Serial killers are capable of horrific acts of violence, and yet they often appear to be normal and even charming on the surface. In this blog post, you’ll get to see 8 of the best serial killer movies on Netflix you can watch right now.
These films offer a glimpse into the minds of some of the most depraved individuals in history, and they can be both disturbing and fascinating. What drives serial killers to commit heinous acts? It’s a thought-provoking question.
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8 Best Serial Killer Movies on Netflix
1. Mindhunter (2017-2019)
Netflix’s Mindhunter is a crime drama series that follows two FBI agents, Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany), as they interview serial killers in an attempt to understand their motivations.
The series is based on the true story of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, which was founded in the 1970s to study serial killers and other violent criminals.
The series begins in 1977 when Ford and Tench are sent to interview Edmund Kemper, a convicted serial killer. Kemper’s insights into his psychology helped Ford and Tench to develop their profiling techniques. They also interview other serial killers, including Jerry Brudos, Richard Speck, and John Wayne Gacy.
As the series progresses, Ford and Tench face increasing challenges. They are met with resistance from within the FBI, who are skeptical of their methods. They also struggle to deal with the psychological toll of interviewing serial killers.
Despite the challenges, Ford and Tench persevere. They develop a groundbreaking profiling system that helps to solve several serial killer cases. The series ends in 1981, with Ford and Tench continuing their work to understand and catch serial killers.
Mindhunter is a well-made and suspenseful series. The performances by Groff and McCallany are excellent too. It’s one of the best serial killer movies to watch.
2. The Ted Bundy Tapes (2019)
The Ted Bundy Tapes is a docu-series that tells the story of Ted Bundy, one of the most notorious serial killers in American history. The series features interviews with Bundy himself, as well as with law enforcement officials and survivors.
The Ted Bundy Tapes is a chilling and disturbing look at the mind of a killer. Bundy was an intelligent man who was able to fool many people into believing that he was innocent. The series does an excellent job of exploring how Bundy was able to get away with his crimes for so long.
It also explores how Bundy’s crimes affected the people who knew him and the ways in which his case continues to fascinate and horrify people today. The Ted Bundy Tapes is a must-watch for anyone interested in true crime.
3. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)
Another one of the best serial Killer movies on Netflix are Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile. This is a biopic about Ted Bundy, starring Zac Efron as Bundy and Lily Collins as his girlfriend, Elizabeth Kloepfer. The film is based on Kloepfer’s memoir, “The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy.”
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile is a controversial film that focuses on how Kloepfer’s relationship with Bundy affected her, and how she came to terms with his crimes.
If you watch this film, you’ll see that it offers a unique perspective on one of the most infamous serial killers in history.
4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a Swedish crime thriller film based on the novel of the same name by Stieg Larsson. The film stars Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara as Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander, two investigators who team up to solve the disappearance of a young woman.
Mikael Blomkvist (Nyqvist), a disgraced journalist, is hired by Henrik Vanger (Sven-Bertil Taube), a wealthy industrialist, to investigate the disappearance of his niece, Harriet, 40 years earlier. Blomkvist teams up with Lisbeth Salander (Rapace), a young woman with a troubled past and a genius for computers, to solve the case.
The investigation leads them to uncover a web of secrets and lies within the Vanger family. They also discover that Harriet is still alive, but has been living in hiding. With Salander’s help, Blomkvist brings Harriet’s abductor to justice, and they also uncover a larger conspiracy that involves the Swedish government.
5. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
This is quite one of the classic serial killer films on Netflix you must have watched. Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), a young FBI trainee is tasked with interviewing the imprisoned serial killer, Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins).
Her interview with Hannibal was to get information about another serial killer, Buffalo Bill. Lecter, who is both charming and manipulative, provides Starling with insights into Buffalo Bill’s mind, but he also plays mind games with her.
Starling eventually learns that Buffalo Bill is targeting young women who have been abused by their fathers. She tracks him down to a remote farmhouse, where she confronts him and kills him.
The film also shows how Starling’s relationship with Lecter affects her and the ways in which she comes to terms with the darkness that she sees in him. The Silence of the Lambs is a must-watch for fans of horror films and psychological thrillers.
6. Se7en (1995)
Se7en is a 1995 American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by David Fincher and written by Andrew Kevin Walker. Two homicide detectives who are assigned to investigate a series of murders based on the seven deadly sins.
Brad Pitt stars as Detective David Mills and Morgan Freeman took the role as Detective William Somerset. The two detectives are assigned to investigate the murder of a man who has been forced to eat his flesh. The killer leaves behind a calling card with the word “gluttony” written on it.
The detectives soon discover that the killer is targeting people who have committed each of the seven deadly sins. They track down the killer, John Doe (Kevin Spacey), and confront him. Doe reveals that he is planning to commit one final murder, for the sin of sloth.
The detectives can stop Doe before he can commit his final murder, but not before he kills Mills’ wife. The film ends with Somerset walking away from the crime scene, contemplating the meaning of evil.
7. Zodiac (2007)
Zodiac is a crime thriller film based on the true story of the Zodiac Killer, a serial killer who terrorized San Francisco in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The film captures the paranoia and fear that gripped San Francisco during the Zodiac Killer’s reign of terror.
The Zodiac Killer is a serial killer who terrorizes San Francisco in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He sends taunting letters to the newspapers and police, and his identity remains a mystery.
Two detectives, Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo), are obsessed with catching the killer. They follow every lead, but the Zodiac always seems to be one step ahead of them.
As the detectives continue their investigation, it affects the personal lives of the victims and their families. It is a suspenseful and disturbing film that explores the dark side of human nature.
It all ends without the Zodiac being caught, which is a departure from most serial killer movies. This ending reflects the reality of the case, which remains unsolved to this day.
8. American Psycho (2000)
To conclude our list of the best serial killer movies on Netflix is American Psycho. This is a black comedy horror film about Patrick Bateman, a wealthy investment banker who is also a serial killer.
The film is set in New York City in the 1980s, and the plot centers on materialism, violence, and the emptiness of the yuppie lifestyle.
Bateman is a superficially charming and successful man, but he is also deeply disturbed. He is obsessed with his appearance, his possessions, and his status, and he is driven by a desire to control and dominate others. He begins to act on his violent urges, and he soon finds himself committing increasingly horrific murders.
The film was directed by Mary Harron and stars Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman. It is considered to be one of the most disturbing and controversial films ever made.
