Put on your detective cap to find out what is lurking in the murkiness and be ready to uncover dark mysteries. Get ready to enter a world of psychological suspense and gruesome fascination with these top 9 best serial killer movies that will haunt your dreams. These masterworks weave a web of fear, intrigue, and mystery deep within the human mind.
With gripping stories and intense storylines, every movie lures you to enter a world where finding a murderer becomes a fascinating and exhilarating experience.
Take a trip down memory lane with these films that masterfully balance the border between curiosity, fear and suspense, making a lasting impression on the audience’s mind.
Some of these crime-thriller movies have been a hit at the box office creating audience interest to watch the movies in theatres. Here is a comprehensive list of the best serial killer films to check out.
1. Ek Villain
The first on the list of the 9 best serial killer movies is – Ek Villain, which is a thriller suspense movie featuring Siddharth Malhotra, Shraddha Kapoor, and Ritesh Deshmukh.
A seasoned criminal, Guru Divekar the character played by Sidharth Malhotra, finds an unexpected ray of light in the form of Aisha Verma portrayed by Shradhha Kapoor, a young woman battling a terminal illness.
Their love story blossoms against the backdrop of an impending tragedy, culminating in a heartfelt union. Determined to create lasting memories, Guru dedicates himself to fulfilling Aisha’s bucket list with her.
Yet, the serenity of their world shatters when the so-called Villain, Rakesh Mahadkar, portrayed by Riteish Deshmukh, a serial killer, casts itself upon them. A single fateful phone call wrenches their lives apart, leaving Aisha brutally murdered.
Filled with anger and grief, the main character becomes a relentless seeker of justice, traversing a treacherous path to confront the man behind the unjustified act.
The movie explores the mind of the Guru character in great detail, showing how this regular man was horrifyingly transformed into the terrifying persona of a serial killer.
The movie has an IMDB rating of 6.6 and one should not miss the movie which is available on Disney+Hotstar.
2. The Stoneman Murders
The Stoneman Murders, a murder mystery movie that keeps you hooked to the screen throughout the movie.
The movie is based on the actual Stoneman killings, which in the 1980s rocked Mumbai. Manish Gupta directed the movie with Kay Kay Menon, Arbaaz Khan, Veerendra Saxena and Rukhsar Rahman in the lead roles.
When Mumbai’s enigmatic serial killer claims his fifth victim, the authorities are taken aback by the turn of events. All the victims were stoned to death while sleeping on the pavement. Sanjay Shelar, (played by Kay Kay Menon), is a suspended police officer who, seeing this case as a chance to regain his position and the respect of his colleagues, launches a private investigation.
This puts Inspector Kedar Phadke (Arbaaz Khan), the official investigating officer, in conflict with Sanjay. Separately, the two try to solve the case and come to unexpected conclusions.
The movie has an IMDB rating of 7.3 and if you are a die-hard fan of K.K Menon and his acting, the movie is available on Amazon Prime to watch.
3. The Silence Of The Lambs
‘The Silence Of The Lambs’ is the next movie on the list of the best serial killer movies. This Hollywood psychological horror suspense movie, directed by Jonathan Damme, is adapted from the novel ‘The Silence Of The Lambs written by Thomas Harris. Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, and Ted Levine are the leading actors in this movie.
Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), a new FBI trainee, receives the task of interviewing Hannibal Lecter (played by Anthony Hopkins), a former psychiatrist now known as a cannibalistic serial killer. Clarice’s superior, Jack Crawford, believes Hannibal could offer valuable insights into another serial killer, Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine), who is on a spree of murdering young women and removing their skin.
In a desperate attempt to stop Buffalo’s reign of terror, Clarice heads to the hospital, especially for the criminally insane to meet Hannibal. She makes a false promise of a prison transfer to extract information. Bill kidnaps the daughter of a senator, which puts the FBI in crisis.
The movie has an IMDB rating of 8.6 and this best Hollywood movie based on a serial killer is available to watch on Amazon Prime.
4. Se7en
The next in the lineup is the Hollywood movie ‘Se7en’, a psychological thriller directed by David Fincher. Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, John C McGinley and Gwyneth Paltrow are in the lead roles.
A seasoned police officer, Somerset (played by Morgan Freeman), and one rookie detective, Mills (Brad Pitt), work together to solve crimes. They get together in an effort to track down a serial killer, John Doe played by Kevin Spacey, who draws motivation from the seven deadly sins. For the unversed, the seven sins are greed, pride, envy, lust, gluttony, sloth, and wrath. John kills five of his victims, corresponding to 5 sins.
The story takes a sharp turn as the murderer voluntarily surrenders and gets arrested. But what about the other two murders he planned but didn’t commit? There’s a twist in the story where you get to see something unprecedented.
The movie is said to be one of the best Hollywood serial killer movies with an IMDb rating of 8.6 and can be purchased on Amazon Prime.
5. Raman Raghav 2.0
The next in the lineup of the top 9 best serial killer movies is a psychological thriller film directed by Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl, Vikramaditya Motwane and Madhu Mantena. The movie features Vicky Kaushal, Nawazuddin Siddique and debutant Sobhita Dhulipala.
This suspense thriller movie is based on the true story of Raman Raghav, who was a notorious serial killer in Mumbai in the 60s. Ramanna (played by Nawazuddin Siddique), a serial killer, surrenders, confessing to the merciless killing of nine people. But his chilling narrative takes a horrific turn when, amidst chaos in custody, he escapes and commits the heinous crime of taking the lives of his sister and her entire family, seeking shelter in their home.
ACP Raghavan Amrendra Singh Umbi (Vicky Kaushal) unfolds the case, converting the evidence that links Ramanna to this dreadful and chilling crime.
The movie has an IMDb rating of 7.3 and it is currently streaming on Zee5.
6. Psycho
Another movie ‘Psycho’ directed by Mysskin, is next on the list of the top 9 best serial killer movies. Mysskin’s Psycho is a gritty thriller movie featuring Aditi Rao, Udhayanidhi & Nithya Menen in the lead roles.
The movie is dark and intense, which will make you feel disturbed.
The movie explores the twisted nature of a psychopath, Raj, who kills women, beheads them and considers them his trophies. Dahini, a character played by Aditi Rao, a radio jockey, is abducted by the serial killer. But when the killer is about to kill Dahini, he faces a challenging situation when he notices a sense of serenity on her face. Dahini challenges Raj that Gautam (Udhayanidhi) will seek revenge for this act.
In the meantime, Gautam with the help of Kamala (Nithya Menen), a former sub-inspector, tries to solve the case. The story’s essence lies in whether Gautham, who is visually challenged, despite his limitations, can capture the psychopath and save Dahini.
The movie has an IMDb rating of 6.1 and is currently available on Netflix.
7. American Psycho
‘American Psycho’ is next on the list of the best serial killer movies. Mary Harron directed this psycho-thriller movie with Justin Theroux, Christian Bale, Josh Lucas, Matt Ross, Jared Leto, Samantha Mathis, and Bill Sage in the lead roles.
The movie portrays the extravagant lifestyle of Patrick Bateman, a rich investment banker played by Christian Bale, in 1988 in New York. His worldly belongings and physical attractiveness consume him to a great extent.
But no one is aware of the darker side of Patrick, as he tries to hide his tendency to murder people over insignificant things, like when someone has a better business card than him. Greed and hatred have consumed him. Hatred of those who fall short of his standards and greed for others belongings.
His ideas and dreams, which were initially contained, soon spiral out of control, and he succumbs to his bloodlust. Patrick confesses later, but his friends laugh it off.
The movie is available to watch on Amazon Prime and has an IMDb rating of 7.6.
8. Zodiac
The next on the list is the suspense thriller Hollywood movie- Zodiac, directed by David Fincher, featuring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. A cartoonist named Robert Graysmith (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) becomes obsessed with Zodiac, a serial killer responsible for a string of murders during the 1970’s.
Zodiac sends encoded messages to the San Francisco Police Department and threatens to kill a dozen people if they are unable to decipher his messages and publish his identity. Robert guesses correctly that the letters do not contain his identity, but he is not taken seriously. As the investigation thickens, he continues his investigation.
Things get interesting when he publishes a book about the murders and uncovers the killer.
Following the impressive story, the movie has some exceptional actors that led the movie to have an IMDb rating of 7.7 and the movie is available on Netflix.
9. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
Last but not least, on the list of the top 9 best serial killer movies is ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. This thriller suspense movie is directed by Joe Berlinger, with Lily Collins, Zac Efron, and Angela Sarafyan. It is based on a true story.
This chilling crime story revolves around Liz (Lily Collin) and Ted Bundy (Zac Efron). Liz is Ted’s girlfriend, who is far from in love with him. When a series of murders occur, Ted is named the main suspect, and Liz struggles to come to terms with reality, unwilling to accept Ted’s role as a murderer.
Based on Elizabeth Kendall’s memoir detailing her years of manipulation by serial killer Ted Bundy, the film delves into this harrowing true story.
The movie is available on Amazon Prime with an IMDB rating of 6.7.
The above list has the top nine serial killer movies of all time. This list is based on personal opinion and is not copied from any source.
We strive to keep our content up-to-date, there may be new developments or research findings that could impact the information provided in the above article.
We appreciate your understanding and trust in our platform. Our goal is to continue providing valuable content from the entertainment domain with a way to create a difference in human kind.
Should you have any suggestions for content refinement or removal, we welcome your feedback via email at contact@bollywoodxplorer.com.
Follow Bollywoodxplorer to explore the lights, camera, and drama of Bollywood
- Ek Villain
- The Stoneman Murders
- The Silence of the lambs
- Se7en
- Raman Raghav 2.0
- Psycho
- American Psycho
- zodiac
- Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
Akhila Menon
Contributer
I'm Akhila, a professional and versatile content writer having 5 years of experience helping clients with articles, blog posts, social media posts, emails or every other type of content. I put my thoughts, emotions into what I write.