Fans upset over the permanent cancelation of Netflix’s psychological thriller series Mindhunter have the perfect replacement already available to stream on Apple TV+. After two critically acclaimed seasons from creators Joe Penhall and David Fincher, Mindhunter was put on indefinite hiatus in late 2019. Cost and management obstacles were cited as the reason for the show’s hiatus, but there were rumblings that it would be canceled in the future. In February 2023, Fincher definitely stated that the show was over.
Mindhunter gained a following for its engrossing portrayal of not only the FBI agents at the forefront of documenting and studying serial killers, but also the serial killers themselves. Over its two seasons, Mindhunter blended fictionalized story elements with real details from the investigations of infamous killers like Edmund Kemper, Charles Manson, Richard Speck, David Berkowitz, and Elmer Wayne Henley. Netflix’s breakout hit may not have a season 3, but a spiritual sequel that also blends gripping storytelling with a real-world killer is available to stream now on Apple TV+.
Apple TV’s Black Bird Was The Perfect Mindhunter Replacement After Netflix Cancelation
Starring Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser (Stingray from Cobra Kai), Black Bird follows the story of real-world drug and arms dealer Jimmy Keene as he attempts to commute his lengthy prison sentence working undercover with the FBI. Keene, a singularly charming and gifted talker, is tasked with going into prison to befriend suspected serial killer Larry Hall and elicit a confession. Ultimately, he succeeds in keeping Hall imprisoned and goes free, reflecting what happened to Keene in real life.
Like Mindhunter, Black Bird does not shy away from the most nefarious elements of the serial killer it deals with, fully immersing the viewers into the haunting psychological tension that is evoked by sharing a table with a truly evil killer. The most frequently praised scenes in Mindhunter were Holden Ford’s interviews with the killers themselves, which usually took place in the prisons where they were held. The greatest scenes in Black Bird directly mirror that dynamic: the one-on-one conversations between Egerton’s Jimmy Keene and Hauser’s Larry Hall, in which Keene attempts to trick Hall into confessing to the murders he’s suspected of.
Related: The True Story of Black Bird Explained
Black Bird Maintained Mindhunter’s Critical Acclaim & Compelling Original Story Elements
Perhaps more important than the portrayal of the serial killers is the original story behind both Mindhunter and Black Bird. Neither show acts as a documentary, and both occasionally forgo details or shift timelines in service of creating a more compelling drama. Black Bird was able to manage that just as well as Mindhunter, as both boast Rotten Tomatoes scores that are off the charts on both the critic (Mindhunter at 97%, Black Bird at 98%) and audience sides (both at 95%).
There are plenty of serial killer documentaries available to stream — some might argue too many, in fact. What separates Mindhunter and Black Bird from the deluge of serial killer content is the original elements that don’t come from the historical record. The intriguing conversations that aren’t taken from a taped confession or interview are what make both shows more entertaining than mere recaps of the well-known stories.
Black Bird & Mindhunter Both Boast Incredible Ensemble Casts & Characters
Both shows are built upon their outstanding ensemble casts. Mindhunter is driven by the FBI Behavioral Science Unit team it follows. Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, and Anna Torv all deliver complex and nuanced performances throughout the two seasons of Mindhunter. Likewise, Black Bird thrives upon the work of its dual leads, Egerton and Greg Kinnear, and is supported by Sepideh Moafi and Ray Liotta in one of his final roles. Egerton and Liotta play particularly well off one another, as Liotta portrays Egerton’s father who suffers from a stroke.
Fans of Mindhunter often praise the show’s unnerving portrayals of the serial killers involved in its overarching story, and Black Bird knocks that out of the park. Hauser was universally celebrated for his unsettling portrayal of real-world killer Larry Hall; he won both a Critics’ Choice Television Award and Golden Globe Award for his performance. Mindhunter boasts its own accolades in that realm, as Cameron Britton earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for his portrayal of serial killer Edmund Kemper in the show. The performances of both seasoned Hollywood veterans and relative unknowns truly elevates the drama, and it’s a significant part of the reason both dramas were so well-received.
