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Most movies about serial killers are thrillers, while most horror movies are about supernatural beings. The best serial killer horror movies, for that matter, walk that thin line between both classifications while also adding their own twist to a movie genre that’s in dire need of villains that aren’t ghosts or literal monsters.
Hence, we present you some of the best serial killer horror movies that will leave you disturbed, frightened, or even palpitating at all the potential jump scares. They can prove, once and for all, that real, physical manifestations of human violence and darkness can be more evil than the most malevolent ghosts.
The Strangers (2008)
Let’s start things off with everyone’s lingering daily fear: home invasion. The Strangers is a horror film that ought to make you paranoid enough to double-lock your doors. It begins with a family’s seemingly peaceful stay at a family vacation home.
Things go awry once they start seeing a dangerous woman at their door and, eventually, three masked strangers who decide to join the vacation. Soon enough, the family finds themselves in a fight for survival.
This psychological horror film about vacation home killers might have relied too much on cliches, but the premise makes it relatable enough for everyone.
Child’s Play (1988)
By now, almost everyone probably knows of Chucky’s existence as the most evil doll in pop culture, even when new heavyweights such as Annabelle rose up to the challenge. It’s hard to top Chucky’s penchant for pure evil– he’s a literal serial killer whose soul got trapped in a doll, and even then, he just couldn’t stop killing.
There’s an ongoing TV series about Chucky now though if you want to appreciate it better, you might want to start with the original, which is the original 1988 Child’s Play. It explores Chucky’s origin story and his most iconic appearances.
The film also spawned several sequels that further expanded the character’s lore in several disturbing ways.
The Black Phone (2022)
The Black Phone also adds some supernatural elements to its serial killer horror story, but it sticks to a strict narrative and doesn’t let the supernatural take over. The film is set in a small rural town in the US where boys have been disappearing and are rumored to be kidnapped by a child abductor and murderer known only as “The Grabber.”
Turns out “The Grabber” has had so many victims that they manifested into ghosts. The question is, are these ghosts evil or benevolent? That’s what one of The Grabber’s latest victims has to find out for himself in this distinct and suspenseful serial killer horror movie.
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It’s worth noting that The Black Phone isn’t based on any actual case or story though it takes inspiration from many serial killers from the previous century.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has a plot that was inspired by a real serial killer, Ed Gein, though most of the film is largely fictional. Still, it’s one of the most iconic and disturbing (and also the most successful) serial killer horror movies to date.
As usual for horror films set in the US, the story begins in a rural disturbance that farmhouse proprietors Sally and Franklin have to investigate.
What they didn’t expect was that they’d be in for the fright of their lives as they discovered some violent outcasts living next door– and they’re not even the worst part of the predicament. Instead, everyone now has to survive Leatherface, a cannibalistic serial killer who wears his victim’s skinned faces and wields a chainsaw as his weapon.
Suffice it to say, a lot of horror and slasher films owe much to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and its contribution to the genre.
Midnight Meat Train (2008)
Midnight Meat Train is the film adaptation of Clive Barker’s short story of the same name, and you can’t go wrong with that author when it comes to horror stories.
The film is about Leon, a photographer obsessed with capturing the dark tendencies and nature of humanity, and he sees an opportunity to immortalize this subject matter through a serial killer that preys on subway commuters.
Expect the usual Cliver Barker imagery here, complete with gore, torture, and overwhelming helplessness as Leon delves deeper into contact with the serial killer.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
As far as psychological horror films go, The Silence of the Lambs is the cultural flagbearer. It’s one of the most special and acclaimed serial killer horror movies in entertainment. Jodie Foster stars as FBI agent Clarice Starling as she sets out to capture a notorious serial killer who preys on attractive young women.
Finding the key to her investigation, however, is about as dangerous as the serial killer she’s chasing since Clarice has to interview the infamous Dr. Hannibal Lecter so she can have an insight into the minds of serial killers.
The Silence of the Lambs went all out in portraying serial killers here, complete with references and inspirations from multiple real-life perpetrators.
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1990)
Some serial killer horror movies are so graphic and controversial that they get the “X” rating which is usually reserved for pornographic films. One of those is Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, and it goes without saying that it’s not for the faint of heart.
The film revolves around the titular protagonist-villain after his release from prison (he was incarcerated for murdering his mother). After finding work as an exterminator, Henry gets bored and supplements his job with indiscriminate murders from time to time until Henry finds a twisted companionship with a drug dealer and his sister.
After that, the trio escalates their boldness in crime, and it becomes a contest to see the heights (or lows) of depravity that they could reach. And wouldn’t you know it, it’s based on a real-life serial killer, Henry Lee Lucas.
Creep 2 (2017)
Creep 2 fits our profile here for serial killer horror movies better than the first movie since it’s literally about a video artist who meets up with a serial killer in a secluded cabin for story content.
We agree; it’s not really the smartest move on her part.
This found footage film was already doomed from the start as soon as Sarah, the video content creator, agreed to the prospect. But hey, without her foolishness and lack of regard for personal safety, we wouldn’t have such a compelling horror mockumentary about a serial killer.
Vicious Fun (2020)
Comedy horror films are acquired tastes, but if done right, they can be memorable– especially considering how they kept toying with your two emotional extremes. Vicious Fun is one such title. It’s about a horror film critic who accidentally stumbles upon a self-help meeting for serial killers.
It’s a complex situation, no doubt, but the film is a fresh take on a genre that can be way too serious or dark.
There are also plenty of 1980s horror synth-wave vibes here that are obvious homages to the old slasher and serial killer films of the past. You’ll find plenty of humor and scares to like here in equal measure.
Scream (1996)
Speaking of self-aware serial killer movie parodies, Scream is one of the earliest pioneers and one that even ironically (or unironically) revitalized the slasher genre after Jason Vorhees and Freddy Krueger saturated it too much.
The premise here is simple. A masked serial killer named Ghostface stalks high school students as his prey. The film is mostly lauded for its satirical jabs at horror movies and slasher cliches like Halloween and even the director’s own A Nightmare on Elm Street movie.
It has also spawned several self-aware satirical serial killer movies to keep you on your couch for the foreseeable future.
