Mindhunter‘s cancellation on Netflix left a massive void in the true-crime genre, but Apple TV‘s under-appreciated gem from the genre eases the pain of its premature end.
Many shows in the true-crime genre sensationalize serial killer stories by spinning them into a morbidly entertaining yarn. Mindhunter, in contrast, approached the crime genre with a more careful and procedural lens, treating violence as a moral and intellectual problem. Owing to David Fincher’s directorial vision and the show’s grounded storytelling, Mindhunter is remembered as one of the best crime thrillers of all time.
It rightfully earned that title after getting almost unanimous acclaim from viewers and critics. While it is unfortunate that it became a victim of Netflix’s unreasonable cancellations, its fans can check out an overlooked Apple TV true-crime show to fill the void it left behind.
Netflix Canceled Mindhunter After Season 2, But Apple TV’s Black Bird Fills The Void It Left Behind
Mindhunter‘s narrative heartbeat was in its gripping interrogation room sequences where Holden Ford sat across the table from Ed Kemper and tried to map out the psychology of a killer. Instead of focusing on action, spectacle, and forced twists and turns, Apple TV’s Black Bird portrayed a similar setup where a charismatic convict, Jimmy Keene, found himself talking to Larry Hall to elicit a confession out of him.
In both shows, the tension in the overarching story has nothing to do with car chases or shootouts. Instead, it lies in how dangerous the man sitting across the table is.
The performances in both series are so incredible that even moments of silence between the main characters’ conversations are filled with unsettling dread. The fact that both heavily draw from real-life crimes makes their stories even more hard-hitting. While many factors might have contributed to Mindhunter‘s cancellation on Netflix, one of the biggest ones was that it never spoon-fed its audience.
Instead, it respected viewers’ intelligence by immersing them in everything from intricate investigative processes to the psychological toll they take on investigators. Black Bird, too, takes the same route and even allows viewers to form their own judgement about its central killer and flawed male protagonist.
Despite Having An Almost Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score, Black Bird Remains An Overlooked Gem
Black Bird boasts an almost perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 98%, with critics unanimously praising it for its examination of masculinity, morality, and the impact of violence and power on men trapped in broken systems. Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser deliver phenomenal performances as Jimmy Keene and Larry Hall, and Hauser is downright terrifying in certain sequences.
While Mindhunter is based on retired FBI agent John E. Douglas’ Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit, Black Bird adapts James Keene’s In with the Devil: A Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption.
Despite getting a lot right, though, Black Bird is rarely remembered as one of Apple TV’s best shows, let alone the best offerings in the true-crime genre. Although it would be unfair to call the Apple TV show a worthy Mindhunter replacement, it gives a semblance of closure to those who cannot help but crave another season of the epic Netflix series.
