5 Best Serial Killer Movies of All Time

With the many digital subscription offerings of Cable TV Service Providers, it becomes possible to stream an entire assortment of serial killer movies instantaneously – and in full HD.

Movie productions, since their advent onto the digital entertainment scene in the first half of the 20^th century, have always seemed to cast an imaginative & consciously ‘dislocating’ influence on the mindsets of the individuals who chance to watch them. Perhaps that has always been the (teleological) intent behind creating these specimens of motion-picture – along with, of course, the profit-earning motivations that inevitably seem to hover in the background. Although the majority of film titles do have a resounding, artistic impetus behind their development, there are still many which only seem to serve as vehicles for garnering-in a little portion of the consumer market’s revenue share. A huge assortment of Thriller Movies fit this latter category, but a few classics (which creep up from time to time), ensure the continued viability of their film genres in the public’s imagination.

On the Need for the ‘Thriller’ Genre to Constantly Innovate

Unlike their comedy-oriented counterparts on the motion picture genre-spectrum, Thriller Movies (albeit being produced in the ‘hundreds’ every year) only boast a classic within the decades-span. The reasoning behind this trend is not hard to contemplate. Psychologists have long insisted that a continued exposure to gory sights and sounds (something discernible to the most profound degrees in Horror movies) have a ‘numbing influence’ on the human psyche.

Just like a psychosomatic drug (such as the Opioids class) provoke the establishment of chemical tolerance-levels in the host taking them, so do thriller movies require an ever-accentuate dosage of bloody violence within their plot settings to affect a rapidly-immunizing human intellect. Because of this phenomenon, many onscreen thriller spectacles subsequently seem more comedic than destabilizing, and it is only when a genuinely innovative film production like the ‘Psycho’ franchise series comes along that people reassert their convictions in the entertaining potential of the entire thematic genre as a whole.

The New-Age Movie Watching Dynamic

Nowadays, many people have reverted from watching movies in the traditional (and public) film-setting of the cinema theater, and instead, prefer to experience them within the confines of their domestic dwellings (and through the invigorating medium of the modern Home Entertainment System). Although the Cinema still proves to be unique in its ability to compound the emotional states of large gatherings (evoked by certain plot scenarios), the sense of isolation orchestrated by the typical home theater possesses a peculiar tenacity of its own. Oftentimes, different Movie Channels (as per the usual industry practice) attempt to showcase newer film productions about 3 to 4 months after their box office release dates – in periodic offerings that may be availed through the services of reputed Cable TV service providers.

In this article, we have attempted to compile a listing of the 5 Best Serial Killer Movies of All Time (or as they may appear to us – based on a range of gauging factors and popular-impact measures). So if you’re interested in discovering some of the Top thriller picks guaranteed to pique and embolden your curiosity this fall, read on…

5 Best Serial Killer Movies of All Time

1. Psycho (1960)

Deemed a cult classic in Hollywood, this Hitchcock-produced psychological horror masterpiece still elicits screams and whimpers from its hooked audiences who instantly become enamored with its eerie plot-sequences and creepy graphical spectacles. The character of Norman Bates, the prime serial killer within the production, is a household name – with the modern day Bates Motel TV series from A&E paying homage to his disturbingly sinister sociopathy (and being the most popular spin-off of the movie to hit the television screen thus far). So if you’re in the mood for some classic and horrifying film fare, you should perhaps start your weekend at the beginning – with Psycho to initiate you into a world of unrivaled suspense, gore and intrigue.

2. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The mere mention of Dr. Hannibal Lecter (the iconic character first brought to life with the award-winning performance of Sir Anthony Hopkins) still causes fans to grain in both delight and revulsion. This classic serial-killer production stars Jodie Foster (who is the prime protagonist of the film) as Clarice Starling, a prolific FBI Academy graduate who is tasked by Dr. Jack Crawford to draw some information out of the imprisoned Dr. Lector – which may prove useful in capturing another serial killer with the potential psychological disposition of a psychopath.

3. Zodiac (2007)

The Jake Gyllenhaal starrer Zodiac portrays the city of San Francisco in the rioting 60s where the mysterious serial killer called the ‘Zodiac’ is engaged in menacingly killing its residents. The trio of two reporters and a police inspector team up to solve his ciphers, encoded messages and riddles, in an attempt to prevent his next killing and unmasking him. The film is now deemed to be a classic in the Hollywood ‘Thrillers’ fraternity and involves intricate plot & storyline sequences that collectively ensure an unrivaled cinematic experience.

4. Seven (1995)

Considered one of Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman’s star performances, the film Seven features a serial killer engaged in killing people who (in his mind) perfectly epitomize the seven deadly sins of the bible. A veteran police officer (on the cusp of retirement) teams up with a junior transferee in attempting to catch this killer. The film has a riveting storyline, and invokes a grim mood of terror and suspense in its audiences – and further culminates into a horrifying ending.

5. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, from its initial screening in 1974, has been readapted several times to appease its ardent fan-base. This classic thriller offering depicts the devastating (and horrifying) predicament of Sally, her brother Franklin, and their friends, as they travel down south to investigate their dead grandfather’s vandalized gravesite. They are soon attacked by the demented (and psychopathic) serial killers who live next door to them; with the chainsaw-wielding character of Leatherface (who is the main antagonist involved in the grizzly series of murders) having now become the archetypal manifestation of a serial killer in the annals of Hollywood history.