The best serial killer movies recommendations are indeed very interesting to discuss. Usually, the identity of the criminal in this type of movie tends to be mysterious. During the movie, we will continue to find out who exactly is the brain behind the series of murders.
There are several movies about serial killers that we highly recommend you watch. Some of them are from Hollywood, or even outside of Hollywood. Here are some recommendations for the best serial killer movies.
Best Serial Killer Movies Recommendations
12. My Friend Dahmer (2017)
The movie My Friend Dahmer was released in 2017 adapting a true story. The movie was inspired by the story of Jeffrey Dahmer, a notorious serial killer.
My Friend Dahmer highlights the life journey of Dahmer, who has committed a series of horrific crimes over the years, including rape, murder, and brutal mutilation.
In addition to his heinous acts, he was also a psychopath with a very cold nature. His innocent and nerdy appearance did not reflect Dahmer’s true character.
11. The Call (2020)
This South Korean movie tells the story of a mysterious phone that keeps ringing. However, when picked up, the phone brings disaster to Seo-yeon. Frequent communication led Seo-yeon and Young-sook to a close friendship.
However, secrets from the past and the future that are revealed change the dynamics of their relationship to become increasingly strained.
10. Monster (2003)
The tenth best serial killer movie recommendation is titled Monster which was released in 2003. This movie is based on the true story of a serial killer named Aileen Wuornos.
Aileen Wuornos is the most brutal female serial killer in American history. Her profession as a prostitute in Florida brought her together with 7 men who eventually became murder victims at Wuornos’ hands between 1989 and 1990.
The film, which is the debut work of director Patty Jenkins, shows in detail the psychological profile of the killer that Charlize Theron plays brilliantly.
Wuornos was planning to stop her illegal work, especially after being raped by the man who was her first murder victim. Unfortunately, not a single company or workplace would accept Wuornos.
To survive, Wuornos resumed his profession and killed each of his customers and looted their property.
Selby, his partner, realized that some of the murders reported by the media were the result of Wuornos’ actions. Selby’s departure left Wuornos without a purpose in life and he was eventually arrested with ease in a bar. In court, Wuornos was given the death penalty which he executed in 2002.
Thanks to her outstanding acting in this film, Charlize Theron won all the awards for the Best Actress category from the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, SAG Awards, to Independent Spirit Awards.
9. Scream (1996)
The next recommended serial killer movie is Scream. Wes Craven is the director of this movie, with a script by Kevin Williamson. Williamson said that the screenplay was inspired by true events about the Gainesville Ripper serial killer.
The plot centers on a group of young people who are targeted by a mysterious killer wearing the iconic Ghostface mask.
The character continues to scare and kill the teenagers one by one, creating an atmosphere of tension and suspicion among them. After his debut in this movie, Ghostface became a famous character and a new symbol in the slasher movie genre.
Although initially released as a standard horror movie, Scream was a huge success both in terms of quality and sales. It won several awards and pioneered the slasher film genre in the 1990s.
The movie also features Neve Campbell and several other stars such as Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, and Matthew Lillard. Their performances contributed to the formation of prominent characters in the movie.
8. American Psycho (2000)
The next best serial killer movies recommendation is the movie featuring Christian Bale, American Psycho.
American Psycho is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis. Set in the 1980s, the film centers on the character of Patrick Bateman. Bateman is a successful young executive on Wall Street.
Despite his good looks, intelligence and wealth, Bateman is actually a psychopath with an obsession for violence and brutality. Bateman hid this vile side behind his luxurious life and successful career. He was involved in several brutal murders and merciless acts of cruelty.
The film also highlighted the emptiness and dehumanization in the business and social world of Manhattan at that time. Bale gave a standout performance in portraying Bateman, thus increasing his popularity.
David Cronenberg and Oliver Stone originally directed the movie, but then Mary Harron replaced them. Harron chose to add elements of satire and dark humor to the story.
7. Badlands (1973)
Next up is Badlands, a movie released in 1973. Holly feels uncomfortable living with her father since her mother died a few years ago. After meeting Kit, a 25-year-old Korean War veteran, Holly’s behavior becomes increasingly out of control.
Kit persuades Holly to run away after killing her father. Everyone they meet, including the police, is always a victim of Kit’s murder. Holly, who is getting tired, finally turns herself in.
This neo-noir crime drama is Terrence Malick’s directorial debut. Its spare visual aesthetic is at odds with the dark and violent narrative. Thanks to great acting from Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek, the movie has been entered into the National Film Registry.
Terrence Malick drew inspiration for this movie from the murder Charles Starkweather and his girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate, committed in 1958.
Although the murders they commit are often considered serial killers, they don’t actually meet the criteria.
However, due to their murderous motives based on mental disorders that lead to relentless murderous behavior, the police still classify them as serial killers. This is also depicted in the movie.
6. Zodiac (2007)
The Zodiac Killer is a notorious serial murder case that American police have yet to solve. This series of murders took place in the late 1960s to early 1970s in San Francisco.
Based on the perpetrator’s claims through letters containing secret codes that he sent to the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper office, the number of victims reached 37 people. David Fincher’s mystery thriller chronicles the investigation into the Zodiac Killer by police and journalists from the Chronicle.
Robert Graysmith, a cartoonist, was initially approached to sketch the perpetrators of the survivors, and then he began trying to solve the riddles sent by the Zodiac. Although the Zodiac’s profile was matched with several people, all of them proved to be innocent.
The case remains unsolved. In 1986, Robert released a book about his investigation into the case and named Arthur Leigh Allen as the prime suspect. However, until Arthur died in 1992, the police had not been able to investigate further.
5. The Chaser (2008)
The next best serial killer movies comes from South Korea, The Chaser. The Chaser was released in 2008 and is a movie by Na Hong-jin. The movie tells the story of Joong-ho (Kim Yoon-seok), a former detective who operates in the nightlife. Joong-ho begins to suspect something is wrong when several women who worked for him disappear without a trace.
Through his personal investigation, Joong-ho discovers that a serial killer has been kidnapping and killing these women. The situation becomes even more urgent when his daughter is also kidnapped by the same killer, forcing Joong-ho to race against time to save his daughter.
The movie is set in a red-light district and features a nightlife scene in South Korea, which further strengthens the plot.
The Chaser is one of the high-quality South Korean thrillers that can compete on the international stage. The film has received numerous accolades and won several awards, including Best Director at the Asia Pacific Film Festival and Best Film at the Fantasia Film Festival.
4. Memories of Murder (2003)
Next still comes from South Korea, Memories of Murder. This Bong Joon-ho directed movie first aired in 2003. The plot is based on real events, namely murders in South Korea in the 1980s.
The movie tells the story of three detectives, Park Doo-man (Song Kang-ho), Cho Yong-koo (Kim Roi-ha), and Seo Tae-yoon (Kim Sang-kyung), who are tasked with uncovering a series of sadistic murders in a small town.
They experienced various challenges and obstacles in their investigation process, mainly due to the limited technology at their disposal to identify the perpetrators, which left them feeling frustrated and hopeless.
Memories of Murder not only focuses on the pursuit of a killer, but also highlights themes of injustice and trauma experienced in the process. Memories of Murder is one of the earliest films that established Bong Joon-ho as a talented director.
He went on to win international awards with films such as Parasite, making his name even more famous and getting many offers to direct other major films.
3. Psycho (1960)
The third recommendation for a serial killer movie is the old-school movie from the 1960s, Psycho.
Marion Crane escaped with $40,000 belonging to her client. The woman, who works as a secretary in the city of Phoenix, then stayed at an isolated hotel to calm herself down after almost being caught by the police on the streets.
Marion is welcomed by Norman Bates, the hotel owner who has mental problems due to his mother’s domination in the past. Marion is murdered by Norman while taking a bath and her body is dumped into a swamp.
When Marion’s sister Lila tried to find her brother, she suspected Norman and managed to arrest him. At the police station, Norman confessed to having killed two other young women before Marion and that he also suffered from multiple personality disorder.
This psychological horror thriller is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best works. It is considered one of the best films of all time and has been included in the National Film Registry.
Norman Bates has even become a famous icon in the horror genre and has inspired many other serial killers in the movie industry. Reportedly, the Norman Bates character was inspired by Ed Gain, a killer who performed his acts in Wisconsin in the late 1950s.
2. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
This best serial killer movie recommendation has one of the highest ratings on IMDb.
Clarice Starling is temporarily dismissed from the academy to accept the special assignment of interviewing Hannibal Lecter. In her quest to understand Hannibal’s way of thinking, Clarice hopes to find clues to pursue a serial killer known as Buffalo Bill, who is notorious for skinning his all-female victims.
Hannibal, who felt lied to, initially refused to cooperate with Clarice. However, after experiencing harassment from another prisoner, Hannibal agrees to help provided he can be transferred to another prison.
When a senator’s daughter is kidnapped and the FBI asks Hannibal for help, he adds a new condition. In addition to the transfer, he also wants to swap the information he has with Clarice’s personal profile.
Jonathan Demme’s psychological horror film is considered the best adaptation of the novel by Thomas Harris. The excellence of this movie is not only in the interesting plot, but also in the extraordinary acting of Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster.
In this movie, Hannibal Lecter, a serial killer and cannibal, assists the FBI in figuring out Buffalo Bill’s mindset before more victims are found. The psychological battle between Hannibal and Clarice is very tense and affects the mind and mentality of the audience.
The FBI succeeded in finding the murderer thanks to the analysis and notes from Hannibal interpreted by Clarice.
1. Se7en (1995)
The best serial killer movie recommendation that comes first on this list is Se7en.
In a serial murder investigation, two detectives are sent to investigate. They are the nearly retired William Somerset and the young and energetic David Mills.
They discovered that after three victims, the killer applied the seven cardinal sins to his victims. When the case seemed to be in a deadlock, the killer surprisingly surrendered. He takes the two detectives to a clearing and promises there will be two final victims there.
After opening a box meant for him, David got angry and shot the assassin dead. Although dead, the assassin had successfully completed his mission.
David Fincher’s crime thriller has become a cult movie due to the strength of its story and the actors’ performances that perfectly fit their roles.
Despite the overly graphic representation of the victims that caused the film to be criticized, it is now recognized as one of the best mystery films.
The killer clearly demands seven victims to complete his mission. The ending is quite a shock to the audience, where the genius of the killer is apparent, leaving the two detectives helpless.
The seven major sins are lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, anger, envy and pride.
These are our 12 recommendations for the best serial killer movies of all time. Some of them are based on true events which adds to the chilling effect.
The mysterious existence of serial killers means that most of them have managed to escape capture with many cases still unsolved.
Don’t miss the chance to watch these exciting movies!
