What makes a serial killer tick? That is the question in viewers’ minds every time a new serial killer film is released. Serial killer films invoke fear and curiosity that many audiences just can’t resist which is why moviegoers remain fascinated by these chilling tales of the most twisted of minds.
Despite the sub-genre becoming popular in the 1970s and 80s when slasher films dominated the horror industry, great serial killer films have been in the theatres since the early 1900s, and the best of them still intrigue audiences today. From a nearly forgotten 1960s masterpiece to the most rewatchable blockbusters from the golden era of horror, here is a deep dive into the 13 all-time-best serial killer movies.
13Psycho (1960)
Created by Robert Bloch, Psycho is widely seen as the film that made slasher horror popular. Psycho’s main antagonist/protagonist, Norman Bates, has also become the living symbol of ‘the killer next door.’ Psycho follows a young secretary, Marion Crane, who steals $40,000 from her boss, hoping to elope with her boyfriend Sam. However, her escape is thwarted when she ends up staying at the infamous Bates motel.
The film also spawned a franchise that has seen different stages and versions of Norman Bates emerge over the years. The film was way ahead of its time, exploring the idea of abuse being a trigger for serial killers.
All future remakes have sympathized with Bates, turning him into one of the most likable, yet feared, serial killers ever created as viewers fear for the moment the evil personality takes over him.
12Zodiac (2007)
The Zodiac Killer remains one of the most famous unsolved serial killer cases in American history. The serial killer terrorized Northern California in the 1960s and 1970s, although some accounts suggest that his murders may have started earlier. The killer developed a habit of sending encrypted letters to news organizations and taunting the police with letters and memorabilia from his victims causing more outrage around the cases.
Directed by David Fincher, the film follows a crime reporter, a political cartoonist and police inspector from San Francisco whose lives are consumed by the daunting hunt for the killer.
Zodiac wasn’t a huge commercial success when it was released but the depth of research used has made it one of the best true-story crime dramas of the 21st century.
It was directed by David Fincher (Director of Se7en) who conducted an extensive research into the Zodiac murders for 18 months before creating the film.
11Taxi Driver (1976)
Taxi Driver tells the story of Travis Bickle, a Vietnam War veteran who picks up taxi driving around NYC as a way of dealing with his deteriorating mental health. While on his rides, Travis develops dark thoughts after being vexed by the moral decay of the city’s nightlife. The film follows Travis through his mental decline as he starts giving in to to his dark thoughts.
Taxi Driver gives one of the best insights into the making of a serial killer without turning off viewers. Despite facing criticism for extreme violence and inspiring the attempted assasination of a US president, it remains one of the best serial killer films ever created. It is a slow burner that builds intensely into a dark climax with all the makings of a blockbuster film.
Its eccentric storyline with a troubled war veteran at the heart of the plot proved way ahead of its time as the film remains relevant with modern audiences.
10Copycat (1995)
Copycat is the perfect example of how excellent directing and actors can transform a predictable script into a timeless masterpiece. The film follows Dr. Helen Hudson, a criminal psychologist who partners with a detective in a bid to catch a serial killer. The killer, who copies the murders committed by other killers on a list presented in one of Helen’s speeches, is revealed to be serving the perverted motives of another serial killer very close to Helen.
Copycat features one of the best partnerships of female lead actors in a serial killer movie. The performances of Dermot Mulroney and Sigourney Weaver bring light to the dark plot showing that victims can actually win against serial killers.
Presenting women as ultimate fighters rather than victims of serial killers, coupled by a suspenseful twist at the end has put the film among the best of all time.
9Badlands (1973)
Starring a famous Martin Sheen and a budding Sissy Spacek, Badlands is the film that bridged coming-of-age comedy and serial-killer horror in the 70s in a dramatic fashion. It follows 15-Year-old Holly Sargis and her boyfriend Kit Carruthers as they go on a killing spree across Montana’s Badlands after a disagreement with her father. Their short-lived life on the run makes them the country’s most feared killers as Holly’s simple youthful insolence gives in to her boyfriend’s twisted dark desires. Sissy Spacek’s performance as Holly, and her chemistry with Sheen bring the whole film to life.
Badlands’ plot is largely fictional although the events are inspired by the Charles Starkweather murders that happened in Nebraska and Wyoming in the 1950s. While it wasn’t the biggest commercial hit upon release, appreciation for the film’s slow-burner style horror has only grown over the years.
The pursuit of the lovers turned killers across the countryside is an intense cinematic experience that still stands out nearly half a century after the film was released.
8The Lovely Bones (2009)
Susie Salmon, a 14-year-old high school student, is attacked and killed by her neighbor. However, her disturbed soul refuses to enter heaven as she struggles with the choices of avenging her murder or allowing her family to heal. The Lovely Bones is arguably one of the saddest serial killer films ever created as it portrays the devastating impact of the murders from the eyes of the victims. Putting teenage girls at the heart of the plot only perpetuates the film’s dystopian theme as the victims jus seem hopeless at first.
Despite being widely criticized after release, the film’s story has earned a cultic following over the years as more people embrace its message of hope. It is a largely realistic portrayal of the devastation that hits families when they lose little girls to serial killers.
The film also features a heartwarming ending twist with a humorous message and poetic justice that gives viewers a long-needed relief.
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7Halloween (1978)
John Carpenter’s Halloween spawned one of the largest horror franchises of all time although none of them has surpassed the brilliance of the original. The film introduced the world to Michael Myers, a deranged 21-year-old killer who escapes a mental asylum after 15 years of incarceration for killing his sister while aged just 6. Upon escape, he drives to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, where he starts terrorizing residents. Although future films try to explain Myers’ mental breakdown, the original just presents him as the embodiment of pure evil with little explanation.
Halloween embodies Carpenter’s genius as a director, turning a rather straightforward storyline into a true masterpiece. It combines the styles of some of its best predecessors including Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
However, rather than focusing on the killer’s motivation, the film focuses on the chaos as victims quickly turn into heroes to fight evil.
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6The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011)
This is another David Fincher masterpiece featuring another James Bond-style performance by Daniel Craig. Craig plays Mikael Blomkvist, an investigative journalist who is forced to uncover the mystery of a woman that has been missing for 40 years in exchange for evidence to help him win a libel case against a corrupt billionaire. He hires the services of Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), a computer hacker with a dark past who is also dealing with a darkness of her own.
The film has a rich plot covering a wide range of contemporary and historical issues that invoke curiosity and anger in the audience. It was a commercial success globally with Craig and Mara receiving lots of praise for their chemistry and vibrant performances.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo brings a twist into the whole serial killer dynamic, proving that not everyone that has dark thoughts is evil.
5Se7en (1995)
Starring Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Gwyneth Paltrow, Se7en is a timeless thriller that comes to life largely because of the passionate performance of its central cast. It follows two detectives, William Somerset (a veteran detective with a week left to retire) and David Mills (a young detective that just transferred into the city), on their hunt for a serial killer that murders people based on the biblical concept of the seven deadly sins.
The film ends in what is arguably one of the most shocking twists in film history, hence its enduring appeal. The shocking ending was director David Fincher’s biggest gamble, and it paid off big time as it made the film stand out above the best slasher films of the 1990s.
Morgan Freeman’s final lines in the film have since become a mainstay phrase, making it a true masterpiece.
4Red Dragon (2002)
This is another Hannibal Lecter film based on Thomas Harris’ books which, despite not being as popular as The Silence of the Lambs, remains one of the highest rated serial killer films of all time. The plot follows Will Graham, the FBI agent that originally arrested Hannibal Lecter, as he tries to catch another serial killer named the Red Dragon. The serial killer is revealed to be an admirer of Hannibal Lecter, a connection that leads to Will Graham.
Although it doesn’t have the most original of storylines, the film has a deep plot that draws in the viewer. Its climax is also another twist that brings viewers closer to understanding why Hannibal Lecter isn’t the worst serial killer in the world after all.
Red Dragon (Ralph Fieness) is also revealed to have been abused as a child, giving viewers the combination of a Hannibal Lecter and a Norman Bates which is a rare combination to have in a single film.
3American Psycho (2000)
Set in the 1980s, American Psycho follows Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), a successful NYC investment banker who doubles up as a serial killer. His string of murders in the film starts with a colleague whom he doesn’t like. However, a twist at the end of the film reveals that there is more to Bateman’s crimes than simply a deranged killer’s acts of violence. The film wasn’t the biggest of successes when it was first released, but fans have continued to appreciate the depth of its plot and Bale’s electric performance over the years.
American Psycho has the chaos that fans expect from a typical horror film, but with the twist of a dream blue-collar lifestyle that no one associates with such acts.
A remake of the film, directed by Luca Guadagnino is in the works as the studios hope to capitalize on the film’s enduring appeal that its immediate remake didn’t quite capitalize on.
2The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
A group of five teenagers driving through Newt Muerto County, Texas, run into a family of cannibals led by a chainsaw-wielding killer with a mask made of human skin known as Leatherface. Like Psycho, events in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre were inspired by the crimes of the serial Ed Gein, although the whole film wasn’t based on any true story as it was marketed at the time of its release. The film still went on to spawn one of the biggest horror franchises of all time as moviegoers continue to flock the theaters to catch a glimpse of different versions of Leatherface.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre initially struggled to find a distributor after MPAA gave it the R rating, but its eccentric storyline proved resilient. The film’s modest budget meant it couldn’t cast any big names. However, the extreme gore, which closely related to trending media stories at the time resonated with many viewers and still does today.
The franchise continues to enjoy a huge following with its main villain, Leatherface, becoming the embodiment of the typical American serial killer.
1The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
This is the film that introduced the world to Dr. Hannibal Lecter, an intelligent forensic psychiatrist who is also a violent cannibalistic serial killer. In the film, a young FBI trainee, Clarice Starling is sent by his supervisor to interview the incarcerated Hannibal in her bid to find a raging serial killer known as ‘Buffalo Bill’ who preys on young women. However, the mission to profile Lecter proves tough as Clarice soon finds herself bending to his twisted mind, turning their whole encounter into an intriguing psychological battle.
The Silence Of The Lambs became one of the highest-grossing films of the year, earning a whopping $272 million on a $19 million budget. It also spawned a franchise that has seen Hannibal Lecter become one of the most famous onscreen serial killers ever.
The focus on the mind of the serial killer rather than just his kills shifted the appeal of the film’s horror from violence and gore to a psychological one as viewers were challenged to understand a serial killer’s twisted mind.
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Conclusion
From heartbreaking stories told from the perspective of the victims to all out chaos orchestrated by the most deranged of killers, the film industry is obsessed with serial killer movies. However, deep tales with an innovative approach to the narrative of killers are on the decline as a shortage of creativity hits the industry.
These 13 films are still relevant as their gripping tales still cause viewers to shudder, some as old as 50 years since they were released.
Written by Billy Oduory
