Movies and TV series about serial killers

The 60 best titles about serial killers, ranked by the iRank Score — our composite of IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and TMDb. Every page includes cast, where to watch and similar recommendations.

Psycho
iRank91
1960 · Alfred Hitchcock
MovieHorrorMysteryThriller
When larcenous real estate clerk Marion Crane goes on the lam with a wad of cash and hopes of starting a new life, she ends up at the notorious Bates Motel, where manager Norman Bates cares for his ho
The Silence of the Lambs
iRank88
1991 · Jonathan Demme
MovieCrimeDramaThriller
Clarice Starling is a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life
Death Note
iRank86
2006
SeriesAnimationMysterySci-Fi & Fantasy
Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects—and he’s bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whos
Dexter: Resurrection
iRank85
2025 · Scott Reynolds
SeriesCrimeDramaMystery
Dexter Morgan awakens from a coma to find Harrison gone without a trace. Realizing the weight of what he put his son through, Dexter sets out for New York City, determined to find him and make things
Halloween
iRank85
1978 · John Carpenter
MovieHorrorThriller
Fifteen 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.
ERASED
iRank85
2016
SeriesAnimationDramaMystery
Satoru Fujinuma is a struggling manga artist who has the ability to turn back time and prevent deaths. When his mother is killed he turns back time to solve the mystery, but ends up back in elementary
The Mentalist
iRank84
2008 · Tom Szentgyorgyi
SeriesCrimeDramaMystery
Patrick Jane, a former celebrity psychic medium, uses his razor sharp skills of observation and expertise at "reading" people to solve serious crimes with the California Bureau of Investigation.
Twin Peaks
iRank84
1990 · Sabrina S. Sutherland
SeriesDramaMystery
The body of Laura Palmer is washed up on a beach near the small Washington state town of Twin Peaks. FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper is called in to investigate her strange demise only to uncover a web
True Detective
iRank83
2014 · Issa López
SeriesDramaMystery
An American anthology police detective series utilizing multiple timelines in which investigations seem to unearth personal and professional secrets of those involved, both within or outside the law.
Hannibal
iRank83
2013 · Bryan Fuller
SeriesCrimeDrama
Both a gift and a curse, Graham has the extraordinary ability to think like his prey—he sees what they see, feels what they feel. But while Graham is pursuing an especially troubling, cannibalistic mu
Nightcrawler
iRank82
2014 · Dan Gilroy
MovieCrimeDramaThriller
When Lou Bloom, desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is
Dexter
iRank82
2006 · Jace Richdale
SeriesCrimeDramaMystery
Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police also leads a secret life as a serial killer, hunting down criminals who have slipped through the cracks of justice.
Dirty Harry
iRank82
1971 · Don Siegel
MovieActionCrimeThriller
When a madman dubbed 'Scorpio' terrorizes San Francisco, hard-nosed cop, Harry Callahan – famous for his take-no-prisoners approach to law enforcement – is tasked with hunting down the psychopath.
Hot Fuzz
iRank82
2007 · Edgar Wright
MovieActionComedyCrime
Former London constable Nicholas Angel finds it difficult to adapt to his new assignment in the sleepy British village of Sandford. Not only does he miss the excitement of the big city, but he also ha
Memories of Murder
iRank81
2003 · Bong Joon Ho
MovieCrimeDramaThriller
A sadistic serial rapist and murderer of young women terrorizes a small province in 1980s South Korea. To prevent further crimes, three increasingly desperate detectives with conflicting methods race
MINDHUNTER
iRank81
2017 · Courtenay Miles
SeriesCrimeDrama
An agent in the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit develops profiling techniques as he pursues notorious serial killers and rapists.
Se7en
iRank81
1995 · David Fincher
MovieCrimeMysteryThriller
Two homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whose crimes are based on the "seven deadly sins" in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one
American Horror Story
iRank81
2011 · Halley Feiffer
SeriesDramaMysterySci-Fi & Fantasy
An anthology horror drama series centering on different characters and locations, including a house with a murderous past, an asylum, a witch coven, a freak show, a hotel, a farmhouse in Roanoke, a cu
Black Bird
iRank81
2022 · Dennis Lehane
SeriesCrimeDrama
As Jimmy Keene begins a 10-year prison sentence, he gets an incredible offer: If he can elicit a confession from suspected killer Larry Hall, Jimmy will be freed. Completing this mission becomes the c
Zodiac
iRank81
2007 · David Fincher
MovieCrimeMysteryThriller
Over the course of a decade, editors of the San Francisco Chronicle entice themselves in the murders of the Zodiac Killer. However, as time runs its course, interest in the case dwindles in the eyes o
Bates Motel
iRank81
2013 · Vera Farmiga
SeriesCrimeDramaMystery
A "contemporary prequel" to the 1960 film Psycho, depicting the life of Norman Bates and his mother Norma prior to the events portrayed in Hitchcock's film, albeit in a different fictional town and in
You
iRank80
2018 · Sera Gamble
SeriesCrimeDramaMystery
A dangerously charming, obsessive man goes to extreme measures to insert himself into the lives of women who fascinate him.
DAHMER - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
iRank80
2022 · Ryan Murphy
SeriesCrimeDrama
This series examines the gruesome and horrific true crimes of Jeffrey Dahmer and the systemic failures that enabled one of America’s most notorious serial killers to continue his murderous spree in pl
Dexter: New Blood
iRank79
2021 · Bill Carraro
SeriesCrimeDrama
10 years after Dexter went missing in the eye of Hurricane Laura, we find him living under an assumed name in the small town of Iron Lake, New York. Dexter may be embracing his new life, but in the w
Cure
iRank79
1997 · Kiyoshi Kurosawa
MovieCrimeHorrorMystery
A frustrated detective deals with the case of several gruesome murders committed by people who have no recollection of what they've done.
Strange Darling
iRank79
2024 · JT Mollner
MovieHorrorThriller
Nothing is what it seems when a twisted one-night stand spirals into a serial killer’s vicious murder spree.
The Batman
iRank79
2022 · Matt Reeves
MovieCrimeMysteryThriller
In his second year of fighting crime, Batman uncovers corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while facing a serial killer known as the Riddler.
Luther
iRank79
2010
SeriesCrimeDramaMystery
A dark psychological crime drama starring Idris Elba as Luther, a man struggling with his own terrible demons, who might be as dangerous as the depraved murderers he hunts.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
iRank78
2011 · David Fincher
MovieCrimeMysteryThriller
Disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist investigates the disappearance of a weary patriarch's niece from 40 years ago. He is aided by the pierced, tattooed, punk computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander.
Chucky
iRank78
2021 · Jeff Renfroe
SeriesComedyCrimeMystery
After a vintage Chucky doll turns up at a suburban yard sale, an idyllic American town is thrown into chaos as a series of horrifying murders begin to expose the town’s hypocrisies and secrets. Meanwh
Scream Queens
iRank78
2015
SeriesComedyMystery
The super-charged comedy-horror series is a modern take on the classic whodunit with a killer cast.
Pearl
iRank78
2022 · Ti West
MovieHorror
Trapped on her family’s isolated farm, Pearl must tend to her ailing father under the bitter and overbearing watch of her devout mother. Lusting for a glamorous life like she’s seen in the movies, Pea
The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil
iRank77
2019 · Lee Won-tae
MovieActionCrimeThriller
After barely surviving a brutal attack by a sadistic serial killer, crime boss Jang Dong-su is left humiliated. Determined to catch the killer known as K, he forms an uneasy alliance with Jung Tae-seo
Barbarian
iRank77
2022 · Zach Cregger
MovieHorrorMystery
In town for a job interview, a young woman arrives at her Airbnb late at night only to find that it has been mistakenly double-booked and a strange man is already staying there. Against her better jud
I Saw the Devil
iRank77
2010 · Kim Jee-woon
MovieHorrorThriller
Kyung-chul is a dangerous psychopath who kills for pleasure. Soo-hyeon, a top-secret agent, decides to track down the murderer himself. He promises himself that he will do everything in his power to t
The Talented Mr. Ripley
iRank77
1999 · Anthony Minghella
MovieCrimeDramaThriller
Tom Ripley is a calculating young man who believes it's better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody. Opportunity knocks in the form of a wealthy U.S. shipbuilder who hires Tom to travel to Italy t
Possession
iRank77
1981 · Andrzej Żuławski
MovieHorror
A young woman left her family for an unspecified reason. The husband determines to find out the truth and starts following his wife. At first, he suspects that a man is involved. But gradually, he fin
The Fall
iRank77
2013 · Justin Thomson
SeriesCrimeDrama
When the Police Service of Northern Ireland are unable to close a case after 28 days, Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson of the Metropolitan Police Service is called in to review the case. Under h
The Chaser
iRank76
2008 · Na Hong-jin
MovieActionCrimeThriller
Joong-ho is a dirty detective turned pimp, who's in financial trouble as several of his girls have recently disappeared without clearing their debts. While trying to track them down, he finds a clue t
X
iRank76
2022 · Ti West
MovieHorror
In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas, but when their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them in the act, the cast find themselves fighting for their lives.
Manhunt
iRank76
2017 · Allison Moore
SeriesCrimeMystery
Inspired by actual events, this true crime anthology series takes a deep dive into the dark, twisted minds of terrorists and follows the brave souls who hunt them down.
Monster
iRank75
2003 · Patty Jenkins
MovieCrimeDrama
In 1989, prostitute Aileen Wuornos befriends and enters a relationship with a young woman named Selby. Determined to straighten out her life, Aileen's limited education lands her back on the corner. S
The Chestnut Man
iRank75
2021
SeriesCrimeDrama
At a grisly murder scene sits a figurine made of chestnuts. From this creepy clue, two detectives hunt a killer linked to a politician's missing child.
The Alienist
iRank75
2018 · Ben Rosenblatt
SeriesCrimeDramaMystery
New York, 1896. Police commissioner Theodore Roosevelt brings together criminal psychologist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, newspaper illustrator John Moore and secretary Sara Howard to investigate several murd
Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey
iRank74
2018 · Jim Donovan
MovieCrimeDramaTV Movie
On the night she plans on taking her own life, 17-year-old 'Lisa McVey' is kidnapped and finds herself fighting to stay alive and is raped. She manages to talk her attacker into releasing her, but whe
La Doña
iRank74
2016 · Gabriela Valentan
SeriesDramaSoap
A story of revenge and ambition, seduction and betrayal; all told from the perspective of an offended and abused woman named Altagracia. Altagracia represents the hundreds of thousands of Mexican wome
Scream
iRank74
1996 · Wes Craven
MovieCrimeHorrorMystery
A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.
Hush
iRank73
2016 · Mike Flanagan
MovieHorrorThriller
A deaf woman is stalked by a psychotic killer in her secluded home.
Longlegs
iRank73
2024 · Osgood Perkins
MovieCrimeHorrorMystery
FBI Agent Lee Harker is a gifted new recruit assigned to the unsolved case of an elusive serial killer. As the case takes complex turns, unearthing evidence of the occult, Harker discovers a personal
Dark City
iRank73
1998 · Alex Proyas
MovieMysteryScience Fiction
A man struggles with memories of his past, including a wife he cannot remember, in a nightmarish world with no sun and run by beings with telekinetic powers who seek the souls of humans.
Trick 'r Treat
iRank73
2007 · Michael Dougherty
MovieComedyFantasyHorror
Four interwoven stories that occur on Halloween: an everyday high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer; a college virgin might have just met the one guy for her; a group of teenagers
The Black Phone
iRank72
2022 · Scott Derrickson
MovieHorrorThriller
Finney Blake, a shy but clever 13-year-old boy, is abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to
Monster: The Ed Gein Story
iRank72
2025 · Ryan Murphy
SeriesCrimeDrama
The shocking true-life tale of Ed Gein, the infamous murderer and grave robber who inspired many of Hollywood's most iconic on-screen killers.
Watcher
iRank72
2022 · Chloe Okuno
MovieHorrorMysteryThriller
As a serial killer stalks the city, Julia — a young actress who just moved to town with her husband — notices a mysterious stranger watching her from across the street.
American Psycho
iRank72
2000 · Mary Harron
MovieCrimeDramaThriller
A wealthy New York investment banking executive hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he escalates deeper into his illogical, gratuitous fantasies.
The Taking of Deborah Logan
iRank72
2014 · Adam Robitel
MovieHorrorMysteryThriller
What starts as a poignant medical documentary about Deborah Logan's descent into Alzheimer's disease and her daughter's struggles as caregiver degenerates into a maddening portrayal of dementia at its
Dangerous Animals
iRank70
2025 · Sean Byrne
MovieHorrorThriller
A savvy and free-spirited surfer is abducted by a shark-obsessed serial killer. Held captive on his boat, she must figure out how to escape before he carries out a ritualistic feeding to the sharks be
Totally Killer
iRank70
2023 · Nahnatchka Khan
MovieComedyHorrorScience Fiction
When the infamous "Sweet Sixteen Killer" returns 35 years after his first murder spree to claim another victim, 17-year-old Jamie accidentally travels back in time to 1987, determined to stop the kill
Sherlock Holmes
iRank70
2009 · Guy Ritchie
MovieAdventureCrimeMystery
Eccentric consulting detective Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson battle to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy England.
Saw X
iRank70
2023 · Kevin Greutert
MovieHorrorMystery
Between the events of 'Saw' and 'Saw II', a sick and desperate John Kramer travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure in hopes of a miracle cure for his cancer, only to discover