If you enjoy stories about real-life serial killers, you’ve had a lot to consume on television in recent years. Monster: The Ed Gein Story has been on everyone’s lips lately. Before that, there were Dahmer, Das, and many others. These shows are as scary as they are informative. They are also cautionary, warning us to always look out for the little signs that everyone tends to ignore. But what about movies? Are there any great horror movies based on real serial killers?
Well, there aren’t hundreds of such films. After all, notorious serial killers only pop up once in a while. Of the few available, some capture the lives of the people involved but fail to capture the dread, so we’ll leave those out. Let’s jump into the movies that not only dig into the minds of these people but also examine their actions in detail, showing how they affected the communities around them or the society at large.
Here are the 10 best horror movies based on real serial killers.
‘The Honeymoon Killers’ (1970)
Inspired by the true story of the notorious “lonely hearts killers” of the 1940s, The Honeymoon Killers opens with lonely nursing administrator Martha Beck (Shirley Stoler) submitting her name to a “lonely hearts” club. She is soon contacted by Raymond Fernandez (Tony Lo Bianco) from New York City, who turns out to be a murderer. But the lonely Martha sticks along for the dangerous ride. The “Bonnie and Clyde” relationship forms the substance of this offbeat, gripping picture.
Couple from Hell
In the mood for a frightening love story that will make you choose your partners more carefully? Make time for The Honeymoon Killers. Everything that occurs between these two characters strains credulity, yet it’s all true, and both lead actors alternate in stealing their respective scenes. Beyond that, the monochrome visuals evoke a documentary feel, giving the horror flick an extra dose of realism. Interestingly, the film began with a young Martin Scorsese as its appointed director, but he was fired for working too slowly, according to the book How Scorsese Became Scorsese.
‘Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer’ (1986)
Loosely inspired by real-life murderer and fabulist Henry Lee Lucas, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer follows Henry (Michael Rooker), a drifter who journeys across Chicago committing random murders with no motive. His ex-con friend Otis (Tom Towles) soon joins him in committing crimes, most of them captured on videotape, but things get complicated when Otis’s sister Becky (Tracy Arnold) moves in.
The Worst Kind of Friendship
Written and directed with assurance by John McNaughton, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is a shocking, unsettling film that will pain all who see it. At the heart of the tale all is the platonic yet dangerously deep bond that develops between Henry and his seemingly stiff friend, Otis. The film is so eerie that it took a while for a distributor to jump on board. In one unforgettable scene, filmed in documentary style using a grainy camcorder, a mother’s neck snaps with a crack like a twig, and her pale eyes stare blankly at the camera as Henry and Otis murder the entire family.
‘Monster’ (2003)
Monster stars Charlize Theron as the serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a street prostitute who killed seven (possibly more) of her male clients between 1989 and 1990. The criminal, who was executed in Florida in 2002, claimed that her victims had either raped or attempted to sexually assault her, and that all the killings were committed in self-defense.
Theron in Top Form
A brisk outing at just over 100 minutes, Monster is full of priceless moments and strikes just the right balance between the mundane and the frightening. A must for Charlize Theron fans, as she undoubtedly gives her best performance here. Wuornos had antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder, and Theron helps audiences understand these conditions better via her facial and bodily expressions. Thanks to her great work, she won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Actress.
‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile’ (2019)
Ted Bundy (portrayed in the film by Zac Efron) kidnapped, raped, and murdered several women between 1974 and 1978. His modus operandi involved convincing his targets that he required assistance or lying to them that he was an authority figure. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile recreates his actions, per the memoir of his former girlfriend, Elizabeth Kendall.
The Biggest Monster of Them All?
Director Joe Berlinger is primarily a documentary filmmaker, so his direct approach here might not be to everyone’s taste, but those who appreciate detailed storytelling will totally enjoy the film. True crime lovers will also pounce without hesitation. Most importantly, we get to see one of Zac Efron’s most sustained, non-heartthrob performances. On his side is a strong supporting cast that includes Jeffrey Donovan and Jon Malkovich.
‘Woman of the Hour’ (2023)
It’s the late 1970s in Woman of the Hour, and aspiring actress Sheryl Bradshaw (Anna Kendrick) has signed up for the hit game show The Dating Game in hopes of making it big. She selects bachelor No. 3 — the charming photographer Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto) — as her suitor, unaware that he’s a skirt-chasing murderer. As the day of her date approaches, she starts suspecting that something is off.
All That Glitters Isn’t Gold
This elegiac horror piece that also qualifies as social satire breezes past events with a sparkling effect. Rich in thought-provoking dialogue, the film traverses a number of heavy themes (success, fame, love, misogyny, death, and money), while sharply parodying the celebrity-worshipping nature of society. Acacia is also portrayed accurately. At the time of his appearance on the show, he had murdered at least five women. He would come to be known as The Dating Game Killer.
‘The Golden Glove’ (2019)
The Golden Glove tells the horrific tale of Fritz Honka (Jonas Dassler), a disfigured, reclusive man in 1970s Hamburg. By day, he stays locked up in his apartment; by night, he roams through the popular bar “The Golden Glove,” seducing lonely women and taking them back home. There, he murders them and hides their bodies in his attic. But as the stench increases, neighbors become suspicious.
Ruining the Fun
The film is a sad, incisively penned, and genuinely touching dissection of loneliness and derangement. Filmmaker Fatih Akin brilliantly captures the sprawling, spirited, joyous conversations at the bar, full of fond reminiscences, promises, and intellectual quibbles, right before Fritz strikes. Honka murdered four women, but to create a more chilling effect, The Golden Glove puts his statistics in the dozens. You’ll hate the man, but love Jonas Dassler, the actor who portrays him.
‘The Boston Strangler’ (1968)
Based on the mysterious real-life murderer that terrorized Boston in the early 1960s, The Boston Strangler chronicles the high-octane hunt for the criminal responsible for the deaths of several women. Detective John S. Bottomly (Henry Fonda) is in charge of the investigation, juggling both public and political pressure. The search eventually points to Albert DeSalvo (Tony Curtis), the man who ultimately confessed to being the strangler.
Not Entirely Accurate, but Spellbinding
Richard Fleischer’s intense film provides a vivid and harrowing account of the heinous acts perpetrated by the strangler, though it twists facts in some instances. Shot in an almost cinema-verité style, the film fully explores the faces of the villain and the victims, which only increases the prevailing sense of dread. The use of split-screen imagery and sound also helps, with the director keen on ensuring the procedural pursuit is as interesting as the serial killer’s hellish actions. Tony Curtis is also brilliant. For his work, he earned himself a Golden Globe nomination.
’10 Rillington Place’ (1971)
10 Rillington Place revisits the unthinkable acts of English serial killer and serial rapist John Reginald Halliday Christie (Richard Attenborough), who murdered at least eight people — including his wife Ethel — via gas asphyxiation and strangulation inside his flat at 10 Rillington Place, Notting Hill, London. The film also dwells on the miscarriage of justice involving Christie’s neighbour, Timothy Evans (John Hurt), who was wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife, a crime that the serial killer had actually committed.
The Devil Was Their Neighbor
Don’t miss this stirring horror movie about one of the worst men of his kind. (Trivia note: Christie’s actions were considered so despicable that previous attempts at making a movie based on him were blocked by the British Board of Film Classification.) A chilly score by the legendary John Dankworth adds to the movie’s considerable impact, while a strong performance by Hurt reminds audiences not to be too trusting. The actor was nominated for a BAFTA for his work.
‘Memories of Murder’ (2003)
Between 1986 and 1984, Lee Choon-jae murdered fifteen women and girls in South Korea’s Gyeonggi Province. The crimes remained unsolved for nearly three decades, and who better to tell the story on film than Bong Joon Ho? In Memories of Murder, lawmen Park Doo-man (Song Kang-ho) and Seo Tae-yoon (Kim Sang-kyung) make catching this idiot their lives’ goal. But as their methodologies clash, the body count rises.
Someone’s Gotta Catch Him
Joon Ho reminds us that Greongii wasn’t exactly a place of wanton lawlessness, so even the police (used to easy tasks) were caught flat-footed. The cops are outsmarted at every turn, but this tough, gritty crime-horror flick doesn’t skimp on revealing the violent lengths to which the officers will go to get their man. In some instances, they appear every bit as evil as the killer, who is equally intent on doing everything in his power to elude capture. As is the case with every Joon Ho picture, expect exquisite cinematography and incredible twists.
‘The Town That Dreaded Sundown’ (1976)
The Town That Dreaded Sundown’s plot is inspired by the real “Texarkana Moonlight Murders” of 1946, where a mysterious killer known as the Phantom Slayer began attacking young couples at night. In the film, panic spreads as Texas Ranger J.D. Morales (Ben Johnson) launches a massive manhunt for the criminal without any success.
One of History’s Most Elusive Killers
Films where the villain wins can be interesting, but audiences will understandably be frustrated by that outcome here. The killer and the cops never share the frame in this picture, but their combined arcs keep us riveted. Watch closely, too, for many other popular ‘80s and ‘90s stars in their younger faces. Praised for pioneering influence on the true-crime-slasher subgenre, this gem merits a wider modern audience. In Texarkana (where the killings happened), The Town That Dreaded Sundown is shown to the public every Halloween.
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