Despite the fact that the murder, even committed on the big screen, inspires fear, such films are still very popular. Of particular interest are the stories of serial killers. These monsters kill several people in a short period of time, often leaving the servants of the law confused.
And if you are wondering to what gloomy depths a creature, once considered a human being, can descend, then we will show and tell you. Here are the top 10 best movies about serial killers based on real events.
10. Psycho (1960)
Genre: thriller, horror, detective
Movie Search Rating: 8
IMDb Rating: 8.5
Country: USA
Producer: Alfred Hitchcock
Music: Bernard Herrmann
Hitchcock's Psycho is a classic in the thriller genre, and one of the best horror films of all time, pushing the cinematic boundaries for sexuality and violent scenes.
The film was inspired by the story of Ed Gain, a killer with a special penchant for interior design, which featured parts of the human body,
Hitchcock is known to have bought most of Robert Bloch’s novel Psychosis before the release of his film in order to keep the secrets of Norman Bates, his mom and his murderous motel.
9. Rillington Place, 10 (1970)
Genre: drama, crime, biography
Movie Search Rating: 7.1
IMDb Rating: 7.6
Country: Great Britain
Producer: Richard Flisher
Music: John dancourt
The story of this British serial killer is especially fascinating, not only because of his heinous crimes (among his victims were children and pregnant women), but also because his actions led to a terrible miscarriage of justice. An innocent man was hanged for other people's crimes.
The name of the film comes from the address of the house of horrors of John Christie, where he did his atrocities.
8. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
Genre: thriller, crime, biography
Movie Search Rating: 6.5
IMDb Rating: 7
Country: USA
Producer: John McNaughton
Music: Ken Hale, Stephen A. Jones, Robert MacNaughton
The first victim of Henry Lee Lucas was probably his mother, a prostitute who made Lucas watch her work. There is strong evidence linking him to another (at least) 20 episodes of the murder, but when the maniac was in prison, he began to confess to hundreds of unsolved cases. Most of these confessions turned out to be false.
In the film, his victims are completely random, including the good Samaritan who stops to help Lucas fix the car. This is a cruel, bloody movie that is hardly suitable for family viewing.
7. A Cautious Stranger (1986)
Genre: thriller, crime, drama
Movie Search Rating: 6.3
IMDb Rating: 7.4
Country: USA
Producer: Marvin J. Chomsky
Music: Jill mellmy
The story, based on the book of the same name by reporter Richard Larsen, will tell about the first six murders of Ted Bundy, committed in four different American states. In total, Bundy was responsible for at least 30 murders.
Bundy was still alive and in prison during the premiere of the film. And starring Mark Harmon was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his work.
6. Citizen X (1995)
Genre: thriller, crime, drama
Movie Search Rating: 6.7
IMDb Rating: 7.5
Country: USA, Hungary
Producer: Chris Jerolmo
Music: Randy Edelman
This film talks about the efforts of the Soviet police, trying to catch the serial killer Andrei Chikatilo, responsible for the deaths of dozens of women and children. He was nicknamed the "Rostov Ripper", and his search lasted almost 10 years.
It is curious that although the events of one of the scariest films about maniacs and psychopaths take place in the Soviet Union, it is based on the book of the American writer Robert Cullen, "The Department of Murders."
5. From Hell (2001)
Genre: horror, crime, detective
Movie Search Rating: 7.5
IMDb Rating: 6.8
Country: USA
Producer: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes
Music: Trevor Jones
A frightening yet fascinating plunge into the circumstances of the murders committed by Jack the Ripper at the end of the 19th century in London. The crimes committed by this maniac relate to real historical events, more terrible than any horror movie.
However, many rumors and the inexorable passage of time made it impossible to separate all the facts from the urban legend. What we really know about one of the most mysterious serial killers of all time is that Jack the Ripper preferred prostitutes as victims and had some surgical knowledge. And he was never caught.
4. Monster (2003)
Genre: thriller, crime, drama
Movie Search Rating: 7.3
IMDb Rating: 7.3
Country: USA, Germany
Producer: Patty jenkins
Music: Brian Transo
Charlize Theron received the Academy Award for Best Actress as a reward for immersing herself in the true story of Eileen Warnos, women whose lesbian and desperate attempts to engage in prostitution led to sinister and irreversible actions.
This complex, moving and joyless film about a woman serial killer will make you sit for a while in silence as soon as the credits begin.
Interesting fact: despite the fact that Wornos insisted on self-defense, the jury found enough evidence to convict her on charges of several murders. She was one of the few executed women in US history.
3. Carla (2006)
Genre: thriller, detective, crime
Movie Search Rating: 6.4
IMDb Rating: 5.5
Country: USA
Producer: Joel Bender
Music: Tim Jones
This film is a rethinking of the prison therapy session with Carla Homolka, since it is the psychologist who determines whether she should be eligible for parole.
In real life, Karl Homolka helped her husband rape and kill at least three young women, including her own sister. Videos of the heinous crimes showed that the woman was a more active participant in all the crimes than she originally claimed.
2. The Zodiac (2007)
Genre: thriller, detective, drama
Movie Search Rating: 7.3
IMDb Rating: 7.7
Country: USA
Producer: David fincher
Music: David Shire
This is a film adaptation of the real story of the killer, whose identity is one of the most intriguing puzzles in the history of forensics. The zodiac terrorized San Francisco and northern California in the late sixties of the last century.
Showing Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. in poorly lit interrogation rooms, the Zodiac can be long (162 minutes), but who says catching a killer is a quick thing?
1. My friend Damer (2017)
Genre: thriller, drama, biography
Movie Search Rating: 5.7
IMDb Rating: 6.2
Country: USA
Producer: Mark Meyers
Music: Andrew Hollander
This movie is different from other films about maniacs based on real events. The fact is that the story of “My Friend Damer” unfolds before he begins to kill people.
Based on a novel by one of Jeffrey Damer's school friends, the film offers us a glimpse into the "mind cast" of a serial killer, describing his home life and paying great attention to his mental disorders.
