Sometimes, what's scary in a horror film comes from paranormal activity, zombies, or aliens—but more often than not, the evil that can live inside us is the most frightening. That's exactly the kind of chilling terror that movies about serial killers elicit.
As long as our culture has had an eerie obsession with serial killers, there have been movies made about them—dating back to the noir era of Hollywood. From '70s slasher movies to the psychological thrillers that dominated the '90s and more recent true-crime dramatizations about the hunt for a killer or the inner workings of their psyche, there are plenty of great serial killer movies within the horror subgenre. Whether you want to watch a thrilling drama or a good old-fashioned, straight-up nightmare-inducing horror movie, these are the best serial killer movies. (And for even more recommendations of what to watch, we suggest you check out our list of the best true-crime TV shows.)
