cuts between timelines are better in True Detective.
Source: hbo.com
But are all that Hollywood silver screen performances enough to seal the deal in the Mindhunter vs True detective match up? Yes...and no. The stifling atmosphere around the deep and meaningful conversations is just too much at times. It always feels like there is just too much setting and camera underlining in every important dialogue that the characters have.
True detective fails to better capitalize on its potential and star power by including many scenes that are unnecessarily long and dramatic. Sometimes you just feel that shaving away, at least 1 second of a 3-second shot in which the main character looks at a car, would better serve the purpose.
Finding out what goes on in the minds of serial killers. Agents Ford and Tech interview their infamous murderers by putting them in a position of power and letting them become comfortable with the interaction, thus exploring their behavioral traits. There is plenty of chemistry between the characters and the way they are built is an integral part of the series success.
But Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany or Hannah Gross don’t have the Hollywood prestige that the big names in True Detective unleash on the viewer. And believe it or not, that is a good thing because this series's casting could not have been better. A clear case of, the right team being more suited than the best team.
Source: netflix.com
True detective is trapped in a dynamic that focuses on seasoned, popular actors. And we can all agree some of them put on marvelous performances. But having big names with a lot of screen time makes the series wander off somehow. The dialogue doesn’t seem to help with that either.
Unlike Mindhunter, dialogues are less direct, and you do experience quite a few conversations that feel more like monologues. That is little to help with keeping the focus on important moments. Dragged out conversations and a lot of back and forth between timelines ends up being repetitious enough to become confusing and throw the viewer off track.
Somehow the series never seemed to find its pace and focus after an amazing first season performance by Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harelson, as Rustin "Rust" Cohle and Martin "Marty" Hart.
Source: hbo.com
From a straightly fictional perspective, True Detective seems to be the winner in the crime thriller series category. But the Mindhunter vs True Detective debate is much more nuanced. Writing a successful series based on real-life events is very hard to put together. Mindhunter has to deal with the difficulty of turning a story about murderers everybody knows about into audiences. And that is abysmally hard, if you take into consideration that almost all there is to know about these guys has already been written. Making a more enjoyable story without all those creative liberties and less star power is what excellent series are all about.
Mindhunter or True Detective, you as an iconic man need to recognize this level of achievement and integrate it into your life. Remember that no amount of professionalism, resources, or creative liberties will ever be a guarantee that your path is the right one. Stay on the lookout for what other people are doing and learn from them.
But why Mindhunter vs True detective? Because these are the most interesting crime thriller series to be released in the last few years. They have great scenes, brilliant casts, outstanding scripts, and beautiful camera work. There is even a Mindhunter vs True detective Reddit you should check out.
This is the Mindhunter vs True Detective showdown, and believe me, it will be worth it.
If you’re into binge watching and somehow you missed out on Mindhunter, do take your time and give it a go. It will surprise you more than almost all the Netflix series so far.
Source: netflix.com
This crime thriller series created by Joe Penhall is also produced by him and, amongst others, David Fincher and Charlize Theron. Yes, that is the same David Fincher that directed Fight Club. Few things in this world are more iconic in a director’s resume than Fight Club, and fewer still more likely to ensure that this series becomes a flagship for Netflix. Fincher envisioned 5 seasons for Mindhunter. As of now two of them are already out, with an unconfirmed third due to be shot in early 2020.
Netflix has built up quite a reputation when it comes to crime thriller series that reshape traditional takes on the genre. But although these series have achieved good numbers and a decent following, the truth is that after Narcos, Netflix has found this particular segment hard to top.
And there are two reasons for that. First, it’s hard to launch another wonderful series so close after the end of one of your biggest hits. Secondly, the TV crime thriller segment was taken hostage by HBO’s True Detective.
Source: netflix.com
Why do we think Mindhunter is even better than True Detective?
Mindhunter is set around FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany)They are joined by psychologist Wendy Carr (Anna Torv) to set up the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit within the Training Division at the FBI Academy in Virginia.
They are an unlikely match, with Ford being "the maverick genius" and Tench his "organized overseer".The show walks you through the difficulties they face while setting up their unit and trying to interview imprisoned serial killers to understand how they think. All in the hope of applying this knowledge to solve ongoing cases.
Source: netflix.com
The plot
Mindhunter’s two seasons so far have revolved around murders and serial killers.And not just any serial killers, but the most infamous in American recent history. With Mindhunter set between 1977 and 1981, you get to see Charlie Manson, the BTK Killer or Ed Kemper. But that is not what makes the entire plot so interesting. What gives these series an edge, is the way the writers managed to incorporate the real-life event that is the creation of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit, with the interviews and concurrent murders. To channel that into one show and throw in some background drama that helps in character creation is a pretty hard task. Yet the plot manages to transform Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit written by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker, into a solid basis to build on.
In keeping the action evenly paced with the gloomy cinematography and good interpretation, Mindhunter succeeds where others have failed. To make a movie that is both engaging and full of drama without relying on over-constructed and very graphic murder scenes.
The real catch of the plot is that this is not a movie about serial killers, but about how it felt to be among the first to interview and document their murders in search of behavioral patterns. And no other series to this date does a better job at better describe this investigative pioneering spirit.
Source: hbo.com
True Detective has a completely different direction. In the Mindhunter vs True Detective arena, this show from HBO starts as the favorite. But will it manage to keep its title against the well-directed Netflix crime thriller? Every season is independent and set in a different location and timeline. But all three seasons so far were the brainchild of the same man. Nic Pizzolatto.
A man that had only written short stories, but who deserves most of the credit for this flagship HBO show. Pizzolatto’s stories are very good and masterfully scripted. He uses two main characters, their stories, and goes for a full complete closure at the end of every season. That means there is more time for backstories to build around the characters, and this is a show that uses plenty of timelines. Having better fiction, and complementing it with graphic images of murder victims comes as an added plus that ties it all up.
But there are limitations to these kinds of rigorous plot mechanics. The series rallies behind the cast. Plot gimmicks that worked in one season don’t work so well in others. Pizzolatto seems to get tangled up between bringing new enticing ideas and keeping the original recipe. In the end, all he does manage to do in season 3, is to work with even more timelines and leave the drama in the hands of excellently played characters. Although he tries to substitute overextended scenes with cinematography.
Source: hbo.com
The cinematography
Mindhunter has the best attention to detail that you can find in any Netflix series. We are talking brilliant visual elements right down to grocery bag logos from the era. The way the series is shot bears the unmistakable mark of David Fincher. And you can see his influence even in the episodes that he was not actually on set for. If you’ve seen just 10 frames from Fight Club you’ll know what I am talking about. The gloomy lighting is pretty much the same as the one you can find in the movie that made Edward Norton a star, but shots now have a living documentary feel to them.The camera seems to always be fixed and centered and only strays off during agent Ford's panic attack, at the end of season 1.
Source: netflix.com
The lighting is even throughout, the colors never seem out of place, and the attention to detail is magnificent. The winning argument here can be found in the disparity between neat details and mental burden, a cinematography trick that is reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock's drama setting techniques. This kind of approach holds together the numerous story-lines in one spectacular imagery flow.
That is not to say True Detective doesn’t have good cinematography. The first season was even filmed on 35mm film, to better capture the realistic feel and great acting skills of its impressive cast.
The HBO series does a spectacular job, but you must take into consideration that it has more creative liberties as it follows a more fictional script. The images are sometimes almost as concealing, and long shots of Woody Harelson, Matthew McConaughey, Colin Farell, or Mahershala Ali are almost always perfectly filmed with relevant close-ups and greatly staged action scenes. The cuts between timelines are better in True Detective.
Source: hbo.com
But are all that Hollywood silver screen performances enough to seal the deal in the Mindhunter vs True detective match up? Yes...and no. The stifling atmosphere around the deep and meaningful conversations is just too much at times. It always feels like there is just too much setting and camera underlining in every important dialogue that the characters have.
True detective fails to better capitalize on its potential and star power by including many scenes that are unnecessarily long and dramatic. Sometimes you just feel that shaving away, at least 1 second of a 3-second shot in which the main character looks at a car, would better serve the purpose.
The focus
Except for a few moments in season 1, Mindhunter never loses focus. Although multiple stories unfold at the same time, and you might be afraid that some of them will be left unaddressed, the show does a good job of keeping focus throughout. It simply focuses on the one thing it was made for.Finding out what goes on in the minds of serial killers. Agents Ford and Tech interview their infamous murderers by putting them in a position of power and letting them become comfortable with the interaction, thus exploring their behavioral traits. There is plenty of chemistry between the characters and the way they are built is an integral part of the series success.
But Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany or Hannah Gross don’t have the Hollywood prestige that the big names in True Detective unleash on the viewer. And believe it or not, that is a good thing because this series's casting could not have been better. A clear case of, the right team being more suited than the best team.
Source: netflix.com
True detective is trapped in a dynamic that focuses on seasoned, popular actors. And we can all agree some of them put on marvelous performances. But having big names with a lot of screen time makes the series wander off somehow. The dialogue doesn’t seem to help with that either.
Unlike Mindhunter, dialogues are less direct, and you do experience quite a few conversations that feel more like monologues. That is little to help with keeping the focus on important moments. Dragged out conversations and a lot of back and forth between timelines ends up being repetitious enough to become confusing and throw the viewer off track.
Somehow the series never seemed to find its pace and focus after an amazing first season performance by Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harelson, as Rustin "Rust" Cohle and Martin "Marty" Hart.
Source: hbo.com
From a straightly fictional perspective, True Detective seems to be the winner in the crime thriller series category. But the Mindhunter vs True Detective debate is much more nuanced. Writing a successful series based on real-life events is very hard to put together. Mindhunter has to deal with the difficulty of turning a story about murderers everybody knows about into audiences. And that is abysmally hard, if you take into consideration that almost all there is to know about these guys has already been written. Making a more enjoyable story without all those creative liberties and less star power is what excellent series are all about.
Mindhunter or True Detective, you as an iconic man need to recognize this level of achievement and integrate it into your life. Remember that no amount of professionalism, resources, or creative liberties will ever be a guarantee that your path is the right one. Stay on the lookout for what other people are doing and learn from them.
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Loves to play with new ideas, binge writing, traveling and gourmet coffee. Professional writer of non fiction with over 8 years experience in putting words to paper. Fan of iconic movies, sports, The Arctic Monkeys and city breaks. Yes, he knows how good his coffee is.