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Tyler Harlow

In Case You Missed It: Mindhunters

In Case You Missed seeks to examine films that time has forgotten about or you simply didn't see when it was released. Upon rewatch, we will review the film and try to figure out why it was missed and/or forgotten. It will then be given a final rating ranging from Hidden Gem, Humdrum or Hot Garbage.

This Week's Film: Mindhunters

Starring: Kathryn Morris, LL Cool J, Jonny Lee Miller, Will Kemp, Clifton Collins Jr., Eion Bailey, Patricia Velasquez, Christian Slater, Val Kilmer

Director: Renny Harlin

Release Date: 05/13/2005

Box Office:

Open: 1.9 Million

Total: 4.4 Million

Initial Reaction:

The set up for the movie is actually pretty clever. The FBI's top criminal profiling students are taken to a remote island to complete their training when they begin to be killed one by one and it is revealed a killer is in their midst.


I love this type of thriller movie and I enjoy trying to figure out the plot before the reveals happen. This very much falls in the category of trashy and despite its faults it is at least entertaining.


Standout Moments:

About 30 minutes in, the first profiler is killed and sets the films plot in motion. Before the movie gets ridiculous, and I understand the irony of my using that word, JD's death by liquid nitrogen is well done and ultimately shocking due to the fact that the movie kills one of the bigger stars of the film in Christian Slater. This isn't the first movie to use this tactic but it is an effective one nonetheless as it proves no one is safe.


The film is also shot very well, outside of a poorly green screened explosion. It is clearly trying to emulate far superior crime thrillers like Seven, but it works better than you might expect.


Also, upon a first watch, it will be pretty hard to figure out who is behind it. There are some interesting red herrings and the movie makes it seem like it really could be anyone.


What did/didn't work:

After the initial death, this movie goes off the rails in such an implausible manner. I always wonder how killers have time to set up elaborate plots like this. Traps are set up all over the island on timers, with the killer leaving watches for the profilers to clue them in for when the next trap will be sprung. For a while the killings seem random but it is revealed the killer has been "profiling" them and they were well thought out. That requires a lot of time and planning.


This movie also suffers upon rewatch. Yes, you know who the killer is but you start to realize the direction isn't great as the camera is constantly betraying who the villain is.


As much as the movie tried not to have a protagonist, to keep all the actors on an even playing ground, Kathryn Morris and LL Cool J end up assuming the role. LL Cool J seems much more comfortable than she does, with her Sara coming off as very stiff. She has a very emotional backstory and connection to the job and she does little to convince us why she should be in the FBI profiling program. The rest of the acting, outside of Clifton Collins Jr., is melodramatic and over the top with future Sherlock Holmes Jonny Lee Miller coming off the worst.


There is a weird attempt to link the killings to the lost colony of Roanoke, with the majority of the film taking place on an island off the coast of North Carolina and all the profilers being marked by a letter that spells Croatoan. It's an oddly specific connection for the screenplay to make and it's as weird as it sounds especially for a non horror/supernatural film.


The film also ends with a terrible one liner followed by a super sexist joke. That is just unfortunate.


Why was it missed:

This film was heavily delayed, as it was originally slated to come in in 2003 and had a prime 2004 release date thanks to positive test screenings. Before its release, Miramax and Dimension experienced several layoffs in the midst of the Disney/Miramax split. Once that split was official, the movie was unceremoniously dumped into theaters in 2005. I remember on many occasions seeing the trailer and thinking it had already come out and by that time people had either lost interest or thought it had already come out.


Rating: Humdrum

The film is still entertaining even though it it is flat out bonkers. Despite its flaws I still had fun watching it.

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