The narrator will have you wondering if this series is some kind of seriously dark comedy... unfortunately the subject matter makes it clear it's really not.
The stories covered are interesting but having read other people's reviews here, it seems that a lot of the information given is incorrect, inaccurate or simply not true...
Still, it certainly brings up a lot of interesting criminals in history that I'll be looking into from, hopefully, more reliable sources!
55 Reviews
Any intelligent input provided by actual psychologists is dramatically undercut by the cringe worthy, theatrical narration
Juliabohemian-117 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This program brings nothing new to the table. It merely rehashes the stories of famous murderers and cult leaders and their victims. It does not provide sufficient insight into the psychology of criminal behavior. Any intelligent input provided by actual psychologists is dramatically undercut by the theatrical narration. I cringed every time I heard the words "monster" and "evil" which are both constructs created by people, for which there is no objective measurement. No reputable academic of behavioral science would utilize these terms. Unfortunately, the average viewer would be bored by actual research.
Messy work and fabricated facts
rjgrund-123-6034387 September 2018
The worst mess is the Branch Davidian story. Did no one check their facts or even see other accurate documentaries. Pure white wash and bad work. One sided perspectives without a range of information.
Things started out well but slowly petered out like a bad clogged drain. Waste of time.
It's watchable
chaitankrish9 September 2018
Interesting and educational
jcdamien10 January 2021
I don't get the extreme low reviews on this. I always check IMDB scores and reviews before watching anything. I usually consider the public's score and refrain from wasting my time on shows that aren't worth it for the majority.
On this case, I'm glad I ignored them.
The invited certified specialists commenting along each case provide excellent clear info and scientific insight in order for the curious viewers understanding of what goes on inside the criminal mind. It's not awesome, but it's worth the watch.
Flawed, false details and badly directed ("Fritzl from Germany" , they say) , chaotic
idaafk21 January 2020
You get tossed back and forth between different cases in every episode. The music is a primitive rip-off og all horror movies ever made. One of the interviewees even says without correcting herself that Fritzl was in Germany.
Netflix should feel ashamed
Netflix should feel ashamed
Worst documentary series
rosalie_877 February 2019
I've seen better produced stuff on YouTube
isozonus5 September 2018
I started with the episode on cult leaders. What a joke. Bad voiceover work and 90% random footage that has nothing to do with the crimes or people involved. It's inexcusable when dealing with the most famous cults of all time (Jonestown, Manson Family, etc). Turned it off after 10 mins.
The criminal mind
mirellecelandinemattiew28 October 2018
Woeful
adrianfinegan2 September 2018
Outdated Facts & Statistics
leddyfzm18 February 2019
This documentary is a joke. Where are these stats coming from, encyclopedia Britanica? These facts are either completely outdated or altered to fit their narrative. A complete mess.
Netflix should take some responsibility here and take down this mess that can only be described as the first paper a psych 101 student writes just because they figure it's better to hand SOMETHING in.
It's clear that Netflix will put their stamp of approval on just about anything.
Netflix should take some responsibility here and take down this mess that can only be described as the first paper a psych 101 student writes just because they figure it's better to hand SOMETHING in.
It's clear that Netflix will put their stamp of approval on just about anything.
Uncomfortable
kieagraham5 September 2018
Badly produced
pnter9 February 2019
Interesting topics, horribly produced. You know those sketches of action movie voice overs? Yup, it's like that. Fill it up with random stock footage that has nothing to do with the actual content, and you basically have this show. Choice of music did more harm than good. So bad.
Quit using provocative scenes in these shows.
marciahenne16 January 2019
I don't understand why a show about rape, torture and kidnapping would keep showing "sexy" images? Is this a documentary or soft core porn? The show focuses more on trite imagery than substance. It's offensive to any intelligent person. A value meal of forensic psychiatry.
Sloppy info put together and call it a "show"
Shukming35 September 2018
great concept, failed execution
lmd-9972122 November 2019
The video quality and editing are awful. I couldn't even get through half of the first episode after listening to the narrator mispronounce so much of the necessary terminology. Also the narration script is worded extremely poorly. There is clearly no fact checking, as they got so much information incorrect. I have seen youtube videos on this subject done way better.
Simply appalling
valemavas11 January 2019
I started watching the docuseries with high expectations. Albeit some mistakes. the first episode on serial killers is not entirely bad. It integrated nicely some forensic models about the serial killers' motives and overall background. Also introducing cutting edge neuroimaging studies that suggest some neuroanatomical and functional differences between serial killers' brain versus the 'normal' population's brains. In my opinion this is the only marginally good episode.
However, all the other episodes were utterly bad. They seem more like a summary of the crimes committed rather than an in-depth analysis of the CRIMINAL MIND. The narrator just gives glimpses to the different crimes perpetrated by different individuals and groups without much in-depth analysis. They are also tied together chaotically and sometimes even makes it hard to understand about which case they are talking at that precise moment (especially during the kidnappers episode).
Additionally, the docuseries has so many mistakes and inconsistencies regarding the cases. Like when they showed a newspaper which said 'Josef Fritzl' Australian man (he was AUSTRIAN) or when they narrated that 'plata o plomo' was a phrase coined in Mexico (no, it was coined by Colombian mafias). Furthermore, as a Colombian I felt that Pablo Escobar's portrayal was superficial and glib. There were so many actions he committed that can be used to analyze the psychopathic crime lord's mind but the docuseries did not touch upon any of these. In the end the 'psychological' observations regarding the criminal mind of crime lords was that: they came from poor families, do charitable work to manipulate their communities, are cold-blooded and can be criminals whilst also appearing normal and having families. This is not much of a trip inside the criminal mind...
All in all, the docuseries was a painful watch. Very shallow, more like a sensationalist summary of crimes. It does not venture you inside the criminal mind as its title suggests. The idea is very interesting in itself and I had wished for a in-depth analysis of the individuals behind these heinous crimes.
However, all the other episodes were utterly bad. They seem more like a summary of the crimes committed rather than an in-depth analysis of the CRIMINAL MIND. The narrator just gives glimpses to the different crimes perpetrated by different individuals and groups without much in-depth analysis. They are also tied together chaotically and sometimes even makes it hard to understand about which case they are talking at that precise moment (especially during the kidnappers episode).
Additionally, the docuseries has so many mistakes and inconsistencies regarding the cases. Like when they showed a newspaper which said 'Josef Fritzl' Australian man (he was AUSTRIAN) or when they narrated that 'plata o plomo' was a phrase coined in Mexico (no, it was coined by Colombian mafias). Furthermore, as a Colombian I felt that Pablo Escobar's portrayal was superficial and glib. There were so many actions he committed that can be used to analyze the psychopathic crime lord's mind but the docuseries did not touch upon any of these. In the end the 'psychological' observations regarding the criminal mind of crime lords was that: they came from poor families, do charitable work to manipulate their communities, are cold-blooded and can be criminals whilst also appearing normal and having families. This is not much of a trip inside the criminal mind...
All in all, the docuseries was a painful watch. Very shallow, more like a sensationalist summary of crimes. It does not venture you inside the criminal mind as its title suggests. The idea is very interesting in itself and I had wished for a in-depth analysis of the individuals behind these heinous crimes.
Entire budget spent on stock video clips
seanseankellykelly26 May 2020
I started watching the Cult episode because I find cults to be fascinating. I turned it off after five minutes when I realised that the entire episode was about to be a dramatic voicover over stock video clips of stereotypical cult activities with interviews with "experts" in between. It's awful, don't even think about watching it
A series you have to see!
kinovision8 September 2018
Guys,
You did a great job! I like the style, the stories, the re-enactment.
Despite some bad comments, as a viewer who doesn't see too many docs about serial killers, I appreciate the approach to all different cases. The fiction parts are a good way to be into emotions.
Thx
ZERO FACT CHECKING!
brandyholtz11 September 2018
I let the serial killer episode slide when facts were wrong. Then I let the kidnapping one slide when they were wrong. Then, in the Cult episode, when they discussed the Branch Davidians...I lost my mind. If you watch this and think that's the story you have no interest in truth and clearly whoever made this show doesn't either. There are plenty of other good documentaries about all of these people and topics that aren't afraid to tell the real facts of the case.
Horrible Narration
torethyen25 May 2019
This was one of the worst docs I've ever seen.
The German narration is horrible and should not exist in that form.
A waste of time, don't watch it. Whoever came up with this project or worked on it should be reevaluating their life so they don't continue to produce useless yet very disturbing products. I can't repeat enough how off putting and annoying the pronunciation of the narration was.
Never ever ever ever again shall these pictures and sounds be combined again to create this kind of abomination!
Garbage
captnzro9 September 2018
In the first episode they show a "yearbook" style page of Jeffery Dahmer's victims. Number 3, Adam Walsh. Yes that ADAM, Code ADAM, John Walsh's (Americas Most Wanted) son. Because why not? "Just shove some random pics in there and we'll call it a fact" Walsh's crime was never officially solved. the closest it got to that was Ottis Till providing a confession to it and it was never in ANY WAY linked to Dahmer. If I were John Walsh I'd sue these vulture. You can't just throw any BS out there that you feel like publishing and can it a documentary. And that's JUST ONE of many lies/distortions in THE VERY FIRST episode. Don't waste your time because these producers aren't remotely concerned with facts as much as they are with views and capitalization of sensationalizing victims deaths.
For those interested in the psychopathic crime
andrew-1164528 October 2018
Avoid.
TheTexasChainstoreManager7 November 2020
The worst kind of documentary. Typical American crime show style. Over the top dramatic narrator, dramatic music and bad reenactments that totally overshadows the few interesting things said about the subject.
This has been done better, thousand times before - even on Youtube. Someone actually financed this unimaginative garbage?
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
