Serial-killer BEST
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- DirectorNick BroomfieldJoan ChurchillStarsAileen WuornosNick BroomfieldTerry Humphreys-SlayNick Broomfield's second documentary about serial killer Aileen Wuornos, focusing on her mental state on death row.This film by documentary filmmaker Nick Broomfield is a bookend to his 1992 film, Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer, which explored the corruption running through the trial of one of Florida’s most infamous serial killers. A decade later, Broomfield returned to Florida, called as a witness before her execution. Perhaps inadvertently, he becomes a character in his own film, and the cast of supporting characters surrounding the trial is quintessentially Florida. His interactions with “Dr. Legal,” aka Stephen Glazer, Wuornos’ one-time, cable-access–famous lawyer, are the film’s comedic relief. Wuornos was also on death row at the time of filming (she died by lethal injection in 2002), and Broomfield is able to extract her come-to-Jesus monologues, though they do little to illuminate who Wuornos truly was.
- DirectorJohn McNaughtonStarsMichael RookerTracy ArnoldTom TowlesArriving in Chicago, Henry moves in with ex-con acquaintance Otis and starts schooling him in the ways of the serial killer.John McNaughton’s 1986 film is a very free sketch of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas and his associate, Ottis Toole. It’s pulpy, campy, and disturbing, and there are elements of 1980’s slasher film Maniac as well. The scenes of murder are so casually framed, there’s a certain “Is this a dream?” quality to the whole film. Michael Rooker’s dead-eyed portrayal of Lucas doesn’t help, but we do get glimpses of something resembling empathy, especially in exchanges with Toole’s aimless sister, Becky.
- DirectorBaran bo OdarStarsUlrich ThomsenClaudia MichelsenWotan Wilke Möhring13-year-old Sinikka vanishes on a hot summer night. Her bicycle is found in the exact place where a girl was killed 23 years ago. The dramatic present forces those involved in the original case to face their past.The visuals and cinematography in this film by Swiss director Baran bo Odar are absolutely stunning, which makes the evil underneath all the more unsettling. The rape and murder of a young girl sets the plot in motion, and we fast forward 23 years as another girl disappears. The film doesn’t make us wait for the reveal: Peer (Ulrich Thomsen) is the murderer and Timo (Wotan Wilke Möhring) was the bystander, the whisper of a golden wheat field the only sound that pushes us into the present. Two decades later, Timo and Peer meet again, and the dread surrounding the new disappearance is deafening. If you’re looking for a movie where the bad guy gets caught and justice is served, The Silence is not for you.
- DirectorMichael MannStarsWilliam PetersenKim GreistJoan AllenFormer FBI profiler Will Graham returns to service to pursue a deranged serial killer dubbed "the Tooth Fairy" by the media.Michael Mann’s 1986 film is the precursor to Silence of the Lambs. Here, Hannibal Lecter is played by Brian Cox, and William Petersen plays obsessive detective Will Graham, who’s in telepathic pursuit of a new serial killer (he’s already hunted down Lecter). Mann is pretty heavy-handed with the surreal, two-tone ’80s imagery and soundtrack (this film came out two years after Miami Vice debuted), and there’s a cringe-worthy action-movie scene in which Graham crashes through a glass window in slow-motion, but not enough is said about Tom Noonan’s performance as fantastically named killer Franics Dollarhyde, and “Innagadadavida” has never been used to such perfect effect.
- DirectorKim Jee-woonStarsLee Byung-hunChoi Min-sikJeon Gook-hwanA secret agent exacts revenge on a serial killer through a series of captures and releases.In this 2010 film from Kim Jee-woon, Choi Min-sik (star of another revenge thriller, Oldboy) plays a serial killer who tortures and kills women, and the first murder we see is that of the fiancée of a National Intelligence Service agent named Soo-hyun. Once he tracks down the killer, a game of catch and release begins. The hunter becomes the hunted, and Soo-hyun relishes in torturing and letting his prey go, until the line between revenge and sadism blurs in a bloody mess. “Your nightmare’s only getting worse,” he whispers to the man after one particularly festive torture session that should definitely have killed him. At one point, an associate of the killer who’s also a casual cannibal remarks: “You’ve created a monster. How interesting.” You will be in a constant state of tension wondering who will “win,” so probably don’t watch it before bed like I did.
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsNam-mi KangJeong-nam ChoiHye-Sook GoAfter being wrongfully imprisoned for thirteen years and having her child taken away from her, a woman seeks revenge through increasingly brutal means.South Korea has cornered the market on revenge thrillers. In the third film in Park Chan-wook’s vengeance trilogy (which includes Oldboy), Choi Min-sik once again plays a sadistic killer, only this time he’s a teacher who pinned the blame for a child’s murder on woman named Geum-ja Lee. After spending 13 years in prison, she quietly re-emerges and sets out on a precisely planned revenge tour involving the families of children he killed in the past. There’s also some very dark humor; the film ends on an act of physical comedy that’s somehow quite touching. Charlize Theron was reportedly producing a remake, but you’ll want to see this one first. See also: Kill Bill.
- DirectorMichael HanekeStarsSusanne LotharUlrich MüheArno FrischTwo violent young men take a mother, father, and son hostage in their vacation cabin and force them to play sadistic "games" with one another for their own amusement.This 1997 Michael Haneke film was remade with Naomi Watts and Tim Roth in 2007 by the same director, but nothing beats Haneke’s first take. It’s essentially a home invasion thriller before those were all the rage, and point of view is everything here. The killers—two affable young men dressed in white—address the camera as the tension grows, essentially asking the viewer if they should go ahead with whatever sadistic “game” is next. Further upending with the typical horror-movie formula, most of the violence takes place off screen. Haneke is addressing us directly: Are you upset you didn’t see this family murdered? If so, why?
- DirectorMichael HanekeStarsNaomi WattsTim RothMichael PittTwo psychopathic young men take a family hostage in their cabin.
- DirectorBill PaxtonStarsBill PaxtonMatthew McConaugheyPowers BootheA mysterious man arrives at the offices of an FBI agent and recounts his childhood: how his religious fanatic father received visions telling him to destroy people who were in fact "demons."One of the best films you’ve never seen of any genre, it’s incredibly original and has so many twists and turns you’ll be glued to the screen from the opening scene to the final image. I don’t want to say too much, because part of the brilliance and fun is the slow unveiling of the story. But it begins with a man enters FBI headquarters late one night announcing he knows the identity of a serial killer the feds have sought for decades. His tale goes back many years to his childhood, and his father’s crazed claim of divine power to see demons living in human form. This is definitely one of the most original serial killer stories you’ll ever find, weird and fun and scary as hell.
- DirectorSebastián CorderoStarsJohn LeguizamoAlfred MolinaLeonor WatlingA suspense thriller about a reporter from Miami who travels to Ecuador in pursuit of a serial killer known as the "Monster of Babahoyo."Set in Mexico and based on a true story, this film takes a look at serial killings from the media perspective and what happens when an innocent man is wrongly accused. The acting and very different perspective makes it extremely fascinating. There’s an added element of realism to this film’s cinematography and gritty portrayal of life in the town, and later in the prison scenes.
- DirectorBruce A. EvansStarsKevin CostnerDemi MooreWilliam HurtA well-respected businessman is sometimes controlled by his murder and mayhem-loving alter ego.What would a serial killer do if he truly hated himself and wanted to stop? If he’s Mr. Brooks, he’d attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings as a surrogate support group, resist his murderous impulses, and then face a crisis when he suspects his own daughter has inherited his bloody tendencies. One of Kevin Costner’s best performances.
- DirectorIrvin KershnerStarsFaye DunawayTommy Lee JonesBrad DourifA famous fashion photographer develops a disturbing ability to see through the eyes of a killer.From the 1970′s, here you’ll get a really cool mix of humor, detective work, murders, and supernatural psychic powers. A bizarre blend that’s sure to please fans of the genre. (And as my brother, Chris Hughes, just pointed out to me, this film was one of writer-director John Carpenter’s earliest screenplays and stories!)
- DirectorChris GerolmoStarsStephen ReaDonald SutherlandMax von SydowDuring the 1980s, Soviet authorities hunt for a serial killer who picks his victims in railway stations and commuter trains and lures them into the woods.Like Cronicas, this movie approaches serial killing from a different perspective. And also like that film, this one’s based on a true story. Set in Soviet Russia, it’s a police procedural in a totalitarian state that for too long refuses to face the fact a serial killer is on the loose, and the investigators struggle to overcome their own bureaucracy to catch the killer.
- DirectorDominic SenaStarsBrad PittJuliette LewisKathy LarsonA journalist duo goes on a tour of serial-killer murder sites with two companions, unaware that one of them is a serial killer himself.Brad Pitt as a redneck serial killer? Yep. Does it work? Double-yep. This is a grungy, back-roads version of a road trip from hell blended with a cross-country killing spree, and a really great film.
- DirectorNicholas MeyerStarsMalcolm McDowellMary SteenburgenDavid WarnerH.G. Wells pursues Jack the Ripper to the 20th Century when the serial murderer uses the future writer's time machine to escape his time period.Please don’t be turned off by the cheesiness of the trailer, which is far too dated to really give you an accurate appreciation for how moody and sinister this film is. It is indeed about H.G. Wells having really built his time machine, and Jack the Ripper uses it to run to the 1980′s, with Wells in hot pursuit. It’s got a nice sense of humor, a love story, but is also darkly brooding (at one point, Jack sneers, “Ninety years ago I was a freak. Today… I’m an amateur,” before showing Wells a string of TV reports about mass killings around the world). Seriously, it’s absurd and over the top, but also awesome.
- DirectorMichael WinterbottomStarsCasey AffleckKate HudsonJessica AlbaA West Texas Deputy Sheriff is slowly unmasked as a psychotic killer.Highly controversial when it debuted at Sundance, some scenes caused even positive reviews to have decidedly uncomfortable reactions to the graphic and lingering depictions of violence. But the measured pacing and building of tension leading up to the few explosive moments of brutality, the powerful performances, and the noirish writing make this one of the best “indie” films of the genre.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsMorgan FreemanBrad PittKevin SpaceyTwo detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.Directed by the incredibly talented David Fincher this 1995 serial thriller starred Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey and Morgan Freeman. This movie really hit home because I nearly lost an appendage while watching the film with my girlfriend. She was so terrified during one particular scene she went from holding my thumb to tearing it off!
Seven is the story of two detectives, a rookie and a veteran who hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi. With one of the most shocking twist ending Seven is clearly one of the 10 best serial killer movies of all time. - DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsJodie FosterAnthony HopkinsScott GlennA young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.1991’s Silence of the Lambs tells the story of a young FBI cadet played by Jodie Foster who must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative killer played by Anthony Hopkins to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims. Not only is this film a gem among genre fans but for ones the Academy even recognized a film we all love.
Silence of the Lambs won the Oscar for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director and Best Screenplay. What’s more it is also the first horror movie to ever win an Oscar. It was also the second horror movie to ever get an oscar nod with The Exorcist being the first in 1973 - DirectorDavid FincherStarsJake GyllenhaalRobert Downey Jr.Mark RuffaloBetween 1968 and 1983, a San Francisco cartoonist becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac Killer, an unidentified individual who terrorizes Northern California with a killing spree.The Zodiac Killer is one of the most disturbing moments in history mainly because to this day the killer has never been caught. Their have been many speculations about who the killer was but they are continually debunked time and time again.
The film by David Fincher is the story of a cartoonist who becomes obsessed with capturing the Zodiac Killer and unmasking him. I normally am not for special editions or DVD extras but you need to watch the extras on this DVD because it is literally hours of interviews with people involved in the case including the first officer at the scene of the first murder and the man who many believe is the Zodiac. - DirectorScott GlossermanStarsNathan BaeselAngela GoethalsZelda RubinsteinThe next great killer and psychopath has given a documentary film crew exclusive access to his life as he plans his reign of terror over the quiet town of Glen Echo.In Behind The Mask the next great psycho horror slasher has given a documentary crew exclusive access to his life as he plans his reign of terror over the sleepy town of Glen Echo, all the while deconstructing the conventions and archetypes of the horror genre for them.
What makes this film great is its unique story, the way it was shot and its truly unique perspective. - DirectorMary HarronStarsChristian BaleJustin TherouxJosh LucasA wealthy New York City investment banking executive, Patrick Bateman, hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he delves deeper into his violent, hedonistic fantasies.Before Christian Bale was Batman he was doing great films like American Psycho which is a classic example of the monster that lives next door. Christian Bale plays a wall street man who hides a dark secret… he’s a perverted and murderous maniac.
- DirectorJennifer LynchStarsJulia OrmondBill PullmanPell JamesTwo FBI agents attempt to clarify the murders occurring in a desolate region. They approach the witnesses of the latest incident with the help of the local police. All of them hide something and all have wildly different stories to tell.If you are ever in doubt about how great female horror directors are Jennifer Lynch demonstrates her greatness with Surveillance. Frankly I am not sure how many of you have seen Surveillance since it has gotten very little fanfare but let me just say wow. Released in 2008 it stars Bill Pullman and Julia Ormand as two FBI agents sent to investigate some heinous murders in a small town.
What seems like a cut and dry formula movie of FBI agents versus the killer is anything but. Similar to SEVEN which kicked this list off it is a well written spell binding film with a twist that will blow you away - DirectorJames WanStarsCary ElwesLeigh WhannellDanny GloverTwo strangers awaken in a room with no recollection of how they got there, and soon discover they're pawns in a deadly game perpetrated by a notorious serial killer.I seriously doubt that anyone needs explanation on this one. SAW which was released in 2004 and made for pennies is one of the few good low budget thrillers to come out in the last decade.
James Wan and Leigh Whannell not only proved that they could make a great film on a shoe string budget the launched an iconic killer named Jigsaw! - DirectorRidley ScottStarsAnthony HopkinsJulianne MooreGary OldmanLiving in exile, Dr. Hannibal Lecter tries to reconnect with now disgraced F.B.I. Agent Clarice Starling, and finds himself a target for revenge from a powerful victim.
- DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsDonald PleasenceJamie Lee CurtisTony MoranFifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again.