Over the years, theserial killer moviefan base has solidified even more, encouraging filmmakers to bring more and more macabre and heinous crime narratives to our screens. Even fans have welcomed such movies with open hands and have developed a sense of fascination with these twisted characters, who lack empathy and have no control over their actions, resulting in several brutal crimes. While some serial killers' roots come from their past traumatic experiences or some kind of abuse, others might simply be the result of being exposed to a violent environment or genetic abnormalities, but not all these factors are always the case or to be blamed because some serial killers are hard to comprehend — they are just psychopaths.
Despite their origin stories and whatever motivations they have to go on a killing spree, many of us get hooked on these films that keep us on the edge of our seats, making us curious about the killers' unpredictable moves while also making us feel sorry for the innocent victims. Even though devoted fans might have already watched famous movies likePsycho, Se7en, Hannibal,and others, we have picked some underratedNetflixserial killer movies for you so you don’t run out of intriguing serial killer content.
17The Murderer (2023)
If you’re looking for something a little different,The Murdereris a Thai film and a dark comedy with an intriguing plot. It takes place amid the backdrop of a string of murders in a small provincial town. Given the community’s closeness, the killings have residents shaken. A determined detective is soon on the trail of the murderer. A British man named Earl, who is married to a woman named Sai, soon sticks out. As a “farang”, Earl is a foreigner and is viewed with suspicion by everyone else in the community, even among his own in-laws. This makes him the prime suspect.
Dark Comedy About Killing and Social Issues
With subtlesocial commentary against racismand xenophobia and a dark comedic undertone,The Murderermakes for a morbidly entertaining film amid its fractious characters and themes. Director Wisit Sasanatieng previously directed the impressive filmsThe Whole TruthandTears of the Black Tiger, released in 2021 and 2000 respectively, with the former laying the foundation for the horror-based storytelling found here. If you’re looking for an unconventional serial killer film that also tackles social issues,The Murdereris a good pick.
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16In the Shadow of the Moon (2019)
A very creative and intriguing film,In the Shadow of the Moonstarred Boyd Holbrook as a cop who becomes obsessed with a single case to the point of his entire life crumbling around him. It all starts in 1988 with a string of mysterious deaths that have no logical explanation. Wanting to become a detective, Officer Lockhart begins investigating these strange deaths. He soon realizes that this is the work of a serial killer, though one that only appears every nine years, with seemingly no logical reason why. His obsession with the case begins to consume him, and he tragically ends up the only person convinced of his wild theory thatthe killer may be time-traveling. However, it later emerges that the entire reason and agenda of the killer has a far more significant societal purpose than initially meets the eye.
Serial Killer Drama with a Twist
With direction from Jim Mickle and an impressive lead performance from Boyd Holbrook (Gone Girl,Logan),In the Shadow of the Moonis a rare instance of science-fiction crossing over with serial killers. It’s a combination that’s admittedly hard to get right, though this violent tale manages to do so in a way that’s both compelling and engaging. Michael C. Hall, Cleopatra Coleman, and Bokeem Woodbine additionally round out the cast of this engaging (and underrated) serial killer film.
15The Good Nurse (2022)
The Good Nurse
The Good Nurseis based on theserial killer named Charles Cullen, who, in his profession as a nurse, murdered 40 or more patients and has confessed about the same as well. During his childhood, he lived in a toxic environment where his close friends and family constantly bullied him. This film showcases Eddie Redmayne as Cullen, whom the Parkfield Memorial Hospital recruits due to his experienced nursing background. He quickly forms a friendly bond with his colleague, Amy (Jessica Chastain), who suffers from cardiomyopathy.
Suddenly, when too many patient deaths start occurring, Amy and even the detectives grow suspicious of Cullen due to his past minor criminal history. Even though Cullen had a bit of empathy for his friend Amy and her condition, he showed no mercy while killing his own patients. He claims that he did it because no one stopped him.
Based on the Case of the Infamous Serial Killer Nurse
Although the film is about the most disturbing killer in medical history, what makes it even more horrifying is that it raises questions in viewers' minds about the reality of the broken healthcare system and illegal activities that keep happening in the dark until a shocking case pops up.Eddie Redmayne’s performancewould be a particular point of praise for this film, netting Best Supporting Actor nominations from the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Golden Globe Awards, and the Satellite Awards.
14The Devil All the Time (2020)
The Devil All The Time
Read Our Review
Directed by Antonio Campos,The Devil All the Timeis not just a good serial killer story; it also sheds light on themes like mental illness and trauma, societal pressure, how sinful activities take place in the name of religion, suicides, and the negative impact of grief on one’s mind.
Carl and Sandy are murderers who have a weird fascination; before killing, the former photographs their victims having sex with the latter and typically picks up hitchhikers as their target. Elsewhere, Willard suffers from PTSD; he killed a sergeant during World War II to release him from his pain; and he has a superstitious belief that he could cure his wife Charlotte, who is suffering from cancer, by impressing God with a sacrifice. He also has a son named Arvin, who tries his best to protect his adopted sister, Lenora, and other underage girls from the lustful eyes of the preacher. The question remains: Will Arvin walk on the path of killings, blinded beliefs, and societal fear like other twisted characters, or will he stand out?
Diving Deep Into the Mentality of a Killer
The film has a star-studded cast: Bill Skarsgard, Harry Melling,Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Riley Keough, Sebastian Stan, Jason Clarke, Eliza Scanlen, and Halley Bennett. The film also juggles the stories of various fascinating characters, some of whom are serial killers, a post-World War II family, and an amoral preacher. It continues to be the latest and greatest by Antonio Campos, who not only chronicled the life of Christine Chubbuck inChristine, but also tackled the real-life case of Michael and Kathleen Peterson in 2022’sThe Staircase.
13The Pale Blue Eye (2022)
The Pale Blue Eye
An alcoholic former detective named Augustus Landor,played by Christian Bale, is tasked with investigating matters regarding gruesome murders taking place back-to-back. He decides to involve world-famous writer Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling) in this mission to find the culprit. But throughout their investigation, they find out in shocking detail that the serial killer hangs his targets and removes their hearts. At some point, the duo are also convinced that someone is seeking the aid of black magic for their evil motivation and has to find out the real truth behind the crimes happening in the city.
A Macabre Tale of Murder
The Pale Blue Eyeis based on a novel of the same name written by Louis Bayard and is helmed by Scott Cooper. Even though the narrative incorporates Poe, it isn’t a real story about him, but obviously has quite a few references from his famous works. The film title is also inspired by Poe’s renowned short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Amidst the mystery-thriller nature of the film, the color palette sets a perfect atmospheric, dark, and gothic vibe throughout — it’s the kind of serial killer film that one would love to watch during the Halloween season.
12The Invisible Guardian (2017)
If you like to discover serial killer movies from different countries that offer intriguing yet thrilling stories, thenThe Invisible Guardian, which originally goes by the nameEl guardián invisible, is surely for you. The story is about Amaia Salazar (Marta Etura), a Policía Foral inspector andformer FBI agentwho returns to her hometown of Baztan for an investigation into the murder case of a young teen named Ainhoa Elizasu. The body was found naked in the woods with a cake placed on it.
When Amaia and her husband James (Benn Northover) move to their hometown, they also meet their family members, some of whom greet her nicely, but her own blood sister Flora (Elvira Minguez) seems to hate her and has also parted ways with her husband Victor. Throughout their investigation, they connect the dots with the events of past murderous events and find out about a person named El Basajaún, also known as the Lord of the Woods. But the question remains: is he the real killer Amaia is looking for, or is it someone in her close circle?
An Enthralling Spanish Thriller
The film is an amalgamation of plot twists, interesting characters, dark atmospheric visuals, and drama surrounding family and crime. It’s the first in a trilogy of related stories, being followed up byThe Legacy of the Bonesin 2019 andOffering to the Stormin 2020. It’s a film that leaves a lot of questions up to interpretation — or to be solved in the sequels — but what’s there is incredibly effective. It blends family drama, a tense serial killer plot, and even folklore monsters into a narrative you won’t really find elsewhere.
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11The Forest of Love (2019)
Over the years,movies from Japanhave earned worldwide recognition, especially in the horror genre, due to their fascinating way of storytelling that focuses on aesthetics and complex characters while also incorporating dreadful ghosts and serial killer-like elements in their movies.The Forest of Loveis about Joe Murata (Kippei Shiina), who claims to be a screenwriter but is a conman in disguise.
He starts working with three young, talented filmmakers who want to make movies exploring criminal behaviors. But Joe isn’t just a con artist; he has some sinister motives in store for the youngsters, and throughout the film, he scams them in the name of fame. Soon, the characters are trapped in a world of manipulations, suicides, horrific murders, and the maniacal behavior of the villain, Murata.
Cinematic Chaos from Japan
The film is indeed inspired by the Japanese serial killer Futoshi Matsunaga, who was sentenced to death for murder and manslaughter during the mid-1990s. The unconventional Japanese director Sion Sono applies his signature style to every scene, having previously risen to prominence through similarly-morbid films likeSuicide ClubandLove Exposure. Even in Sono’s wider filmography, this intriguing serial killer film is thoroughly underrated.
10Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
A brilliant chronicle of the life and times of notorious serial killer Ted Bundy,Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vilestarred Zac Efron as Bundy. In a frighteningly realistic portrayal, it wasn’t how scary Efron seemed as Bundy, buthow ordinary and charming he wasas him instead. This was, of course, Bundy’s modus and how he often got to his victims, since he was known to be good-looking, smooth-talking, intelligent, and, by all accounts, an infectiously charming person.
The Charisma of a Killer
Told through the perspective of his girlfriend, who, for a long time, refused to believe the truth about him, the film also captured just how good he was at inventing truth as he saw it. Bundy was famous for defending himself at trial, capturing the public’s attention, and never once confessing. He took this obstinate line of feigned innocence most of his life, and the film does a brilliant job of showing how murky it made his innocence or guilt seem to those who only knew him as the good guy.
9The Legacy of the Bones (2019)
The Legacy of the Bonesserves as the sequel to The Invisible Guardianmentioned above, and it’s also the second part of the novel written by Dolores Redondo. After finding out about the serial killer who murdered young girls, a pregnant Amaia Salazar returns to investigate the suicides transpiring in the Baztán Valley, and she thinks it has a similar connection to the previous case she solved. Along with looking into the investigation, she also had to deal with her mother, Rosario, who is mentally ill and is now after her newborn baby. The previous criminal case and recent murders make her question the family she was raised in.
Supernatural and Superstition
Similar toThe Invisible Guardian, this film gives you anintense storyline filled with suspenseand memorable characters that will keep you invested throughout. Ideas introduced in the first film without a major resolution are appropriately explored, and the returning Marta Etura as Amaia Salazar does a standout job in the lead role once more. Suffice to say, if you enjoyedThe Invisible Guardian, this sequel is also worth a watch.
8Holy Spider (2022)
A terrific film that was entered for the Palm d’Or prize at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival,Holy Spideris an intense tale of religious extremism through the lens of a serial killer. The film’s lead, Zar Amir Ebrahimi, was exceptional in it and won the Best Actress Award at the festival. She played an Iranian journalist who travels from Tehran to the holy city of Mashad to investigate a slew of murders.
There’s a definite pattern to each death since they all involve Iranian sex workers. Her investigation takes her to the seedy underbelly and corrupt inner workings of the city. It’s soon clear that the killer known as the ‘Holy Spider’ believes he is doing God’s work by cleansing the area of sinners. As things unfold, the tragedy is that, given the region’s dominant cultural and fundamentalist religious beliefs, most people, and even the police, support his deeds.
Extremism Through the Lens of a Serial Killer
Based on a true story, this one makes for a harrowing journey into the religious politics of how and why one man can be a killer to some and a hero to others. Though it wouldn’t win the Palme d’Or, it’s worth noting that Zar Amir Ebrahimi, who played the role of Arezoo Rahimi, would go on to win the Best Actress Award at Cannes instead. It would also sweep the Danish Robert Awards, winning Best Danish Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, and a slew of other awards.
