The 20 scariest films about serial killers

What's in the box? It's certainly no box of chocolates, that's for sure. David Fincher gift wraps a brooding package of mangled minds in his serial killer thriller, in which Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman are detectives tracking down a serial killer inspired by the seven deadly sins. It's a sinister, gruesome potboiler that'll have you wanting to take a shower after trudging through a land of cinematic filth.

It's still shocking that a movie about a flesh-eating killer won Best Picture, but what isn't shocking about The Silence of the Lambs? Often considered the peak of serial killer cinema, this standoff between a hard-nosed detective and an unblinking murderer remains a winning bloodbath. Enjoy with fava beans and a nice Chianti. 

There's not much blood in this whodunnit. The terse thriller doesn't really have any action at all. What makes it so gripping, however, is the way it buries itself into the human psyche and the frantic mind of its protagonist, whose wife disappeared at a gas station years ago. Still haunted by a lack of answers, he sets out to find her at the cost of his own sanity. What he finds'll haunt your memory for decades after the credits... vanish.

A fairytale about childhood trauma, a Dickens venture with macabre poetry, a movie about a priest who kills, and the contrast between dark and light. There's really no easy way to describe Night of the Hunter. It's a singularly magnificent film. Set in the countryside, where a priest marries into a family, murders the wife, and sets out after the children in order to obtain the inheritance, this is a mother's lullaby meets a murderer's knife, and one of the greatest movies ever created.

Why, he couldn't even harm a fly. The movie that invented the slasher and turned horror into a respected art form sees a seemingly normal motel manager slash his victims in the shower. Alfred Hitchcock's movie might look like it was shot on VHS, but it elevated the genre into high art with Freudian psychology and visceral cinematography that had audiences locking the door before every shower for years.

Wait, how did this cheery musical make our list? Isn't this a bright romance about finding true love? Yes, yes it is. But amidst all those pastel colors and lovely songs is a serial killer subplot that leads to some truly shocking results. 

Those who enjoy true crime podcasts are sure to be glued to this non-fiction thriller. Following the detectives who tried to pin the real-life Zodiac killer, David Fincher recreates a bygone era with texture and recreates the actual killings with aplomb. What's most haunting, perhaps, is that the killer was never actually found. It's not just a cold case, it's an icily frigid one. 

More than just a calling card for Christian Bale's performance (in bone font), this killer satire has actually interesting things to say. Commenting on male vanity and corporate nonsense, American Psycho sees Bale's finance bro unwind by chopping up victims with an axe.

You thought Meet the Parents was nutty. Wait until you see Carey Grant meet the family of his new bride, whose cousins are most certainly murderers. Directed by Frank Capra, this ink-black farce had me laughing so loud it woke the neighbors, and I'm waiting for a list like this to recommend it. 

In the O.G. serial killer flick, M stands for murder, and the murderer is whistling loony on the streets of Berlin. As with most German films of its era, M comments on Germany's fascist regime while delivering a bleak vision of the country's warped minds. More than that, it's just a fun watch, with Peter Lorre setting the template for serial killers ranging from Norman Bates to Patrick Bateman, who trades Hall of the Mountain King for Huey Lewis and the News. 

While most killers on our list are based on actual people, who are actually scarier than supernatural predators, Halloween is an exception to the rule. Michael Meyers is absolutely terrifying as a masked killer offing teens in the comfort of their own homes. While there isn't much backstory, the mindless killings are as terrifying as anything in the horror genre.

It's easy to group hitman movies into our list--they are technically serial killers, after all. Making this a fun entry to our batch, the sexiest actor ever, Alain Delon, saunters through the shadows of Paris while hiding from the police. Like a bird trapped in a cage, we watch this teary-eyed assassin try to escape the inescapable, made all the more chilling by Jean-Pierre Melville's expert direction.

Just before true crime became a thing with True Detective, Bong Joon Ho crafted a true crime yarn for the ages. With his directorial debut, the Parasite director followed the murders of a small town, the idiotic local detectives, and the big-city loner who tried to stop him. It's all spun with humorous, horrific suspense, leading to an ambiguous ending that confronts the viewer directly in the eyes. 

Before there was Psycho, there was another creepy mama's boy, slashing victims with a knife. In this cult classic, a photographer uses his camera as a weapon, suggesting that audiences are every bit as sadistic as the killer on screen. The Technicolor film is gorgeous, but it got the director canceled for a reason. Even today, Peeping Tom is a squrimishly uncomfortable entry into the seedy underbelly of movie making, prostitution, and the unspoken parallels between the two.

Based on real-life killer Ed Gein, who slaughtered his victims in the backwoods and used their bones for furniture. Texas Chainsaw Massacre sees a group of hippies wander those very same fields and stumble into Leatherface himself. Talk about a wrong turn! The ensuing action from Tobe Hopper's indie is about as visceral as bloodbaths get.

An operatic hitman movie that lands somewhere between Sergio Leone and Jean Pierre Melville. The Killer follows a hitman who accidentally blinds a singer during a raid and makes it his mission to save enough money to restore her sight. In eye-opening action sequences, John Woo fills the screen with bullets, cigarette smoke, flying pigeons, and eventual bromance that somehow always hits its target audience.

Misery on an island is not a movie I ever thought I'd watch, but I'm sure glad Sam Raimi decided to make it. With blood, guts, and vomit galore, we watch as Rachel McAdams tortures her terrible boss when they crash land on an island. Crafted with impeccable atmosphere, which really sticks with me as I write this from the sparkling sands of Puerto Rico's Wyndham Hotel, and career-best performances. Send Help is a trashy popcorn movie that eventually morphs into a suspenseful serial-killer story.

Another splendid slice of island horror, The Wicker Man isn't so much a serial killer movie as a serial killers movie. Set on an island that makes an annual sacrifice, this year's contestant is an unassuming police officer who gets wrapped up in an ethereal murder plot.

Father of the year goes to...the man who kills people for their skin! He's really killing people so he can save his daughter's mangled face. It's a strangely beautiful act of love and a bizarrely poetic movie. It's no wonder it was such an inspiration for Guillermo del Toro, who has always appreciated the monster, finding beauty in the ghastly.

Is there a better fantasy movie out there? Inconceivable! While serial killer Dread Pirate Roberts is thought to have kidnapped a princess, the truth is really a beautiful act of love. A truly wonderful movie we can all enjoy.