Serial killer movies have always been popular, since they speak to common fears, and the common fascination with the dark side of the human soul. Ever since the dawn of cinema, there have been crime movies. In fact, some of the most influential movies from a century ago deal with serial killers, showing the timeless appeal of these ideas. As movies have evolved over the years, there have always been serial killers on screen, just in different guises.
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The changing faces of movie murderers over the years have reflected the filmmaking trends and societal attitudes of the time. Starting in the 1920s, serial killer movies were used as a way to explore the dehumanizing destruction of the First World War. Serial killers were later seen in screwball comedies of the 1940s, gritty detective dramas of the 1990s, and superhero movies of the 2020s. Throughout every period of film history, there have been movies about the universal fear of people who kill.
You are watching: The Best Serial Killer Movie From Each Decade For The Last 100 Years
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11 1920s – The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari (1920)
Serial Killer Movies Have Been Around Since The Dawn Of Cinema
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The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Director Robert Wiene Release Date February 27, 1920 Cast Werner Krauss , Conrad Veidt , Friedrich Feher , Lil Dagover , Hans Heinrich von Twardowski , Rudolf Lettinger , Rudolf Klein-Rogge , Hans Lanser-Ludolff
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari represents the pinnacle of German expressionism, making it one of the great totemic landmarks of early cinema. The silent horror film follows a bloodthirsty hypnotist who brainwashes his sleepwalking victim into commiting a series of grisly murders all for his own self-edification. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari isn’t as scary to modern audiences as it was over 100 years ago, but it’s still a must-watch for anyone with an interest in the history of cinema.
Director Robert Wiene uses long shadows, exaggerated physical forms and unusual angles to create an unnerving spectacle.
While The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari helped shape the language of cinema with its dark themes and its tense plot, the movie’s greatest and most eye-catching quality is its disturbing visual style. Director Robert Wiene uses long shadows, exaggerated physical forms and unusual angles to create an unnerving spectacle. This ties in with the movie’s themes, as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari explores different perspectives, and the surreal destruction of Europe after World War I.
10 1930s – M (1931)
Fritz Lang’s Seminal Serial Killer Movie Established Some Of The Genre’s Traditions
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Fritz Lang had already made a seismic contribution to the advancement of cinema with 1927’s sci-fi masterpiece Metropolis. His first “talkie” proved to be just as influential. M established many of the techniques which are still used by serial killer movies almost 100 years later. The plot follows a child murderer played by Peter Lorre, and the frenzied attempts of law enforcement to catch him.
M
contrasts the pathetic, lonely life of the murderer with the way that the media portrays him.
M contrasts the pathetic, lonely life of the murderer with the way that the media portrays him. It explores the role that the media has in creating ongoing crime narratives, something that other filmmakers have taken inspiration from. The terror of the killer on the loose isn’t nearly as frightening as the sense of paranoia and distrust which quickly grips a formerly peaceful community. M is often listed among the greatest movies of all time.
9 1940s – Arsenic And Old Lace (1944)
Cary Grant Stars In A Screwball Comedy About Serial Killers
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Arsenic and Old Lace is an adaptation of a hugely successful Broadway show of the same name, with some of the original cast reprising their roles. The big addition is Cary Grant, who had plenty of experience as a leading man in screwball comedies such as Bringing Up Baby. Arsenic and Old Lace is much darker than his usual fare, however, as he plays a man who discovers that his family is filled with murderers.
Arsenic and Old Lace
plays on the idea that every family is crazy in their own way.
Arsenic and Old Lace plays on the idea that every family is crazy in their own way. In the Brewster family, this is more than just odd family traditions and competitive game nights. The two aunts of the family have taken to murdering elderly bachelors to free them from the misery of single life, while their nephew is another serial killer who has had plastic surgery to look like Boris Karloff. Grant is good for plenty of laughs as the one normal character on show.
8 1950s – The Night Of The Hunter (1955)
The Night Of The Hunter Has Stood The Test Of Time
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The Night of the Hunter
Director Charles Laughton Release Date July 27, 1955 Cast Robert Mitchum , Shelley Winters , Lillian Gish , James Gleason , Evelyn Varden , Peter Graves , Don Beddoe , Gloria Castillo , Billy Chapin , Sally Jane Bruce
The Night of the Hunter has had two lives. First, it was savaged by critics upon release, and it ended Charles Laughton’s directorial career on his debut. Years later, however, the film was reevaluated as an underappreciated classic. It enjoys a sparkling reputation these days, and it counts Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee and other influential filmmakers among its fans.
The Night of the Hunter
stars Robert Mitchum, who delivers a chilling performance as a callous serial killer disguising himself as a priest.
The Night of the Hunter stars Robert Mitchum, who delivers a chilling performance as a callous serial killer disguising himself as a priest. His portrayal is so reptilian that The Night of the Hunter often seems like a monster movie, albeit one with a human antagonist. Many of Laughton’s directorial choices are intentionally old-fashioned, which creates an expressionist story that has stood the test of time far better than more grounded tales of the era.
7 1960s – Psycho (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock Creates A Terrifying Horror Movie And A Compelling Detective Tale In One
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10/10 9.5/10 Psycho
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*Availability in US Director Alfred Hitchcock Release Date September 8, 1960 Cast Janet Leigh , Martin Balsam , Anthony Perkins , John Gavin , Vera Miles
Psycho is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best movies, and it perhaps showcases his flair for depicting the nature of human evil better than any other film. Thanks to an iconic performance from Anthony Perkins, Psycho creates a truly disturbing serial killer, and Hitchcock’s mastery of tension makes it look for a long time as though he might get away with every one of his crimes.
Hitchcock’s mastery of tension makes it look for a long time as though Norman might get away with every one of his crimes.
Psycho starts out as a superb horror movie, with Hitchcock’s claustrophobic direction turning the Bates Motel into the dangerous lair of a monster. Soon after the unforgettable shower scene, Psycho changes tact and becomes a detective movie, without losing any of its vitality. Only the audience know the true danger as Detective Arbogast starts sniffing around. The powerful soundtrack is just the cherry on top.
6 1970s – Halloween (1978)
John Carpenter Created The Slasher Playbook With Halloween
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9/10 Halloween
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*Availability in US Director John Carpenter Release Date October 27, 1978 Cast Donald Pleasence , Jamie Lee Curtis , Tony Moran , Nancy Kyes , P.J. Soles , Kyle Richards , Charles Cyphers
The long-running Halloween franchise has since become more complicated and supernatural, but John Carpenter’s 1978 original remains a simple, classic slasher. Halloween created one of the most recognizable serial killers in film history, with Michael Myers escaping from captivity and donning a creepy William Shatner mask before going on a killing spree.
Halloween
created one of the most recognizable serial killers in film history
Jamie Lee Curtis established herself as a true scream queen with Halloween. The movie also set the tone for plenty of other slashers and horror movies, as countless filmmakers have borrowed Carpenter’s creepy POV shots, and his idea to open the movie with a scene of shocking violence. Halloween has earned its place as required viewing for horror fans, and a classic that still gets rolled out in repertory cinemas all over the world every October.
5 1980s – Friday The 13th (1980)
Camp Crystal Lake Is The Ideal Setting For A Gory Mystery
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7/10 7.8/10 Friday the 13th
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*Availability in US Director Sean S. Cunningham Release Date May 9, 1980 Cast Peter Brouwer , Adrienne King , Betsy Palmer , Jeannine Taylor , Kevin Bacon , Robbi Morgan , Harry Crosby
The Friday the 13th franchise shares a lot in common with the Halloween franchise, and it has been accused of copying John Carpenter’s formula. Both slasher franchises have become less grounded over the years, and their timelines have been irretrievably tangled. In both cases, the original is the best. Friday the 13th does borrow a little from the Halloween playbook, but it has plenty of its own ideas to sustain itself.
The mystery element in
Friday the 13th
is part of what makes the slasher stand out from so many of its contemporaries.
The mystery element in Friday the 13th is part of what makes the slasher stand out from so many of its contemporaries. Each of the counselors at Camp Crystal Lake is a potential suspect as well as a potential victim, although there is always the lingering suggestion that the deaths may be caused by some phantom force from the beyond. Friday the 13th is a gruesome serial killer movie and a satisfying mystery, with a perplexing final scene that lives long in the memory.
4 1990s – The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
Anthony Hopkins Created One Of The Most Terrifying Movie Serial Killers Of All
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10/10 The Silence of the Lambs
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*Availability in US Director jonathan demme Release Date February 14, 1991 Cast Jodie Foster , Anthony Hopkins , Scott Glenn , Ted Levine , Anthony Heald , Brooke Smith , Diane Baker , Kasi Lemmons
The 1990s were a great time for gritty crime dramas, and The Silence of the Lambs isn’t the only classic serial killer movie of the decade. David Fincher’s Se7en digs deep into criminal psychology, Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie shine in The Bone Collector, and Scream takes a comedic view of the slasher genre. The Silence of the Lambs could be the best of all, however, creating an iconic movie serial killer.
The Silence of the Lambs
isn’t the only classic serial killer movie of the decade.
Anthony Hopkins’ Oscar-winning performance as cannibalistic killer Hannibal Lecter is enhanced by Jonathan Demme’s direction. Demme often chooses to frame Hopkins in an extreme close-up, giving the illusion that there is no escape from his intense gaze. Jodie Foster is also superb as the subject of this gaze: the rookie FBI profiler who becomes the lead detective on a twisted serial killer case. None of the sequels quite managed to live up to The Silence of the Lambs.
3 2000s – American Psycho (2000)
American Psycho Is The Darkest Of Dark Comedies
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7/10 8.5/10 American Psycho
Director Mary Harron Release Date April 14, 2000 Cast Jared Leto , Reese Witherspoon , Chloe Sevigny , Willem Dafoe , Justin Theroux , Christian Bale
American Psycho has been divisive ever since its release, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of just 68% highlighting how critics have failed to agree on its quality. The audience score of 85% shows that American Psycho has found a cult following over the years who appreciate Mary Harmon’s movie for what it is. Although it has been difficult to categorize, American Psycho is as much a dark satire of corporate America as it is a horror movie.
Although it has been difficult to categorize,
American Psycho
is as much a dark satire of corporate America as it is a horror movie.
American Psycho takes the audience inside the mind of Patrick Bateman, Christian Bale’s slick serial killer with a love of Huey Lewis and custom-made business cards. The story draws a lot of comedy from Patrick’s inner monologue. Split between thought-provoking philosophy and petty complaints about everyday life, the constant monologue demythologizes the idea of the serial killer. American Psycho‘s twist ending explores the rift between fantasy and reality for one last time.
2 2010s – The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011)
David Fincher Is A Master Of Serial Killer Movies
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9/10 7/10 The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
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*Availability in US Director David Fincher Release Date December 21, 2011 Cast Christopher Plummer , Robin Wright , Stellan Skarsgård , Rooney Mara , Steven Berkoff , Daniel Craig
David Fincher has created several movies which explore the dark depths of criminal psychology, including Se7en and Zodiac. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo continues his trend of serial killer movies, adapting Stieg Larsson’s best-selling novel with Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara in the lead roles. Craig plays a journalist whose investigation into a missing person leads him into the den of a depraved serial killer.
David Fincher has created several movies which explore the dark depths of criminal psychology, including
Se7en
and
Zodiac.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo deserved a sequel, as Fincher was interested in adapting each book in Larsson’s Millennium trilogy. Ultimately, the movie’s mediocre box office results meant that Fincher’s request for an increased budget for the sequel was always going to be a hard sell. Even without the two follow-ups, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a captivating crime drama. Niels Arden Oplev’s 2009 adaptation is also worth watching for fans of the genre.
1 2020s – The Batman (2022)
The Batman Is A Dark Crime Drama That Breaks The Superhero Mold
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8/10 9.5/10 The Batman
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*Availability in US Director Matt Reeves Release Date March 4, 2022 Cast Colin Farrell , Jeffrey Wright , Paul Dano , Andy Serkis , Robert Pattinson , Zoe Kravitz
The 2020s have already produced a few interesting serial killer movies, including Ti West’s X trilogy, M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap and Edgar Wright’s Last Night In Soho, showing that the genre is just as popular as ever. Matt Reeves’ The Batman reinvents a classic character once again, focusing on his role as a detective in a crime-stricken Gotham City that leans into the tropes of film noir.
The Batman
reinvents a classic character once again, focusing on his role as a detective in a crime-stricken Gotham City.
The Batman is a dark, atmospheric superhero movie that balances some electrifying action with a compelling mystery plot, as Batman chases the Riddler. Before The Batman, the Riddler’s most famous appearance on the big screen had come in the critically-panned Batman Forever. The contrast between Jim Carrey’s hammy performance and Paul Dano’s chilling depiction is night-and-day, and it perfectly sums up how The Batman puts a fresh twist on old characters.
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