Out of all the great crime shows on television, Netflix’sMindhunterand Prime Video’sBoschare two of the most brilliantly unique. One is a groundbreaking examination of the psychology behind society’s most violent criminals, while the other set the standard in the detective genre for almost a decade, if you include its spinoff series.
Besides their focus on murder investigations, however, the two have little else in common stylistically or thematically. Within the detective subgenre of crime drama, they’re very much at opposite ends of the spectrum.BoschandMindhunterhave also experienced contrasting fortunesin terms of commercial reception.
While the Prime Video series is among Amazon’s most successful original shows of all time,Mindhunterwas prematurely canceled by Netflix after just two seasons, despite being one of thebest detective showsever made. Producer David Fincher was apparently behind the cancellation, which resulted from high production costs relative to the show’s viewership, as well as Fincher’s busy schedule.
Despite their differences, bothMindhunterandBoschcan claim to have some of the best charactersin detective fiction, and each show’s production value has pushed the boundaries of what’s possible for a crime TV show. The two series might have stylistic contrasts, but they’re both at the very top end of prestige television.
Mindhunter & Bosch Are Two Crime Shows Every Fan Of The Genre Needs To See
Put simply,Mindhunteris the best detective show on Netflix, whileBoschtakes the crown among detective series on Prime Video. Yet, despite the acclaim they’ve both received, there are many fans of the crime genre who haven’t seen either show.
Bosch is the sixth most popular Prime Video original show of all time, according toIMDB.
At the same time, for crime fans neither series is an optional extra. BothBoschandMindhunterare must-see TV shows for different reasons.
Boschis the ultimate contemporary noir series centering on a single, titular detective, with its gritty portrayal of Harry Bosch’s work in the LAPD’s homicide unit the textbook character study of a morally complex maverick who’s indifferent to proper police protocols. By contrast,Mindhunteris one of the most singularly original crime shows out there.
Its innovative insights into the minds of serial killers is quite unlike any other drama in TV history.Mindhunter’s extraordinary interview scenes, based on actual conversations between FBI agents and real-life mass murderers, are enough reason on their own to check it out.
Mindhunter & Bosch Are Incredibly Different, But Both Are Standouts In The Genre
AlthoughMindhunterisn’t anythinglikeBoschas a show, it’s easy to imagine lovers of crime drama enjoying both series just as much as each other. One brings the classic tropes of a hard-boiled detective into the 21st century arguably better than any other TV series around, while the other executes its novel premise with David Fincher’s trademark clinical precision.
David Fincher served asMindhunter’s executive producer, directly supervising every episode of the show. However, it was actually created and written by Joe Penhall.
For most readers ofMichael Connelly’s best-selling crime fiction, detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch is the author’s best-realized character. He even supersedes lawyer Mickey Haller, the central character of Netflix’s wildly popular adaptation ofThe Lincoln Lawyer. Bosch is tough-talking and no-nonsense, although his approach to detective work inevitably leads to conflicts with his superiors and problems in his personal life.
On the other hand,Mindhunter’s three main characters are based on real members of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit (BSU)in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Holden Ford, Bill Tench and Wendy Carr are the best psychological evaluators in the bureau, whose interviews with high-profile convicted murderers provides the basis of some of television’s most unsettling scenes.
Tonally and thematically, the show has a lot in common with Fincher’s celebrated 2007 crime movieZodiac. Unlike this movie, however, inMindhunterit’s the criminals who take center stage throughout the series.
Why All Crime Fans Need To Watch Mindhunter Once
Aside fromMindhunterbeing a masterpiece of crimeTV, the show needs to be watched because it’s so different from anything crime fans will have seen elsewhere on the small screen.Viewers will be in thrall to the deeply disturbing admissions of convicted killersat the heart of its most engrossing scenes.
Mindhunteruses both real and fictional serial killers in its storylines, with real-life convicts Edmund Kemper, Richard Speck, Jerry Brudos and Montie Rissell all portrayed being interviewed by the BSU.
For anyone who finds the crime genre to be a subject of lurid fascinationor curiosity,Mindhunterwill be their perfect watch. The supporting performances from the actors playing convicted serial killers, such as Cameron Britton’s portrayal of real-life murderer Ed Kemper, are as mesmerizing as they are horrifying.
Why All Crime Fans Need To See Bosch
Prime Video’sBoschis another crime drama masterpiecethat all crime fans must watch at least once. Although the show follows a more orthodox approach to the genre and its traditionsMindhunter, it’s no less captivating, and involves more complex characterizations of its protagonists.
Harry Bosch is possibly the greatest detective anti-hero ever created. It would be remiss of any crime fan not to giveBoscha try, at least, as most viewers get hooked on the series after a single episode. It might be a very different watch fromMindhunter, but both shows are worthy contenders for the best crime drama of the past decade.
Mindhunter
Cast
From executive producers David Fincher and Charlize Theron comes Mindhunter, a series that chronicles the founding of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit used to track and apprehend serial killers. Mindhunter follows Agent Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) as they work to establish a framework for understanding the minds of some of America’s most dangerous serial killers. Mindhunter adapts a number of true crime stories, including the BTK murders and the notorious Co-Ed Killer, Edmund Kemper.
Bosch
Bosch is a crime drama series created by Eric Ellis Overmyer that ran for seven seasons on Prime Video between 2014 and 2021. The series centers on Harry Bosch, an LAPD homicide detective that is juggling the case of a 13-year-old murder victim while standing trial after murdering a serial killer. After season 7 Bosch was followed by Bosch: Legacy in 2022.
