The following article discusses details of real-life murder cases.
Movies have always reflected people’s morbid fascination with serial killers, with some movies focusing on real-life killers rather than fictional characters. Even some of the most iconic fictional movie serial killers have taken inspiration from real murderers, like Norman Bates in Psycho and Hannibal Lector in The Silence of the Lambs. There are relatively few on-screen killers who are directly drawn from real life, however.
Depicting real serial killers on film has always been controversial. Some feel as though portraying murderers in this way affords them a level of prestige which they don’t deserve, and they can often come across as sympathetic if a movie isn’t careful. In either case, this can come across as insensitive to the families of the victims, who are too often excluded from the narrative. Only the best serial killer movies can explore criminal psychology without crossing the line.
Related 10 Underseen Serial Killer Movies You Probably Haven’t Heard Of
Serial killers are one of the most prolific topics in movies, but many films centered around them haven’t gotten the popularity they deserve.
3
10 No Man Of God (2021)
Based On Ted Bundy
Close
Your Rating
10 stars9 stars8 stars7 stars6 star5 stars4 stars3 stars2 stars1 star Rate Now 0/10 Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
7/10 No Man Of God
Director Amber Sealey Release Date August 27, 2021 Cast Luke Kirby , Robert Patrick , Elijah Wood , Aleksa Palladino
Very few serial killers have captured the American public imagination like Ted Bundy. There have been dozens of Ted Bundy movies, TV shows and documentaries over the years. The most famous recent example is Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, which stars Zac Efron as Bundy. 2021’s No Man of God is arguably the best Bundy movie, however, with Luke Kirby in the lead role.
A lot of the dialogue in
No Man of God
is taken directly from the transcripts of Bundy’s interviews with FBI analyst Bill Hagmaier.
A lot of the dialogue in No Man of God is taken directly from the transcripts of Bundy’s interviews with FBI analyst Bill Hagmaier, who is played by Elijah Wood. With two brilliant central performances, No Man of God offers an unglamorous examination of Bundy. The serial killer has often been mythologized, but No Man of God uses his own words to expose how other fictional accounts have erased his victims from the story and exaggerated his charms massively.
9 The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)
Based On The Texarkana Moonlight Murders
Close
The Town That Dreaded Sundown is often credited as one of the first slasher movies, made a few years before Halloween and Friday the 13th. While the latter two films have taken inspiration from real-life killers, The Town That Dreaded Sundown is the only one that is a direct retelling of a historical case. The Texarkana Moonlight Murders took place in a small Texan town in 1946, with five people being killed by an unknown perpetrator.
The Town That Dreaded Sundown
established many of the reliable tropes of slasher movies.
The Town That Dreaded Sundown established many of the reliable tropes of slasher movies, and its framing of the masked killer is still effective. With an unknown identity and motive, the killer takes on a quasi-supernatural feel as he stalks the town. The Town That Dreaded Sundown ends with the killer showing up at the premiere of the movie itself, underlining the fact that he was never apprehended, and he could be anywhere.
8 The Snowtown Murders (2011)
Based On The Snowtown Murders
Close
Your Rating
10 stars9 stars8 stars7 stars6 star5 stars4 stars3 stars2 stars1 star Rate Now 0/10 Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
The Snowtown Murders
Director Justin Kurzel Release Date May 19, 2011 Cast Lucas Pittaway , Bob Adriaens , Louise Harris , Frank Cwiertniak , Matthew Howard , Marcus Howard
The Snowtown murders aren’t particularly famous outside of Australia, but they were huge national news in the 1990s. The murders were carried out by three young men and one accomplice who helped them dispose of the bodies by hiding them in barrels inside a bank vault. The trial caused a media frenzy, but The Snowtown Murders looks at the series of crimes before the men were caught.
The Snowtown Murders
– also known simply as
Snowtown
– is concerned with the backgrounds of the killers.
The Snowtown Murders – also known simply as Snowtown – is concerned with the backgrounds of the killers. It poses the question of what could make four friends embark on such a gruesome enterprise together. There is so much of the movie’s runtime devoted to their upbringing and the shifting nature of their relationship that it almost comes as a shock when the first body turns up.
7 Boston Strangler (2023)
Based On The Boston Strangler
Close
Your Rating
10 stars9 stars8 stars7 stars6 star5 stars4 stars3 stars2 stars1 star Rate Now 0/10 Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
7/10 Boston Strangler
Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US Director Matt Ruskin Release Date March 17, 2023 Cast Keira Knightley , Carrie Coon , Chris Cooper , Alessandro Nivola , Rory Cochrane , David Dastmalchian , Robert John Burke
The Boston Strangler is an intriguing case, as it has been hotly debated for so long. In the years following Albert DeSalvo’s arrest and conviction, serious doubts were cast on the investigation, and many believed that DeSalvo was not the only person responsible for the deaths of the 13 women in Boston in the early 1960s. DNA evidence has since proven that DeSalvo was the culprit of the final murder at the very least.
The Boston Strangler is an intriguing case, as it has been hotly debated for so long.
Boston Strangler is a dramatic retelling of the investigation into the killings carried out by two reporters, despite pressure from the police and their own bosses to drop the story. Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole uncover the incompetence within the police force, and several details which suggest there may have been multiple killers. Boston Strangler is an effective crime drama, especially as the two women wade deeper into the investigation and find themselves face-to-face with their prime suspects.
6 Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer (1986)
Based On Henry Lee Lucas And Ottis Toole
Close
Your Rating
10 stars9 stars8 stars7 stars6 star5 stars4 stars3 stars2 stars1 star Rate Now 0/10
Your comment has not been saved
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US Director John McNaughton Runtime 83 minutes Cast Michael Rooker , Tracy Arnold , Tom Towles , Mary Demas
Henry Lee Lucas confessed to over 600 murders when he was eventually caught, but investigators were quickly able to rule out this possibility. He was convicted of 11 murders, although it’s likely that there are a few more which he was responsible for. His false confessions made ascertaining the real number tricky, and since he died in prison in 2001 it’s unlikely that the extent of his crimes will ever be known for certain.
No matter how much of the movie is true, it’s still a chilling depiction of evil, with a career-defining performance from Michael Rooker.
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is a biopic about Lucas’ life and his relationship with Ottis Toole, who became his accomplice. There are parts of the story which are entirely fabricated, either because the truth is so hard to find or simply because Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer attempts to look inside the mind of Lucas. No matter how much of the movie is true, it’s still a chilling depiction of evil, with a career-defining performance from Michael Rooker.
5 My Friend Dahmer (2017)
Based On Jeffrey Dahmer
Close
Your Rating
10 stars9 stars8 stars7 stars6 star5 stars4 stars3 stars2 stars1 star Rate Now 0/10 Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
My Friend Dahmer
Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US Director Marc Meyers Release Date November 3, 2017 Cast Ross Lynch , Anne Heche , Alex Wolff , Dallas Roberts , Tommy Nelson , Vincent Kartheiser
Jeffrey Dahmer is one of the most notorious serial killers in American history, but My Friend Dahmer shows a relatively unknown side to him. Based on the graphic novel and memoir by John Backderf, My Friend Dahmer looks back at Backderf’s friendship with Dahmer during his teen years. Dahmer would begin his killing spree shortly after leaving high school and cutting contact with his friends.
My Friend Dahmer
provides some fascinating insight into what makes a serial killer.
My Friend Dahmer provides some fascinating insight into what makes a serial killer. It contributes to the age-old question of nature vs. nurture without ever conclusively coming down on one side or another. Although Dahmer is presented as a troubled adolescent with plenty of problems at home, Ross Lynch’s performance also shows flashes of some evil within him that can’t be attributed to his home life.
4 The Honeymoon Killers (1970)
Based On Raymond Fernandez And Martha Beck
Close
Your Rating
10 stars9 stars8 stars7 stars6 star5 stars4 stars3 stars2 stars1 star Rate Now 0/10
Your comment has not been saved
The Honeymoon Killers
Director Leonard Kastle Release Date February 4, 1970 Cast Shirley Stoler , Tony Lo Bianco , Mary Jane Higby , Doris Roberts , Kip McArdle
The Honeymoon Killers was a shockingly violent movie for the era, with gruesome depictions of murder that stood out from most other movies. The movie is inspired by Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck, a couple known as the “Lonely Hearts Killers” who met their victims through personal ads. They may have committed up to 20 murders all across the United States, but they were only ever conclusively linked to three.
The Honeymoon Killers
is filmed in black-and-white, and there are some sections made to look like a documentary.
Martin Scorsese was originally attached to direct The Honeymoon Killers, but he was fired midway through filming for working too slowly. His version might have turned out very differently to the finished product. The Honeymoon Killers is filmed in black-and-white, and there are some sections made to look like a documentary. This gives the movie a naturalistic feeling which makes the killings even more horrific.
3 Monster (2003)
Based On Aileen Wuornos
Close
The overwhelming majority of serial killers are men, which is part of what makes the case of Aileen Wuornos so fascinating. Monster portrays her as a traumatized sex worker who murders her clients as an act of retribution and revenge. This has stoked controversy over the years, with some claiming that it’s overly sympathetic to a woman who killed seven men in increasingly violent ways.
Charlize Theron’s Oscar-winning performance is key, as she completely disappears into the role of Wuornos.
Despite the controversies, Monster is a captivating exploration of the mind of a serial killer. Charlize Theron’s Oscar-winning performance is key, as she completely disappears into the role of Wuornos. Each of her movements are carefully observed to portray Wuornos’ volatile mix of fragility and rage. Some elements of Monster are fictionalized, like the name and role of Wuornos’ partner, but it’s mostly faithful to the real-life case.
2 Memories Of Murder (2003)
Based On The Hwaesong Serial Murders
Close
Your Rating
10 stars9 stars8 stars7 stars6 star5 stars4 stars3 stars2 stars1 star Rate Now 0/10 Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
Memories of Murder
Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US Director Bong Joon Ho Release Date May 2, 2003 Cast Kang-ho Song , Sang-kyung Kim , Roe-ha Kim , Jae-ho Song , Hie-bong Byeon , Seo-hie Ko
Memories of Murder was one of Bong Joon-ho’s earliest hits, years before Snowpiercer and Parasite raised his profile on an international stage. The film focuses on the investigation into the Hwaesong serial murders, which took place in South Korea between 1986 and 1994. At the time Memories of Murder was made, the killer remained unknown, but he has since been identified.
At the time
Memories of Murder
was made, the killer remained unknown, but he has since been identified.
Memories of Murder is a taut thriller with plenty of intrigue. The details of the murder are made all the more disturbing by the real-life context that the killer evaded capture for so long. Bong uses this knowledge to his advantage, creating an unsettling mystery in which the detectives and the public often go through periods of simply waiting for the next body to be discovered. Memories of Murder is one of the best movies about unsolved crimes.
1 Zodiac (2007)
Based On the Zodiac Killer
Close
Your Rating
10 stars9 stars8 stars7 stars6 star5 stars4 stars3 stars2 stars1 star Rate Now 0/10 Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
10/10 9.2/10 Zodiac
Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US Director David Fincher Release Date March 2, 2007 Cast Robert Downey Jr. , Jake Gyllenhaal , Anthony Edwards , Mark Ruffalo , Brian Cox
David Fincher has made several outstanding movies about criminal pathology, including Se7en, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and Gone Girl. With Zodiac, he takes on one of America’s most notorious unsolved mysteries. In keeping with the real-life case, Fincher never reveals the identity of the killer. There are a few suspects, but each one has just as much evidence to discount them.
Zodiac
is an interesting meditation on the very nature of people’s obsession with true crime.
Zodiac is one of David Fincher’s best movies. The performances are all top-notch, and Fincher’s recreation of San Francisco in the 1960s and 1970s is remarkably convincing. Above all, Zodiac is an interesting meditation on the very nature of people’s obsession with true crime. It’s a serial killer story told from the perspective of an uninvolved civilian, as he falls down the rabbit hole of a puzzle with no answer.