Mastermind: To Think Like A Killer – Review | Hulu

MASTERMIND: TO THINK LIKE A KILLER on Hulu is a new docuseries about Ann Burgess and the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit. The real Mindhunters. Read our full Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer documentary series review here!

MASTERMIND: TO THINK LIKE A KILLER is a new Hulu documentary series with three episodes. It’s absolutely fascinating and also quite scary. Mostly in the sense that brutal crimes went ignored for the longest time.

The focus of this documentary is Ann Burgess and the work she did with the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit. Yes, the very same department that is the focus of the Netflix series Mindhunter. This is about the real people and the real story.

Continue reading our Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer docu-series review below. Find all three episodes on Hulu from July 11, 2024.

Meet Ann Burgess – and marvel

This Hulu Original docu-series offers a fresh new perspective on the woman whose crime-hunting innovations changed history. The FBI Behavioral Science Unit (aka the BSU) may have existed before her, but she made it work.

The psychiatric nurse and professor Dr. Ann Burgess wanted to help stop serial killers. Or Serial offenders, as she first worked with rape survivors.

In order to stop them, she needed to understand them, which meant she had to learn to think like one. This was in the early days of profiling and the FBI didn’t have the academic researcher approach needed to understand the data.

Dr. Ann Burgess did and this made all the difference.

Finally some recognition

I know Ann Burgess has gotten recognition in the past, but even in Mindhunter the character largely based on her, is still a hybrid of several women. As it’s made rather clear in Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer, it’s mostly her.

We’re getting total access to the mastermind behind the development of modern serial killer profiling, as we get Ann Burgess’ tenacious story from her. And also via interviews with those who have worked with her.

Her compassion for the victims along with an earnest desire to stop crime rather than get fame for stopping one famous criminal, changed the world. She was at the very center of solving several true-crime cases.

Like the lesser-known Ski Mask Rapist case, which sounds a lot like “The Golden State Killer”, but committed his crimes elsewhere. And was caught in large thanks to Ann Burgess.

Watch Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer on Hulu

Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer is a documentary series directed by Abby Fuller (Dear…). Elle Fanning and Dakota Fanning are among the executive producers alongside director Abby Fuller.

Dr. Ann Burgess is a consulting producer because really, there’s nothing this woman can’t do. Now 87 years old, she continues to teach and research new crimes to learn how to prevent them.

As Ann Burgess investigates and studies victims and their attackers, she’s effectively connecting the two halves in order to catch a killer.

THE FOCUS OF EACH EPISODE IS REVEALED BY THE TITLE:

• “To Listen to a Killer” is episode 1
• “To Hunt a Killer” is episode 2
• “To Defend a Killer” is episode 3

Dr. Ann Burgess may have been an unsung hero until now, but the way she impacted the FBI and championed the plight of women in America is worthy of every award and medal possible.

Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer is on Hulu from July 11, 2024.