Movies about Serial Killers: Best Films

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1931 - 20188 Films17h 4m4.7 Average

This watch list presents a diverse selection of exceptional serial killer movies, showcasing masterful filmmaking across different eras and approaches. Fritz Lang's M established the template in 1931 with its groundbreaking psychological depth and social commentary. Dario Argento's Deep Red perfected the Italian giallo style with stunning visuals and elaborate set pieces.

Jonathan Demme's The Silence of the Lambs became the genre's definitive achievement, winning Best Picture and creating an indelible cultural icon in Hannibal Lecter. David Fincher contributes two masterworks: Se7en's nihilistic thriller about a methodical killer using the seven deadly sins, and Zodiac's meticulous procedural about obsession and unsolved mystery.

Mary Harron's American Psycho offers brilliant satire on 1980s excess, while Bong Joon Ho's Memories of Murder brings a Korean perspective to the procedural format. Finally, Lars von Trier's The House That Jack Built provides provocative art cinema examining the mind of a killer across decades.

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1
M poster

M

19311h 49m4.9
DramaThrillerCrime
Original Title: M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder
Director: Fritz Lang
Cast: Peter Lorre, Ellen Widmann, Inge Landgut, Otto Wernicke, Theodor Loos

In this classic German thriller, a serial killer who preys on children becomes the target of both a massive police manhunt and the criminal underworld of Berlin. As the net closes around him, the murderer finds himself trapped between law enforcement and criminals alike in a tense pursuit of justice.

2
Deep Red poster

Deep Red

19752h 7m4.6
HorrorMysteryThriller
Original Title: Profondo rosso
Director: Dario Argento
Cast: David Hemmings, Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia, Macha Méril, Eros Pagni

An English pianist in Rome witnesses his psychic neighbor's brutal murder and teams up with a determined reporter to track down the killer using unconventional methods.

3
The Silence of the Lambs poster

The Silence of the Lambs

19911h 59m5
CrimeThrillerDrama
Director: Jonathan Demme
Cast: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Anthony Heald

FBI trainee Clarice Starling must interview the brilliant but dangerous Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a cannibalistic serial killer, to gain insights that could help catch another murderer.

4
Se7en poster

Se7en

19952h 7m5
CrimeMysteryThriller
Director: David Fincher
Cast: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, John Cassini, Peter Crombie

Two homicide detectives hunt a methodical serial killer whose murders are inspired by the seven deadly sins in this dark psychological thriller. The seasoned detective Somerset and his impulsive partner Mills must decode the killer's twisted philosophy before he completes his deadly masterpiece.

5
American Psycho poster

American Psycho

20001h 42m4.4
ThrillerDramaCrime
Director: Mary Harron
Cast: Christian Bale, Justin Theroux, Josh Lucas, Bill Sage, Chloë Sevigny

A wealthy New York investment banker maintains a polished exterior while concealing his disturbing psychopathic tendencies from colleagues and friends.

6
Memories of Murder poster

Memories of Murder

20032h 11m4.9
CrimeDramaThriller
Original Title: 살인의 추억
Director: Bong Joon Ho
Cast: Song Kang-ho, Kim Sang-kyung, Kim Roi-ha, Song Jae-ho, Byun Hee-bong

In 1980s South Korea, three desperate detectives with conflicting methods race against time to catch a sadistic serial killer terrorizing a small province. Based on true events, this dark thriller follows their increasingly futile investigation into the violent crimes.

7
Zodiac poster

Zodiac

20072h 37m4.5
CrimeMysteryThriller
Director: David Fincher
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards, Robert Downey Jr., Chloë Sevigny

A cartoonist becomes obsessed with solving the identity of the Zodiac Killer, who terrorized San Francisco with a series of murders and cryptic letters to newspapers. As professional interest in the case wanes over the years, he continues his dangerous pursuit of the truth.

8
The House That Jack Built poster

The House That Jack Built

20182h 32m4.1
DramaHorrorCrimeThriller
Director: Lars von Trier
Cast: Matt Dillon, Bruno Ganz, Uma Thurman, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Sofie Gråbøl

A failed architect turned serial killer recounts his most elaborate murders over twelve years, viewing each crime as a twisted work of art that defines his dark legacy.