MovieChat Forums > Mindhunters (2005) Discussion > It's too obvious who the killer is for t...

It's too obvious who the killer is for the wrong reasons (spoilers)

posted 11 years ago by Martialhorror
11 replies | jump to latest

Okay, if you're smart enough, you will see plenty of clues pointing to Lucas (Miller) being the killer- he doesn't drink the coffee, his reflection can vaguely be seen when he kills Kilmer's character, he is directly tied in with every death of event (like telling that one dude to turn off the water).

But for me, it was even more obvious for another reason- No one ever suspects him. It's a common conventional that the killer is the last person the movie throws suspicion on. Just look at the order.

1) Gabe (LL Cool J)- The first major suspect. A clue that he's probably innocent is he's trying to explain himself, but these so called geniuses keep interrupting him.

2) Rafe- While only brief, he's accused because he was the one who made the coffee.

3) Vince- I don't know the order of this, but Vince briefly comes under suspicion twice- when he's acting creepy towards LL Cool J and when he refuses to give up his gun. Also, him knowing the lost colony story disturbs Gabe.

4) Bobby- When he's explaining how the killer must know his *beep* everyone turns towards him, suspecting him for that reason. Then he dies.

5) Nicole- I don't really know if Nicole was ever a suspect, but the movie starts treating her actions with suspicion. She acts trigger happy and even Gabe says if she leaves, she wont be let back in.

6) Sara- Obviously.

7) Harris (Kilmer)- since his voice starts playing on speakers.

The only time Lucas is suspected at all is when Nicole points out he mentioned the water (leading to Bobby's death), but his line diffuses that pretty quickly. In essence, even when I saw this in 2004, I knew Lucas was the killer because the movie kept throwing its suspicion on everyone else.

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[–] member-id 11 years ago

And his accent, quite terrible.

[–] Dinosaw 11 years ago

you will see plenty of clues pointing to Lucas (Miller) being the killer- he doesn't drink the coffee, his reflection can vaguely be seen when he kills Kilmer's character, he is directly tied in with every death of event (like telling that one dude to turn off the water).

I don't quite remember, but I don't think we saw everyone drinking their coffee?

The reflection, as you said, was "vague", and so it was - It could've been Gabe's, Sarah's or even Vince's (who happens to walk).

The only time Lucas is suspected at all is when Nicole points out he mentioned the water (leading to Bobby's death), but his line diffuses that pretty quickly.

At least one person suspected him.

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[–] Dauw 10 years ago

I'm not quite sure how the OP can say that nobody suspected Lucas. Nicole mentioned the thing with the water, yes, and Gabe also suspected Lucas. He started accusing Lucas, and Lucas said something to the effect of "I wouldn't be the first one out if I knew there was a bomb on the boat, genius" and Gabe replies "then again, maybe you would", implying he had it all planned out to make himself look innocent.

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[–] lydiaann27 11 years ago

To me it became obvious when Lucas was shot thirty minutes before the end of the film. He was the main character that you expect to survive (after Sarah), so it didn't make sense for him to die with three people left and in a simple, non-puzzle way.
You also know from the very beginning that Gabe won't be the killer because that would just be way too easy. Any idiot would point fingers at him first. He is the outcast, the oddball, the obvious suspect. Making him the killer would have been the most cliché move.

[–] Dauw 10 years ago

I actually think it would have been a fun twist if Gabe had turned out to be the killer. Since he is the outsider and immediately pegged as the obvious suspect, you pretty much know there's no chance that he'll be the one. This, in my opinion, is the more cliché move. To paraphrase another poster, the wormy white guy in the friendzone never turns out to be the killer in movies like this, right?

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[–] SensualSeduce 11 years ago

It is always very easy to analyse these things and say you knew it all along.

IO never believe these people though. Everytime ive sat down with them to test them they always get it wrong and then towards the reveal they'll be like "oh I knew all along it was him I just didn't say" blah blah all the excuses come out.

I can say that you waited even longer to figure out it was lucas because the first time I pitted him as the main suspect (note, I say main suspect, not killer) is at the beginning when theyre having a drink and he places that bet with the other guy to get the girls number. I cant remember why though but if I do ill be sure to edit.

Still a fantastic and underrated movie.

[–] Shaheen03 10 years ago

About the bet for the girls number: Maybe you were suspicious of him because he said he set up the situation, and actually knew the girl in advance? That was kind of weird and unnecessary, if it was true.

[–] gothor 11 years ago

I actually agree. It was spoilercasting. I knew who the killer was within ten minutes, because he was a wormy white guy in a serial killer movie.

In Hollywood movies, serial killers always turn out to be wormy white guys. Not Mexicans or big black guys, or fragile, obvious Final Girls. Nope! Wormy white guys, every time. Especially wormy friendzone white guys. Nothing says, "I'm going to eat your face" like a wormy white guy in the friendzone.

For a second, I thought they were actually going to make L.L. the killer, which would have been really cool and unexpected. But nope, wormy white guy deep in the friendzone. Go fig.

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[–] ScorpionTDC 10 years ago

For a second, I thought they were actually going to make L.L. the killer, which would have been really cool and unexpected. But nope, wormy white guy deep in the friendzone. Go fig.

LOL. I felt the exact same way. Also agreed about some characters NOT fitting the killer standards. Pretty much everyone else was TOO obvious (Harris) or just all wrong to be this movie's serial killer by genre conventions (You mean the shrill Mexican girl, the standard heroine, and the guy in the wheel chair aren't the killer? Shocking!)

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[–] Mandingo609 10 years ago

That was without a doubt the funniest comment I've read on IMDB. Gold Star, My dude. Gold Star.

[–] ScorpionTDC 10 years ago

You forgot to mention that Nicole was portrayed as a shrill, trigger-happy idiot all film, which basically invalidates any suspicion she throws. But I called Lucas for the same reasons. Of the realistic candidates for the killer (Lucas, Gabe, Harris, Sarah), he was the only one not to have heavy suspicion thrown on him.

I actually thought the movie might have tricked me when it "revealed" Gabe as the killer and had Lucas die/survive (who I genuinely did think was dead at the time, considering it fit his "weakness" AND he was covered in bulletholes). Then Sarah made the clock comment and I was like "... nevermind."

Speaking of obvious, how about those survivors? The main female heroine and LL Cool J (aka the black guy who NEVER dies in horror/thriller movies) live? No way, say it ain't so! No one would call that

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