Mastermind

"Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer" is a 2024 American documentary series directed and produced by Abby Fuller. It explores the career of Ann Burgess, focusing on her work at the FBI developing means of tracking serial killers and other violent criminals based on her novel research into their behaviors. Ann dives deeper into the minds of serial killers, while balancing her life as a mother of four.

The series follows Burgess and her investigations at the FBI into serial killers and their victims.

If you like a tv series based on a true story and a crime documentary, then this is a tv series for you. It is interesting and fascinating.

(Speaking as an aficionado of the true crime genre) I found this documentary to be endearing, educational, and riveting. Dr. Burgess contributed so much to modern Forensic Psychology and her name is rarely spoken in the field.

It also made me re-think my love for the show, "Mindhunter", due to its complete bastardizing of Dr. Burgess' actual lived experience. This woman had 5 children and a husband who became a pilot to ensure that his wife could pursue her high demand career and still be around her small children. That was such an endearing story and the show made her the opposite. (The documentary never discusses the series, however it's pretty obvious that the fictional character is based on her).

10/10 must watch!

*Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer* is a gripping psychological thriller that delves deep into the mind of a master manipulator. The film skillfully explores themes of control, obsession, and deception, keeping the audience on edge with every twist and turn. The performances are intense, with standout portrayals that make the complex characters feel real and dangerous. While the pacing can sometimes feel slow, the intricate plotting and sharp dialogue make up for it. With its dark atmosphere and clever twists, it's a tense, cerebral experience for fans of mind games and suspense. Highly recommended.

I watched this documentary to learn more about Dr. Ann Burgess, one of the crucial folks behind the creation of the FBI's BSU, after seeing her portrayed on the show Mindhunter. I must say that I think Mindhunter did her a huge disservice with the character based on her. She's even more incredible in real life, and she never came across as cold/clinical, unlike the character in the show.

It's very disappointing how that show completely changed her background, so we never got to see how she overcame the challenges of balancing a full time career and her role as a wife and mom to her family. Her husband deserves a thumbs up for being so supportive of his wife, during a time where most husbands wouldn't have been.

Mindhunter also failed to really explore the workplace sexism she faced, like how none of her male colleagues asked her to be in the group photo for a newspaper after solving a major case, when she deserves a lot of the credit that they were taking.

I've seen some of the other reviewers commenting that they felt like the 3rd episode was unnecessary because they don't agree with her defense of the Menendez Brothers, but I have to disagree. I think regardless of where you stand on that case, it is important to include why someone who had worked so many years for the FBI, would chose to be on a criminal's Defense team, and how difficult it was to advocate for something she believed in (sexual abuse of males), even while being derided by her old colleagues and the general public. For me, all three episodes gave me a more in depth understanding of who this woman is, and some of the principles that she holds dear.

I would love to see a new series with Ann as the main protagonist, because she deserves it for all of the fantastic work that she's done in this field. Overall, I enjoyed the documentary very much, as I learned a lot about this brilliant lady.

Dr. Burgess is an absolute trailblazer in her profession. This documentary did a great job giving her well deserved recognition for her work and her impact. It was hard to watch the prolific discrimination against victims not so long ago but the discomfort is testament of the progress made through Dr Burgess' work. There's still much work to do, but here could not have been possible without her dedication to helping those who were subjected to violence. Loved that the documentary also called out the widespread sexism she had to deal with throughout her career only to have her dedication and talent to prevail. This still happens too much. The road for women is still too hard, but the road she helped paved cannot be underestimated.