Stephen King is the undisputed king of the thriller and horror genres after publishing dozens of novels and nearly 200 short stories. So if he ever backs a new film, television show or book, you know it's going to be as nerve-rackingly good as his own work.
If you've watched Netflix's newest release Mindhunter then you already know it's good.
But if you need a nudge to put it on the telly, then check out the thoughts of horror master Stephen King, who called it 'jaw-dropping' on tKing's glowing review.
His tweet says: "MINDHUNTER, on Netflix: Strongly recommended. Other than a jaw-dropping moment in the first episode, very little gore."
When you think about anything to do with serial killers, you might think of Saw, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Natural Born Killers. But this programme is much more about the psyche of serial killers, rather than the horrific or violent acts they commit.
Set in 1979, Jonathon Groff (Looking, Glee) and Holt McCallany (Sully, Gangster Squad) play two FBI agents, Holden Ford and Bill Tench, who try to talk with imprisoned murderers to try and crack ongoing cases. Their characters are based on real-life agents John E Douglas and Robert Ressler, who helped develop law enforcement's understanding of the psychology of a serial killer. The term 'serial killer' hadn't even really been coined until the late 70s, despite there being plenty of mass murderers, such as the notable Jack the Ripper, before this time.
It's similar to the plot behind Silence of the Lambs, where the FBI recruits Hannibal Lecter to help find serial killer Buffalo Bill. That's because Douglas was the inspiration for the character Jack Crawford, who is Jodie Foster's fictional boss in the thriller.
Ressler was also a pioneer of psychological profiling, after dealing with cases involving Ted Bundy, Richard Chase and John Joubert. He interviewed 36 imprisoned serial killers in order to draw up profiles of people who typically select their victims at random.
But if you don't think Stephen King's word has sold you, it's currently rating 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critical aggregator stating: "Mindhunter distinguishes itself in a crowded genre with ambitiously cinematic visuals and a meticulous attention to character development."
David Fincher and Charlize Theron are the executive producers behind the show, who have adapted the screenplay from Mark Olshaker and John E Douglas's book Mind Hunter: Inside FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit.
Fincher is the man behind such incredible films as Se7en, Fight Club, The Social Network and Gone Girl. That alone is a big enough clue that this series should have you both amazed and on the edge of your seat.
Sources: Rotten Tomatoes
Topics: Mindhunter, FBI, Netflix, Stephen King, TV Show, Serial Killer
