Mind Hunters
Review by Peter Syslo

This week, I wanted to try to do something special for Thanksgiving, but as everyone knows, there really aren’t any Thanksgiving-based horror movies in existence.However, I did find a common thread between two different movies that does tie in with the holiday. Both MIND HUNTERS and STORM OF THE CENTURY make mention of the first settlement at Roanoke , Virginia – it was prior to the Jamestown settlement. It so happens (and both films go into a description of this) that upon revisiting Roanoke, some time later, sailors had found that the entire settlement, including people and structures had simply vanished. No one knows what rea lly happened to those first “pilgrims” – the only thing that was found was the word “Croatoan” scrawled on a tree. Actually, there are historical records of this and it is one of the great mysteries of all time (some think that the Native American tribe of “Croatoans” were responsible). I thought that it was an interesting story, when I saw these films, and what better time to talk about it than now.

Now that we’ve established some background, let’s talk about MIND HUNTERS (2004). The film is directed by Renny Harlin and is written by Wayne Kramer and Kevin Broobin. The ensemble cast includes: LL Cool J, Jonny Lee Miller, Kathryn Morris, Patricia Velasquez, Clifton Collins Jr., Eion Bailey, Will Kemp, Val Kilmer, and Christian Slater.

A plot summary is going to be a little difficult, because I don’t want to spoil any of it; thus, I’ll just give a brief overview. The movie deals with a group of FBI students, who are profilers, as they prepare to take their final field examination. Their slightly sadistic instructor, played by Val Kilmer, takes them to an island which is set up as a Navy/FBI training facility. The students are then told that they have to piece together clues to find a serial killer, named “the puppeteer”, who is on the island with them. But, the students quickly find out that there is more to the exam and their true profiling skills are put to the test. Like I said, I can’t really explain too much – there are many twists and turns that will keep you guessing up until the end.

I really liked MIND HUNTERS; I remember seeing a trailer for it back in 2004, but it just came and went, seemingly, with little attention paid to it. I think that it is a very exciting, suspenseful, and interesting film, much in the vein of other “forensic” horror, such as THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, SEVEN and television shows such as “Bones”, “CSI”, and “Dexter”. Director Renny Harlin did a great job with this film and I think he deserves a little credit – many people get down on him, much like they get down on Uwe Boll. Yes, like any other director, he has some films that weren’t that great, but I feel that he has made some quality pictures. MIND HUNTERS may be his best work, to date, and I have to say, I am never bored by a Renny Harlin film – he has a flashy, almost eye-candy style which, I feel, is fresh and exciting.

The storyline of this film is basically a modern, stylish take on the classic “whodunit” thriller. The suspense really just seemed to build and build and I found myself eager to see what happened next – the movie really drew me in. The pacing is just perfect; there is not a dull moment or any lagging dialogue to hinder the film – it is excitement all the way. Yeah, there are a few implausible elements, but they are like the sort of things you would see in a 1980s action flick. Overall, I liked the whole forensic science element – it was an intelligent and interesting framework for the story (if the characters were not forensic profilers, just normal people, it would not have been as successful).

Regarding other details, the acting was pretty good and seemed to go beyond the typical action/horror banter - the cast seemed to have a genuine chemistry and each person added a different element to the story (almost like CLUE, in a way). The special effects were really good and innovative – there are some very original ways to die. Photographically, the movie looks beautiful – as I said before, Renny Harlin has a distinct visual style. Last but not least, the music fit really well and was a mix of industrial and classical scoring.

Cutting to the chase, MIND HUNTERS is a really good movie. It was entertaining, exciting, suspenseful and involving. It really was a pleasant surprise and it may have been one of the better films of that year (I don’t really remember much else from 2004). The Roanoke story does fit in with the film – it is an important element and it is a nice historical perspective ala “Highlander: The Series”. So, if you like “forensic” horror and you like a good old fashioned murder mystery, give MIND HUNTERS a try. Then, go profile your friends and neighbors – believe me it’s not time wasted!