AN EARLY MEETING OF "LIKE MINDS"

What is it with our fascination with psychopaths? I guess it has something to do with the fact that they are the closest thing we have to an alien species. Seeming like any one of us in so many ways, and yet not quite the same. I think it also has something to with the charisma often associated with psychopaths as well. I mean, I have not (to my knowledge) ever met a psychopath but they do seem to put across a bit more of a certain something than your average guy (they generally are guys. Female psychopaths exist but are much rarer). I mean, to the point that I did read an article somewhere that analysed the common traits between psychopaths and successful entrepreneurs, which in itself tells us something or other about the state of the business world today. But I digress. Well, not really.

Like Minds is the story of a psychopath in the making. Alex, the 17 year old son of the headmaster of a very privileged school is being held in custody at the local police station. The charge? The murder of a fellow student, Nigel and possible links to other heinous crimes committed in the area. However, the explanation he provides for the death of his friend is so bizarre that a forensic psychologist has to be brought in. The police chief is sure he’s as guilty as sin but Susan, the psychologist is not that sure. Alex’s tale is one of those yarns that is so tall it just might be too fantastic to be imagined up. He speaks of a world marked with mind games, manipulation and obsession. And as Susan plunges deeper and deeper into this case, one thing becomes painfully clear. Finding the identity of Nigel’s killer is not going to be as easy as it seems. 

Now you might, as I was, be slightly sceptical as to how many more psychopath movies you can take. I mean, yes, we are rather fascinated by this particular kind of killer, especially in harmless movie form. However, this also means that the market is fairly saturated with films about them. And not all of the “saturation” is of the same quality. In this cinematic multitude however, Like minds stands out as certainly a lot more than “just tolerable”.  The performances by the two leads, Eddie Redmayne – who later edged into the limelight with My week with Marilyn among other films and Tom Sturridge are quite superb. And the film gives a rather spine chilling “blow by blow” (if you pardon the pun) account of how a psychopath is born. How, if you will, the step is taken from “tendency” to reality.

I mean yes, it has to be said, there are bits – especially towards the end – that unfortunately slip into the slightly stilted. There were bits where a little originality (though of course I couldn’t say what – but that’s originality for you!) would have been very welcome indeed. Then again though, like I said, Like Minds, for all its original features, is a member of a large extended family, as we have just discussed, so I guess there is bound to be a “family resemblance”. I only wish it wasn’t from the “cliché” branch of the family. But nonetheless, I was easily able to overlook them and have a positively nail-biting time. And that says something, given the quantity of crime drama I watch. Let’s see what you lot make of it.