Great introduction! Here’s a countdown of films that delve into the morbidly fascinating stories of the world’s most notorious criminals:
### Top 10 Crime Films About Notorious Criminals
**10. "Summer of Sam" (1999)**
- Directed by Spike Lee, this film explores the paranoia and chaos that gripped New York City during the infamous Son of Sam killings in the summer of 1977.
**9. "Monster" (2003)**
- Charlize Theron delivers an Oscar-winning performance as Aileen Wuornos, a serial killer whose tragic life and crimes are depicted in this harrowing film.
**8. "The Iceman" (2012)**
- Based on the life of Richard Kuklinski, a contract killer who led a double life as a devoted family man, this film stars Michael Shannon in a chilling portrayal.
**7. "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile" (2019)**
- This film offers a unique perspective on the crimes of Ted Bundy, focusing on his relationship with his longtime girlfriend, played by Lily Collins, with Zac Efron as Bundy.
**6. "My Friend Dahmer" (2017)**
- A disturbing look at the early life of Jeffrey Dahmer, one of America's most infamous serial killers, based on the graphic novel by his high school friend.
**5. "The Boston Strangler" (1968)**
- This film recounts the true story of Albert DeSalvo, the man believed to be responsible for the gruesome Boston Strangler murders in the early 1960s.
**4. "Goodfellas" (1990)**
- Martin Scorsese's masterpiece based on the life of mobster Henry Hill and his involvement with the Lucchese crime family, featuring iconic performances by Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci.
**3. "Zodiac" (2007)**
- Directed by David Fincher, this gripping film follows the investigation into the Zodiac Killer, a mysterious figure who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
**2. "Se7en" (1995)**
- Another David Fincher classic, this film follows detectives played by Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman as they track down a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi.
**1. "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991)**
- This iconic film features Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant but terrifying cannibalistic serial killer, and Jodie Foster as FBI trainee Clarice Starling, who seeks his help to catch another killer.
### Honorable Mentions
- **"American Psycho" (2000)**
- Christian Bale stars as Patrick Bateman, a wealthy New York City investment banker who leads a double life as a psychopathic killer.
- **"The Snowtown Murders" (2011)**
- This Australian film tells the true story of the Snowtown murders, a series of gruesome killings that took place in the 1990s.
- **"The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (1974)**
- While a fictional story, this horror classic was inspired by the real-life crimes of Ed Gein, whose gruesome acts influenced many films.
Which of these movies had you sleeping with the lights on? Tell us down in the comments!
### Top 10 Crime Films About Notorious Criminals
**10. "Summer of Sam" (1999)**
- Directed by Spike Lee, this film explores the paranoia and chaos that gripped New York City during the infamous Son of Sam killings in the summer of 1977.
**9. "Monster" (2003)**
- Charlize Theron delivers an Oscar-winning performance as Aileen Wuornos, a serial killer whose tragic life and crimes are depicted in this harrowing film.
**8. "The Iceman" (2012)**
- Based on the life of Richard Kuklinski, a contract killer who led a double life as a devoted family man, this film stars Michael Shannon in a chilling portrayal.
**7. "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile" (2019)**
- This film offers a unique perspective on the crimes of Ted Bundy, focusing on his relationship with his longtime girlfriend, played by Lily Collins, with Zac Efron as Bundy.
**6. "My Friend Dahmer" (2017)**
- A disturbing look at the early life of Jeffrey Dahmer, one of America's most infamous serial killers, based on the graphic novel by his high school friend.
**5. "The Boston Strangler" (1968)**
- This film recounts the true story of Albert DeSalvo, the man believed to be responsible for the gruesome Boston Strangler murders in the early 1960s.
**4. "Goodfellas" (1990)**
- Martin Scorsese's masterpiece based on the life of mobster Henry Hill and his involvement with the Lucchese crime family, featuring iconic performances by Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci.
**3. "Zodiac" (2007)**
- Directed by David Fincher, this gripping film follows the investigation into the Zodiac Killer, a mysterious figure who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
**2. "Se7en" (1995)**
- Another David Fincher classic, this film follows detectives played by Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman as they track down a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi.
**1. "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991)**
- This iconic film features Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant but terrifying cannibalistic serial killer, and Jodie Foster as FBI trainee Clarice Starling, who seeks his help to catch another killer.
### Honorable Mentions
- **"American Psycho" (2000)**
- Christian Bale stars as Patrick Bateman, a wealthy New York City investment banker who leads a double life as a psychopathic killer.
- **"The Snowtown Murders" (2011)**
- This Australian film tells the true story of the Snowtown murders, a series of gruesome killings that took place in the 1990s.
- **"The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (1974)**
- While a fictional story, this horror classic was inspired by the real-life crimes of Ed Gein, whose gruesome acts influenced many films.
Which of these movies had you sleeping with the lights on? Tell us down in the comments!
Category
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Short filmTranscript
00:00The killings were indeed atrocious and cruel, in that they were extremely wicked, shockingly evil, vile.
00:13Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 20 Movies About Serial Killers.
00:19My name's Jeffrey.
00:20Steven X.
00:22Nice to meet you.
00:23Take it easy.
00:23I should have killed you when I had the chance!
00:26You finally got me.
00:27And now that I got you, who is it that I've gotten?
00:29For this list, we're looking at films that captured our morbid fascination
00:33with stories about the world's most notorious criminals.
00:36Which of these movies had you sleeping with the lights on?
00:39Tell us down in the comments.
00:41Number 20.
00:42In the Light of the Moon, also known as Ed Gein.
00:45Can you tell us another ghost story, Eddie?
00:48Sure.
00:49The horrific crimes of Ed Gein have inspired a number of films over the years,
00:53including Psycho and Deranged.
00:56This 2000 film is definitely less well-known,
00:59but it remains a noteworthy exploration of the killer's dark legacy.
01:03In the Light of the Moon is also known under the more basic and to-the-point title Ed Gein,
01:08and stars Steve Railsback, more on him later, as the titular killer.
01:12Ed, why is it you're always around when someone goes missing?
01:16I don't know, it's just luck, I guess.
01:18Let's say we go downtown, check out all the excitement.
01:20Critical reputation was overall not kind to the film,
01:24but horror fans did praise Railsback's performance,
01:27as well as the intensity of the storytelling.
01:30Basically, this is low-budget exploitation filmmaking aimed squarely at that audience,
01:35but it does the job.
01:37Number 19.
01:38Carla.
01:39Turn around, remember to smile for the camera, okay?
01:43As far as Canadian killers go,
01:45there are few couples more infamous than Paul Bernardo and Carla Homolka.
01:50The notorious case is dramatized here with the 2006 film Carla,
01:53using both the severity of the couple's crimes,
01:56as well as the outrage around Carla's release from prison as fuel for its story.
02:01Bernardo and Homolka worked together during their spree in the early 90s,
02:05yet Carla managed to strike a plea deal with the prosecutors,
02:08claiming that abuse from Bernardo forced her hand.
02:11Carla paints Homolka as an accomplice, but also as a victim in her own right.
02:16For this reason, the film naturally generated a lot of controversy upon release.
02:21I killed my little sister.
02:24How can anyone ever be forgiven for that?
02:28I think about what I did every day.
02:32I really do.
02:33Number 18.
02:34The Golden Glove.
02:39Serial killer films by design don't typically make for a pleasant viewing experience.
02:45Even by the standards of the genre, though,
02:47The Golden Glove can be an especially difficult watch.
02:51The divisive film is primarily defined by its unrelentingly grim tone.
02:56This isn't to say that the film is bad, per se.
02:59Rather, this dramatization of Fritz Honka's crimes against sex workers in the 1970s
03:04is just, well, extremely dour and brutal.
03:07It feels like an almost voyeuristic examination of the crimes
03:11without much depth as to why they're happening.
03:13In fact, it's been called, quote,
03:15one of the most vile serial killer movies ever made.
03:19Don't say we didn't warn you.
03:21Let's watch while we speak.
03:26Number 17.
03:27Summer of Sam.
03:28What do you want?
03:30I want you to go out and kill.
03:33Kill.
03:35Kill!
03:36There's a lot to appreciate about Spike Lee's Summer of Sam,
03:39co-written by Lee and Sopranos star Michael Imperioli.
03:42For starters, there's a great cross-section of stories and character arcs to the film,
03:47which is set during the summer of 1977
03:49as a terrified New York City found itself at the mercy of David Berkowitz,
03:54the son of Sam.
03:55There's also Lee's attention to detail,
03:57which nails the vibe of the city at the time.
04:00There's a homicidal maniac running around the neighborhood.
04:02You don't want to do anything about it?
04:04There's tension at every turn,
04:06as scenes with Berkowitz are intercut with the compelling personal dramas
04:09of the characters.
04:11It's proof that not all serial killer films need to be gratuitous slashers
04:15or slow-burn procedurals.
04:17Summer of Sam is in a class all its own.
04:23Bong Joon-ho's Oscar win for Parasite
04:25felt like something of a shared victory for fans of genre cinema.
04:29A truly remarkable and challenging film
04:32was getting recognized on the grandest stage of them all.
04:35That said, fans of Bong know that Parasite was by no means his first great film.
04:40In 2003, he gave us this examination of South Korea's most infamous serial killer.
04:46Memories of Murder follows the case of Lee Chun-jae,
04:49who confessed to killing over a dozen people between 1986 and 1994.
04:54Today, it's seen as an early classic from the director,
04:58one that utilizes social satire, dark humor,
05:01and police procedural elements to craft a thriller that's,
05:04well, actually thrilling.
05:12Speaking of police procedurals,
05:14The Frozen Ground came and went in 2013 without much fanfare.
05:19But true crime buffs seeking a dramatization of the Robert Hansen case
05:23will want to check it out.
05:29Hansen became known in Alaska as the Butcher Baker,
05:32an unstable and angry man who, in the 70s and 80s,
05:35kidnapped women and flew them out to the woods to hunt them down.
05:39The Frozen Ground cast John Cusack as Hansen,
05:42with the actor actually possessing a passing resemblance to the man.
05:45Critics also praised Nicolas Cage's performance
05:48as the state trooper tasked with bringing the killer to justice.
06:06Let's face it, many movies about real serial killers are cheap,
06:09drab affairs, but not The Boston Strangler.
06:12Richard Fleischer directed, and it stars Hollywood A-listers
06:16Henry Fonda and Tony Curtis,
06:18who received a Golden Globe nomination for his work.
06:20The movie was extremely controversial upon its release in 1968.
06:24This was not only for its content,
06:27but also because many critics considered it exploitative and immoral.
06:40The movie plays fast and loose with the facts.
06:44Albert DeSalvo most definitely did not suffer from multiple personality disorder,
06:49but the performances and production values are all so good
06:52that we can see past the fabrications.
07:03Helter Skelter was adapted from the 1974
07:06Vincent Bugliosi and Kurt Gentry true crime book,
07:09which covered the infamous murders and trials of the Manson family.
07:13It aired on CBS over two nights in 1976.
07:17While you might expect a made-for-TV movie from the 70s to be less than great,
07:21the film perfectly captures the pandemonium, hysteria, and sheer shock of the events.
07:28Steve Railsback is straight-up horrifying as Charles Manson.
07:31Just look at those eyes!
07:33And the movie provides viewers with a highly detailed
07:35and factual representation of the infamous case.
07:40It was nominated for three Emmys and a Director's Guild of America award,
07:48proving that serial killer movies and prestige can in fact go hand in hand.
08:03To Catch a Killer is another television movie,
08:05but like Helter Skelter,
08:07the fact that it was made for television does nothing to negatively impact its quality.
08:12The movie follows Michael Reilly's Lieutenant Kozenczak
08:15as he becomes suspicious of the charming and popular John Wayne Gacy,
08:19who is played spectacularly by Brian Dennehy.
08:28This movie is different from most in that it does not depict Gacy's killings.
08:32It's more interested in the cat-and-mouse game between the police and Gacy,
08:36and as such, it's more like a detective film than anything else.
08:40It forgoes blood and guts to tell a more intense and personal story,
08:44and it's all the better for it.
08:55Yes, it's another made-for-TV movie.
08:57This one aired on NBC in 1986 and stars Mark Harmon as Ted Bundy,
09:03one of the most infamous serial killers of all time.
09:06Harmon is magnetic as Bundy,
09:08earning a Golden Globe nomination and the praise of Polly Nelson,
09:12Bundy's real lawyer who called Harmon and the film, quote,
09:15stunningly accurate.
09:17As it was made for TV,
09:19the movie omits the grisly details of Bundy's crimes,
09:22but Harmon's chillingly charming performance is scarier than Blood and Gore could ever be.
09:28It's the killers and not the blood that fascinates us,
09:31and the deliberate stranger knows it.
09:36While Dahmer isn't perfect,
09:39it definitely has a few good things going for it.
09:42For one, Jeremy Renner is spectacular as Jeffrey Dahmer,
09:46arguably the sickest serial killer in history.
09:48He imbues Dahmer with both a horrific sense of psychopathy,
09:52while remaining, bizarrely, almost relatable.
09:56It's a tricky tightrope walk of a performance,
09:58but Renner miraculously manages to pull it off.
10:02While he is a psychopath through and through,
10:05we come to understand his twisted motivations through the writing
10:08and Renner's complex performance.
10:10It's a little low-budget and rough around the edges,
10:13but Renner makes it all worthwhile.
10:21While the film is a bit short on time,
10:23it's a good thing that we get a chance to watch it live.
10:26It's a bit of a shame that we don't get a chance to see it live,
10:29but it's a good thing that we get a chance to watch it live.
10:34It isn't every serial killer film
10:35that takes its source material from a graphic novel,
10:37but then again,
10:38My Friend Dahmer isn't your average serial killer film.
10:41For starters, both fans and critics responded positively
10:44to how the film captured the facts of the case,
10:46while also working on a cinematic level.
10:56Ross Lynch's performance as Dahmer
10:58opens the door to understanding the circumstances
11:00behind his mental state,
11:02while also never apologizing for the horrible
11:04and cruel nature of his crimes.
11:07In a world where nuance is often forgotten,
11:09My Friend Dahmer gets a lot right
11:11and is definitely deserving of your time.
11:22Number 8. Ted Bundy
11:28The succinctly titled Ted Bundy stars Michael Reilly Burke
11:32as the notorious serial killer,
11:34capturing the man's dual nature quite well.
11:36On the one hand,
11:37there's the charm that Bundy uses to lure victims
11:40into a false sense of security.
11:42Then, there's the dark side of Bundy,
11:44the deviant behavior that eventually leads
11:47to criminal activity on the most shocking level.
11:54The film has its flaws,
11:56but Ted Bundy really hinges on the performance of Burke,
11:59pushing what might otherwise be a flop
12:01into one of the more well-known adaptations of the case.
12:05Number 7. Citizen X
12:17Andre Ciccatillo is one of the most notorious
12:19and unrepentant serial killers of all time,
12:22a ruthless man who terrorized the USSR for over a decade.
12:26It's a challenging tale to adapt,
12:28yet this excellent made-for-cable movie more than succeeds.
12:32Citizen X was produced for HBO in 1995
12:35and stars Geoffrey Dumas as Ciccatillo,
12:38with Stephen Ray, Donald Sutherland,
12:40and Max von Sydow rounding out the cast.
12:48The film earned Cable Ace, Emmy, and Golden Globe Awards,
12:52striking an effective balance between the grim facts of the crimes
12:56and the authorities' relentless hunt for justice.
12:59Citizen X is another reminder that made-for-TV
13:02doesn't need to be a bad thing.
13:04Number 6. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile
13:08Skeptics may have called out the next entry on our list
13:10for its stunt casting of Zac Efron as Ted Bundy,
13:13but the former High School Musical star
13:15certainly proved he was up to the task.
13:22Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile
13:25was a worthy addition to Netflix's true crime library
13:28and endeavored to add something new to the well-known case of Ted Bundy.
13:32In this, the film was partially successful,
13:34but most of Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile
13:37hangs its hat on Efron and his ability to turn on the charm.
13:52The actor honestly does a great job making the audience
13:55see how Bundy could balance two very different lives,
13:58without ever making excuses for the horrific crimes.
14:02Number 5. 10 Rillington Place
14:06This movie depicts the story of John Christie,
14:09an Englishman who killed eight or more people
14:11at the titular 10 Rillington Place between 1943 and 1953.
14:16What makes this film so captivating is its authenticity.
14:20Richard Attenborough is mesmerizing as Christie,
14:22and John Hurt received a BAFTA nomination for his work as Timothy Evans,
14:27the man who was falsely accused of Christie's crimes.
14:32The house's exterior scenes were shot on the actual real-life street,
14:36although they were forced to film in nearby number 7
14:38rather than the historic number 10.
14:40This helps bring the story to life,
14:43and immerses us in one of the most notorious crimes in English history.
14:51Number 4. Snowtown
14:56The Snowtown murders rocked Australia in the 1990s.
15:00Also known as the Bodies in Barrels murders,
15:03the brutal killings were committed by three young men,
15:05with the help of a fourth,
15:07who considered themselves vigilantes.
15:09The film pulls no punches.
15:11It is a brutal, visceral experience,
15:14which is aided by the director's choice to use real locals
15:17rather than professional actors for most of the roles.
15:20Snowtown serves as Justin Kurzel's feature directorial debut,
15:24although you wouldn't know it.
15:26The movie is professionally made,
15:28and the realistic approach it takes may be enough to turn a few viewers' stomachs.
15:33This is real horror based on real events,
15:36and it makes for a highly disturbing watch.
15:39Hi mom, it's me, Fred.
15:44I'm on my way to Perth.
15:45Number 3. Henry
15:47Portrait of a Serial Killer
15:52This film is an interesting anomaly on our list.
15:56It's based on the many, many confessions of real-life murderer Henry Lee Lucas,
16:01but the majority of those confessions turned out to be false.
16:04However, the infamy of this case,
16:06and the fact that some of Henry's actual experiences are portrayed too,
16:10earns it a spot here.
16:11Michael Rooker brilliantly plays Henry,
16:14and Tom Toles plays Otis,
16:16a character based on the real Otis Toole.
16:18The movie is a bleak, uncompromising, and realistic portrayal of a psychopath,
16:23and as such, it was immediately slapped with an X rating by the MPAA.
16:28It's remained controversial throughout the years due to its content,
16:31although the film's direction and Rooker's terrifying performance
16:35have remained consistently praised,
16:37despite it not being an easy watch by any means.
16:43Number 2. Monster
16:53There is one overwhelming reason to see this movie,
16:57Charlize Theron.
16:59Theron is completely unrecognizable,
17:01both physically and mentally,
17:03as serial killer Eileen Wuornos.
17:05Theron was showered with accolades for her performance
17:08as the john-murdering prostitute,
17:10winning a SAG award, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award,
17:14not to mention having Roger Ebert call it quote,
17:16one of the greatest performances in the history of cinema.
17:19So yeah, we think she did okay.
17:32Her portrayal allows us to both fear and feel sorry for Eileen,
17:36a killer haunted by mental illness and the circumstances of her tragic life.
17:40It's both harrowing and heartbreaking.
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18:03Number 1.
18:04Zodiac.
18:05I'm not the Zodiac.
18:08And if I was, I certainly wouldn't tell you.
18:11If only all serial killer movies could be as good as Zodiac.
18:15David Fincher, who knows a thing or two about on-screen murder, directs.
18:19And the movie stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr.
18:23as the men hunting the enigmatic Zodiac killer of the late 60s and early 70s.
18:28This is a thriller done right.
18:39The performances are outstanding, the content dark and dreary,
18:43and the murder scenes, few as they may be, disturbingly realistic.
18:47Zodiac is an unsettling and captivating look
18:50into one of the most infamous cold cases of all time,
18:53and it will have you researching the Zodiac killer long after the credits roll.
18:58This is the Zodiac speaking.
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