Mindhunters
Encyclopedia
Mindhunters is a 2004 thriller film directed by Renny Harlin
and written by Wayne Kramer
and Kevin Brodbin (with an uncredited rewrite by Ehren Kruger
). Unusually, the last country to receive this film was the United States
in 2005, because of the film's distribution rights being changed from 20th Century Fox
to Dimension Films
.
. They are tasked by their instructor Jake Harris (Val Kilmer
) to travel to a small island off the coast of Virginia
. This island is used as a training facility by the FBI and the military, and a mock town has been constructed there. Harris has arranged an elaborate training scenario for his students; they are to create a profile of a serial killer
who has committed a murder there.
The students include Bobby (Eion Bailey
) a young man with a talent for fixing things; Vince (Clifton Collins Jr.) a wheelchair-using ex-cop who goes nowhere without his gun; Nicole (Patricia Velasquez
) a smoker who is attempting to quit; Sara (Kathryn Morris
) a talented but insecure profiler who is also petrified of drowning; Gabe (James Todd Smith aka LL Cool J
) an outside observer; Rafe (Will Kemp) a very intelligent, caffeine-powered British investigator; Lucas (Jonny Lee Miller
) a supposedly fearless man whose parents were killed when he was a child; and J.D. (Christian Slater
) their leader.
Once they arrive at the island and settle in, they begin their investigation the following day. The group encounters an elaborate, Rube Goldberg
or Heath Robinson style trap; J.D.'s position of leadership prompts him to investigate it close-up, and the trap kills him via liquid helium. Convinced that this wasn't an accident, the group heads to the dock to leave the island. Another trap is triggered, this one destroying the boat docked there. Tensions run high among the group, and they find messages from the killer that indicate when more victims will be killed.
Throughout the movie, several more of the profilers are killed, in ways that correspond to their personalities: Rafe through his need for coffee (drugged; decapitated and drained of blood while unconscious); Bobby through his desire to repair things (harpooned by a device he triggered while trying to shut off a water valve); Nicole through her need for nicotine
(after finding cigarettes in a vending machine, they turn out to be laced with a strong acid); and Vince through his need to have his gun handy (it had been rigged while he was unconscious to explosively misfire).
In between these events, the investigators use the resources at hand (including a fully stocked forensics lab and computer database) to process the clues they have (including blood samples and an elaborate cypher, written in Rafe's blood). Suspicions seem to point to Gabe because of a map of the island found next to his bed. He temporarily deflects this when he saves Vince from yet another trap, although this indirectly leads to Bobby's death. Later, the results of a blood analysis point to Sara, though, who denies being the killer; Lucas supports her. Nicole ultimately decides she cannot trust any of her colleagues and leaves while holding the others at gunpoint, resulting in her demise. Sara, meanwhile, finally deduces that the traps are based on their strengths, talents, and weaknesses and the remaining profilers elect to stick together, to keep an eye on each other. Unexpectedly, the island's speakers begin to broadcast a taunting message from none other than Harris, making them realize that he did not leave the island, though he led the profilers to believe that he had; convinced that he has been the killer all along, they search for him. Later, however, Sara, Gabe and Lucas find Harris and two other FBI agents next to him, all dead; Harris has been strung up to wires from the ceiling as a sort of marionette, just like the fake crime scene that they were to investigate. The three survivors quickly realize that the killer is one of them, and in the shootout that ensues, Vince is killed and Gabe seemingly takes out Lucas. Gabe and Sara then confront each other, each believing the other to be the serial killer. Lucas, who was wearing a bullet-proof vest, returns and jumps Gabe from behind. The two violently attack one another, eventually falling through a glass ceiling. Gabe starts to get up but is knocked unconscious by Sara, who then begins to tend to Lucas.
Sara explains to Lucas the trick up her sleeve: she set a trap taking into account the killer’s obsession with time. However, this reveals that Lucas, not Gabe, is the real mastermind. Lucas says he was the one who murdered his parents, but after no one suspected him, he grew bored and required more intelligent peers as worthy prey.
Lucas muses that Sara has another weakness besides a fear of water: "Me". Lucas tries to drown Sara, but she manages to kick him into the water and an underwater gunfight ensues. In the end, after a feigned drowning, Sara gains the upper hand and wounds Lucas. Intending to survive, Lucas begins to taunt her about the evidence he planted blaming her, until Gabe reappears: he is the remainder witness. In a last desperate effort, Lucas attempts to regain his weapon, forcing Sara to kill him.
The film ends with Sara and Gabe flagging down a helicopter together. As they move to board, Sara wonders whether or not she has achieved profiler status.
. Locations included Amsterdam-Noord
, The Hague
, Amsterdam
, Delft
, Radio Kootwijk
, Veluwe
, Gelderland
, and Zandvoort
. Post-production of the film was moved to England
to decrease the budget. Filming and production went from January 2002 to September 2002, yet the film was not released until 2004 (2005 in the USA). During the editing process, Harlin toned down much of the violence, in order to secure a PG-13 rating in the United States
, yet the MPAA felt that the overall tone of the film was too dark and still issued it an R; following this Harlin reinserted the deleted scene
s.
, the consensus states: "A retread of Ten Little Indians
that lacks the source material's wit." On Metacritic
, which uses an average of the critics' reviews, gives the film 33/100, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.
Roger Ebert
, of The Chicago Sun-Times
, gave Mindhunters 2½ stars; his last lines stated "I will leave you with only one clue. In "House of Wax," which opened last week, the movie theater is playing "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane." In this movie, the theater marquee advertises "The Third Man." No, the male characters are not numbered in order, so you can't figure it out that way, nor is the killer necessarily a woman. So think real hard. What else do you know about "The Third Man"? If you have never seen "The Third Man," I urge you to rent it immediately, as a preparation (or substitute) for "Mindhunters."
Renny Harlin
Renny Harlin is a Finnish-American film director and producer. He is best known for Die Hard 2 , Cliffhanger , The Long Kiss Goodnight and Deep Blue Sea...
and written by Wayne Kramer
Wayne Kramer (filmmaker)
Wayne Kramer is a South African screenwriter, film producer, storyboard artist and film director.Kramer has written and directed films such as The Cooler, Crossing Over, Blazeland and Running Scared...
and Kevin Brodbin (with an uncredited rewrite by Ehren Kruger
Ehren Kruger
-Life and career:Kruger was raised in Alexandria, Virginia, and attended college at New York University. He attended the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, graduating in 1990....
). Unusually, the last country to receive this film was the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 2005, because of the film's distribution rights being changed from 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
to Dimension Films
Dimension Films
Dimension Films is a motion picture unit currently a part of The Weinstein Company. It was formerly used as Bob Weinstein's label within Miramax Films, to produce and release genre films...
.
Plot
The titular Mindhunters are a group of young FBI students who are undergoing training as profilersOffender profiling
Offender profiling, also known as criminal profiling, is a behavioral and investigative tool that is intended to help investigators to profile unknown criminal subjects or offenders. Offender profiling is also known as criminal profiling, criminal personality profiling, criminological profiling,...
. They are tasked by their instructor Jake Harris (Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer
Val Edward Kilmer is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer became popular in the mid-1980s after a string of appearances in comedy films, starting with Top Secret! , then the cult classic Real Genius , as well as blockbuster action films, including a supporting role in Top Gun and a...
) to travel to a small island off the coast of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. This island is used as a training facility by the FBI and the military, and a mock town has been constructed there. Harris has arranged an elaborate training scenario for his students; they are to create a profile of a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
who has committed a murder there.
The students include Bobby (Eion Bailey
Eion Bailey
Eion Francis Hamilton Bailey is an American actor, perhaps best known for appearing in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers as Pvt. David Kenyon Webster and in the films Fight Club, Center Stage, Mindhunters and Sexual Life...
) a young man with a talent for fixing things; Vince (Clifton Collins Jr.) a wheelchair-using ex-cop who goes nowhere without his gun; Nicole (Patricia Velasquez
Patricia Velásquez
Patricia Carola Velásquez Semprún is a Venezuelan actress and fashion model. She is often considered to be the first Latin supermodel.-Early life:...
) a smoker who is attempting to quit; Sara (Kathryn Morris
Kathryn Morris
Kathryn Morris is an American actress, best known for her lead role as Detective Lilly Rush in the CBS series Cold Case.-Career:...
) a talented but insecure profiler who is also petrified of drowning; Gabe (James Todd Smith aka LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
) an outside observer; Rafe (Will Kemp) a very intelligent, caffeine-powered British investigator; Lucas (Jonny Lee Miller
Jonny Lee Miller
Jonathan "Jonny" Lee Miller is an English actor. During the initial days he was best known for his roles in the 1996 films Trainspotting and Hackers...
) a supposedly fearless man whose parents were killed when he was a child; and J.D. (Christian Slater
Christian Slater
Christian Michael Leonard Slater is an American actor. He made his film debut with a small role in The Postman Always Rings Twice before playing a leading role in the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean...
) their leader.
Once they arrive at the island and settle in, they begin their investigation the following day. The group encounters an elaborate, Rube Goldberg
Rube Goldberg
Reuben Garrett Lucius Goldberg was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer and inventor.He is best known for a series of popular cartoons depicting complex gadgets that perform simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways. These devices, now known as Rube Goldberg machines, are similar to...
or Heath Robinson style trap; J.D.'s position of leadership prompts him to investigate it close-up, and the trap kills him via liquid helium. Convinced that this wasn't an accident, the group heads to the dock to leave the island. Another trap is triggered, this one destroying the boat docked there. Tensions run high among the group, and they find messages from the killer that indicate when more victims will be killed.
Throughout the movie, several more of the profilers are killed, in ways that correspond to their personalities: Rafe through his need for coffee (drugged; decapitated and drained of blood while unconscious); Bobby through his desire to repair things (harpooned by a device he triggered while trying to shut off a water valve); Nicole through her need for nicotine
Nicotine
Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants that constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of the dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots and accumulation occurring in the leaves...
(after finding cigarettes in a vending machine, they turn out to be laced with a strong acid); and Vince through his need to have his gun handy (it had been rigged while he was unconscious to explosively misfire).
In between these events, the investigators use the resources at hand (including a fully stocked forensics lab and computer database) to process the clues they have (including blood samples and an elaborate cypher, written in Rafe's blood). Suspicions seem to point to Gabe because of a map of the island found next to his bed. He temporarily deflects this when he saves Vince from yet another trap, although this indirectly leads to Bobby's death. Later, the results of a blood analysis point to Sara, though, who denies being the killer; Lucas supports her. Nicole ultimately decides she cannot trust any of her colleagues and leaves while holding the others at gunpoint, resulting in her demise. Sara, meanwhile, finally deduces that the traps are based on their strengths, talents, and weaknesses and the remaining profilers elect to stick together, to keep an eye on each other. Unexpectedly, the island's speakers begin to broadcast a taunting message from none other than Harris, making them realize that he did not leave the island, though he led the profilers to believe that he had; convinced that he has been the killer all along, they search for him. Later, however, Sara, Gabe and Lucas find Harris and two other FBI agents next to him, all dead; Harris has been strung up to wires from the ceiling as a sort of marionette, just like the fake crime scene that they were to investigate. The three survivors quickly realize that the killer is one of them, and in the shootout that ensues, Vince is killed and Gabe seemingly takes out Lucas. Gabe and Sara then confront each other, each believing the other to be the serial killer. Lucas, who was wearing a bullet-proof vest, returns and jumps Gabe from behind. The two violently attack one another, eventually falling through a glass ceiling. Gabe starts to get up but is knocked unconscious by Sara, who then begins to tend to Lucas.
Sara explains to Lucas the trick up her sleeve: she set a trap taking into account the killer’s obsession with time. However, this reveals that Lucas, not Gabe, is the real mastermind. Lucas says he was the one who murdered his parents, but after no one suspected him, he grew bored and required more intelligent peers as worthy prey.
Lucas muses that Sara has another weakness besides a fear of water: "Me". Lucas tries to drown Sara, but she manages to kick him into the water and an underwater gunfight ensues. In the end, after a feigned drowning, Sara gains the upper hand and wounds Lucas. Intending to survive, Lucas begins to taunt her about the evidence he planted blaming her, until Gabe reappears: he is the remainder witness. In a last desperate effort, Lucas attempts to regain his weapon, forcing Sara to kill him.
The film ends with Sara and Gabe flagging down a helicopter together. As they move to board, Sara wonders whether or not she has achieved profiler status.
Cast
- James Todd Smith aka LL Cool JLL Cool JJames Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
as Gabe Jensen - Jonny Lee MillerJonny Lee MillerJonathan "Jonny" Lee Miller is an English actor. During the initial days he was best known for his roles in the 1996 films Trainspotting and Hackers...
as Lucas Harper - Kathryn MorrisKathryn MorrisKathryn Morris is an American actress, best known for her lead role as Detective Lilly Rush in the CBS series Cold Case.-Career:...
as Sara Moore - Patricia VelásquezPatricia VelásquezPatricia Carola Velásquez Semprún is a Venezuelan actress and fashion model. She is often considered to be the first Latin supermodel.-Early life:...
as Nicole Willis - Clifton Collins Jr. as Vince Sherman
- Eion BaileyEion BaileyEion Francis Hamilton Bailey is an American actor, perhaps best known for appearing in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers as Pvt. David Kenyon Webster and in the films Fight Club, Center Stage, Mindhunters and Sexual Life...
as Bobby Whitman - Will KempWill Kemp (actor)William "Will" Kemp is an English actor and dancer.-Life and career:Kemp was born in Hertfordshire, England, the son of Rosi, a former model, and Barry Kemp, a graphic designer....
as Rafe Perry - Val KilmerVal KilmerVal Edward Kilmer is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer became popular in the mid-1980s after a string of appearances in comedy films, starting with Top Secret! , then the cult classic Real Genius , as well as blockbuster action films, including a supporting role in Top Gun and a...
as Jake Harris - Christian SlaterChristian SlaterChristian Michael Leonard Slater is an American actor. He made his film debut with a small role in The Postman Always Rings Twice before playing a leading role in the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean...
as J.D. Reston - Trevor White as Attacker
- Cassandra Bell as Jen
- Jasmine Sendar as Jen's friend
- Anthone KamerlingAntonie KamerlingAntonie Kamerling was a Dutch television and film actor and musician.-Biography:Antonie Kamerling was still a law student when in 1990 he was cast in the then new Dutch soap opera Good Times, Bad Times. His character, Peter Kelder, quickly became one of the most popular on the program...
as Man in bar - Daniël Boissevain as Man in bar #2
Production
Mindhunters was filmed entirely in the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Locations included Amsterdam-Noord
Amsterdam-Noord
Amsterdam-Noord is an autonomous stadsdeel of Amsterdam. The area is located north of the IJ, the body of water which separates it from central Amsterdam and the rest of the city.-Transport:...
, The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Delft
Delft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
, Radio Kootwijk
Radio Kootwijk
Radio Kootwijk is a small town in the Dutch municipality of Apeldoorn, with ca. 120 inhabitants. It is situated in a heather- and forest-rich territory in the Veluwe region, east of the sandhills of the Kootwijkerzand and the town of Kootwijk....
, Veluwe
Veluwe
The Veluwe is a forest-rich ridge of hills in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. The Veluwe features many different landscapes including woodland, heath, some small lakes and Europe's largest sand drifts....
, Gelderland
Gelderland
Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...
, and Zandvoort
Zandvoort
Zandvoort is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.Zandvoort is one of the major beach resorts of the Netherlands; it has a long sandy beach, bordered by coastal dunes...
. Post-production of the film was moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to decrease the budget. Filming and production went from January 2002 to September 2002, yet the film was not released until 2004 (2005 in the USA). During the editing process, Harlin toned down much of the violence, in order to secure a PG-13 rating in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, yet the MPAA felt that the overall tone of the film was too dark and still issued it an R; following this Harlin reinserted the deleted scene
Deleted scene
In Entertainment, especially the film and television industry, Deleted scenes are parts of a film removed or censored from or replaced by another scene in the final "cut", or version, of a film...
s.
Reception
Mindhunters received generally negative reviews; it currently holds a 25% rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, the consensus states: "A retread of Ten Little Indians
Ten Little Indians
"Ten Little Indians" is a children's rhyme. The song is usually performed to the Irish folk tune "Michael Finnegan". It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 13512.-Lyrics:The modern lyrics are believed to be public domain and are as follows:...
that lacks the source material's wit." On Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which uses an average of the critics' reviews, gives the film 33/100, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
, of The Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
, gave Mindhunters 2½ stars; his last lines stated "I will leave you with only one clue. In "House of Wax," which opened last week, the movie theater is playing "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane." In this movie, the theater marquee advertises "The Third Man." No, the male characters are not numbered in order, so you can't figure it out that way, nor is the killer necessarily a woman. So think real hard. What else do you know about "The Third Man"? If you have never seen "The Third Man," I urge you to rent it immediately, as a preparation (or substitute) for "Mindhunters."
Home media
Certain international DVD distributors included deleted scenes not seen in the original theatrical release, which provides more character development and makes the film more complete. There are numerous sequences and the major ones are noted as follows:- "Sara's Regret" - This scene expanded upon how vulnerable Sara was. The FBI agent's character is developed further. The setting has the agent behind a desk after cracking under the pressure of an intense field assignment. The scene is introspective in nature.
- "The Instructor's Office" - The scene is set in the FBI instructor's office for the character Jake Harris played by Val Kilmer. Harris speaks with Sara and J.D. The verbal communication between Harris and J.D. is professional and almost military in nature, but it is clear that Harris has doubts related to Sara's performance. The performance review is completed and in the process a caustic exchange transpires in which Harris directly questions her ability. This establishes Sara's potential motive.
- "Ride Along" - In a scene on the helicopter pad at the FBI training complex, Gabe and Jake speak in a caustic capacity before any of the agents arrive. Harris is ordered by his superiors to allow Gabe to observe his class and teaching methods. In this exchange Harris and Jensen makes their feelings plainly clear. This established a potential motive for the two.
- "Rappelling" - In a brief scene in the film personnel are seen rappelling out of a helicopter and securing a hot landing zone during a training exercise. This scene set the stage for later in the film when Harris tells his class to get their rappelling lines out of the back of the helicopter when nearing Oniega. The joke then seems more intense and relevant.
- "The ending" - Several variations of the ending were filmed. One of them included Jake Harris and numerous others included modified character development from the final theatrical ending.