Top 10 Films About Serial Killers
Serial killers have often attracted a certain fascination, and these movies explore those killers better than most! WatchMojo presents the Top 10 Movies About Serial Killers! But what movie will take the top spot on our list? Will it be Monster, Zodiac, or Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer? Watch to find out!
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They can be gruesome and exploitative, but also entertaining at times. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Movies About Serial Killers.
For this list, we’ll be looking at films about the lives and crimes of serial killers. While these aren’t documentaries per se, we’re only considering those that tell the stories of real-life serial killers. This means that very loose, or “inspired by” stories and characters (like Leatherface and Ed Gein) won’t be included, but movies that take some liberties are permitted.
#10: “Dahmer” (2002)
While “Dahmer” isn’t perfect, it definitely has a few good things going for it. For one, Jeremy Renner is spectacular as Jeffrey Dahmer, arguably the sickest serial killer in history. He imbues Dahmer with both a horrific sense of psychopathy, while remaining, bizarrely, almost relatable. It’s a tricky tightrope-walk of a performance, but Renner miraculously pulls it off. The movie also explores Dahmer’s character in a way that other adaptations may be too afraid of or unwilling to do. While he is a psychopath through-and-through, we come to understand his twisted motivations through the writing and Renner’s complex performance. It’s a little low-budget and rough around the edges, but Renner makes it all worthwhile.
#9: “The Boston Strangler” (1968)
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Let’s face it, most movies about real serial killers are cheap, drab affairs, but not “The Boston Strangler.” Richard Fleischer directed, and it stars Hollywood A-listers Henry Fonda and Tony Curtis, who received a Golden Globe nomination for his work. The movie was extremely controversial upon its release in 1968; this was not only for its content, but because many critics considered it exploitative and immoral.The movie plays fast and loose with the facts - Albert DeSalvo most definitely did not suffer from multiple personality disorder -but the performances and production values are all so good that we can see past the fabrications.
#8: “Helter Skelter” (1976)
“Helter Skelter” was adapted from the 1974 Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry true crime book, which covered the infamous murders and trials of the Manson Family. It aired on CBS over two nights in 1976. While you might expect a made-for-TV movie from the ‘70s to be less-than-great, the film perfectly captures the pandemonium, hysteria, and sheer shock of the events. Steve Railsback is straight-up horrifying as Charles Manson - just look at those eyes! - and the movie provides viewers with a highly detailed and factual representation of the infamous case. It was nominated for three Emmys and a Directors Guild of America award, proving that serial killer movies and prestige can in fact go hand-in-hand.
#7: “To Catch a Killer” (1992)
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“To Catch a Killer” is another television movie, but, like “Helter Skelter,” the fact that it was made for television does nothing to negatively impact its quality. The movie follows Michael Riley’s Lieutenant Kozenczak as he becomes suspicious of the charming and popular John Wayne Gacy, who is played spectacularly by Brian Dennehy. This movie is different from most, in that it does not depict Gacy’s killings. It’s more interested in the cat-and-mouse game between the police and Gacy, and as such, it’s more like a detective film than anything else. It forgoes blood and guts to tell a more intense and personal story, and it’s all the better for it.
#6: “The Deliberate Stranger” (1986)
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Hey, look, another made-for-TV movie! We guess major Hollywood studios don’t enjoy exploring the topic of serial killers. This one aired on NBC in 1986 and stars Mark Harmon as Ted Bundy, one of the most infamous serial killers of all time. Harmon is magnetic as Bundy, earning a Golden Globe nomination and the praise of Polly Nelson, Bundy’s real lawyer, who called Harmon and the film “stunningly accurate.” As it was made for TV, the movie omits the grisly details of Bundy’s crimes, but Harmon’s chillingly charming performance is scarier than blood and gore could ever be. It’s the killers, not the blood, who fascinate us, and “The Deliberate Stranger” knows it.
#5: “10 Rillington Place” (1971)
This movie depicts the story of John Christie, an English man who killed eight or more people at the titular 10 Rillington Place between 1943 and 1953. What makes this film so captivating is its authenticity. Richard Attenborough is mesmerizing as Christie, and John Hurt received a BAFTA nomination for his work as Timothy Evans, the man who was falsely accused of Christie’s crimes. The house’s exterior scenes were shot on the actual real-life street - although they were forced to film in nearby #7 rather than the historic #10. This helps bring the story to life, and immerses us in some of the notorious crimes in English history.
#4: “Snowtown” (2011)
The Snowtown murders rocked Australia in the 1990s. Also known as the bodies-in-barrels murders, the Snowtown murders were committed by three young men (with the help of a fourth) who considered their victims “weak” members of society. The film pulls no punches – it’s a brutal, visceral experience, which is aided by the director’s choice to use real locals rather than professional actors for most of the roles. “Snowtown” serves as Justin Kurzel’s feature directorial debut, although you wouldn’t know it; the movie is professionally made, and the realistic approach it takes may be enough to turn a few viewers’ stomachs. This is real horror based on real events, and it makes for a highly disturbing watch.
#3: “Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer” (1986)
This film is an interesting anomaly on our list; it’s based on the (many, many) actual confessions of real-life murderer Henry Lee Lucas, but the majority of them were subsequently revealed to be false. However, the infamy of this case and the fact that the big screen Henry shares many experiences of the non-fictional serial killer place it here. Michael Rooker brilliantly portrays Henry, and Tom Towles plays Otis, a character based on the real Ottis Toole. The movie is a bleak, uncompromising, and realistic portrayal of a psychopath, and as such, it was immediately slapped with an X rating by the MPAA. It has remained controversial throughout the years due to its content, although the film’s direction and Rooker’s terrifying performance have remained consistently praised – despite it not being an easy watch by any means.
#2: “Monster” (2003)
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There is one overwhelming reason to see this movie: Charlize Theron. Theron is completely unrecognizable (both physically and mentally) as serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Theron was showered with accolades for her performance as the john-murdering prostitute, winning a SAG Award, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award, not to mention having Roger Ebert call it “one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema.” So, yeah, we think she did okay. Her portrayal allows us to both fear and feel sorry for Aileen, a killer haunted by mental illness and the circumstances of her tragic life. It’s both harrowing and heartbreaking.
#1: “Zodiac” (2007)
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Ah, if only all serial killer movies could be as good as “Zodiac.” David Fincher - who knows a thing or two about onscreen murder - directs, and the movie stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey, Jr. as the men hunting for the enigmatic Zodiac Killer of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. This is a thriller done right – the performances are outstanding, the content dark and dreary, and the murder scenes (few as they may be) disturbingly realistic. “Zodiac” is an unsettling and captivating look into one of the most infamous cold cases of all time, and it’ll have you researching the Zodiac Killer long after the credits roll.
