There's something about serial killers that just captures our fascination. Their crimes both disgust and intrigue audiences, leaving them to wonder about just what makes a person capable of committing such horrific deeds. In truth, real serial killers have been overly romanticized in film, with far too many movies, TV shows, and documentaries made about them.
But what happens when a serial killer in a film is made up from scratch? Adding a serial killer to the plot is an easy way to quickly ratchet up the tension, after all. Making a fictional character relatable is one thing, but making them relatable while they're hell-bent on a killing spree is another. Despite lacking a history of influence, the best of them are able to draw the viewer in the right from the beginning, like prey. Portraying a monster without becoming one in the process must be a challenge.
Here are some examples of the best fictional serial killer performances in movies.
Update January 28, 2024: This list of (thankfully) fictional serial killers has been updated by Amanda Minchin to include even more modern classics.
10 Mia Goth as Pearl - X & Pearl (2022)
Mia Goth as Pearl in theX film seriesis something to behold. The two films in Ti West's trilogy tell the story in reverse of the coming of age of a serial murderer. From her humble, Wizard of Oz-like origins in 1918 to the women's liberation movements of 1979, this humble farm girl with dashed big dreams transforms into an old and bitter woman before our eyes. The third and final film in the series, MaXXXine, is set to come out later this year.
What doesn't change between the two films, however, is her propensity for murder. In her youth, Pearl snaps, lashing out at those willing to dash her dreams of stardom. As an elderly woman, she successfully lures and stalks her prey, murdering them with whatever equipment is on hand (with the reluctant help of her husband and former soldier Howard). Pearl's kill count in each film easily outranks others on this list. Taking the multiple decades apart into account, the audience is left to assume there are even more skeletons in her closet.
What Makes Pearl an Iconic Serial Killer
Howard may be an enabler, but it's Pearl who starts off the mayhem all on her own. As a young woman, she shows obvious signs of psychopathy, killing animals and torturing her bedridden father. As her temptations and repressions collide, her solutions to life's problems are resolved by murder, usually in an overly theatrical manner. These technicolor 'adventures' are only stoked years later when the film crew of a pornographic movie comes to stay at the farm.
What is perhaps just as amazing is Goth's transformation into the role, which, for the older Pearl, took hours in the make-up chair. She played two roles in the first film, arguably that of both the antagonist and the protagonist, upcoming pornographic film star Maxine Minx. In the end, Minx is the only one able to escape Pearl's advances, though likely at a cost. Stream on Peacock
9 Robert Mitchum as Reverend Harry Powell - Night of the Hunter (1955)
In Night of the Hunter, Robert Mitchum plays Reverend Harry Powell, a serial killer with "Love" and "Hate" tattooed on his knuckles. After being arrested for driving a stolen car, Powell is placed in a cell with a bank robber, who has stashed away $10,000 and told his children where he's hidden it. When Powell is released, he woos the robber's widow and tries to get close to the children, attempting to get them to reveal where the money is hidden. What follows is a chase of the two children (one of whom is only four years old) by a relentless monster in human form.
One thing viewers should know about the good Reverend is this isn't his first sermon. He made a habit of traveling up and down the Ohio River area, marrying and murdering widows in his wake. A fanatic to his core, he believes that what he's doing is fitting with the Gospel, because, in his mind, God hates women. He's just helping him along.
What Makes Powell an Iconic Serial Killer
This film noir classic is the only film that actor Charles Laughton ever directed. This movie initially flopped with both critics and audiences when it came out in 1955 but has been vindicated by history as one of the greats. The killer's seemingly reverent nature and his ability to blend into his environment are what truly make the skin crawl. Its terrifying realism is spot on in its portrayal of just how easily this situation could happen in real life.
Furthermore, Robert Mitchum is undoubtedly convincing in his faux preacher persona. He makes the hymn "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" sound like the most frightening hymn ever composed as he sings it throughout his path of death and destruction. Menacing every second he appears, Mitchum makes Harry Powell one preacher whose sermons parishioners shouldn't feel guilty about skipping out on. Rent on AppleTV+
8 Peter Lorre as Hans Beckert - M (1931)
In the 1931 masterpiece M, Peter Lorre plays Hans Beckert, a notorious child killer in Berlin. At first, Beckert proves so successful at evading capture that the police, under intense pressure to catch him, begin performing raids on known criminals, disrupting their operations. The criminals, unhappy that the police are cracking down on them, decide to organize their own manhunt for the perp. They catch him and put him on trial. What follows is not only one of the best performances of Lorre's great career, but one of the best performances of a serial killer period.
What Makes Beckert an Iconic Serial Killer
Beckert broke away from conventional wisdom by portraying himself as an outwardly normal person. What makes Lorre's performance so good is just how passionately he argues his case. He's sick, he admits it, but he says he can't control his urges and that his "sickness" is just like any other malady that needs to be cured. He's not like Berlin's other criminals, so what right do they have to judge him?
As a beloved character actor, Lorre was perhaps best known for his more tortured and sinister characters, a label he tried for years to lose, to no avail, much preferring the experimental European scene. That being said, this role seems the perfect mix between sinister and character study. Lorre's work here is incredible, and it's not difficult to believe that someone could be swayed to his side of thinking. A truly sick man, Lorre's Hans Beckert stands out as one of the best serial killers in film history. Stream on Max
7 Kevin Spacey as John Doe - Se7en (1995)
In this fantastic 1995 filmSe7en, Kevin Spacey plays John Doe, a serial killer who bases his crimes around the Seven Deadly Sins. The crimes themselves, most of which we only see the aftermath of, are still some of the most grotesque and disturbing ever committed on screen, from disfiguring a model (pride), to force-feeding an individual to death, to strapping a man to his bed for a year. Doe, however, makes no apologies for his crimes, and is, in fact, quite proud of them.
What Makes John Doe an Iconic Serial Killer
John Doe is one of the most memorable serial killers onscreen, one whose worldview is perfectly brought to life through Spacey's masterful performance. This film shows off its protagonist mostly through their 'works'. It's not until the end, when he's apprehended, however, that viewers finally get a glimpse of his character. Considering the intricacy and forethought of his crimes, it's easy to see that this is one meticulously messed-up character.
This is also without question the shortest performance on this list, which meant Spacey had to do quite a bit with very little screen time. The truth is, he pulls it off brilliantly. The ending of the movie is perhaps where Spacey shines brightest. Doe himself is guilty of the crime of Envy over Detective Mills' (Brad Pitt) perfect life. He kills the officer's wife and unborn child, and mails a box containing his victim's head to be opened by Mills. Mills promptly kills him in a fit of rage, thereby becoming the sin of Wrath. Needless to say, Spacey's performance left behind a lasting impression. Rent on AppleTV+
Se7en
- Release Date
- September 22, 1995
6 Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Johnny Depp played the lead in the self-titled Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. It was only a matter of time before a film rendition of the popular theatrical production was produced. This one came under the direction of the acclaimed director of all things creepy, Tim Burton. In the film, Todd seeks revenge against those who've wronged him. This includes Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman), the man who wrongfully convicted and exiled him in order to get with his late wife and steal his daughter away as well. What starts out as a simple plan for revenge soon undertakes an all-or-nothing mentality. Soon, Todd and his accomplice, Mrs. Lovett, are killing whoever they can get their hands on and baking their corpses into meat pies. The story is part H.H. Holmes' 'Murder House' meets Soylent Green, with a dash of The Count of Monte Cristo thrown in for good measure.
What Makes Sweeney Todd an Iconic Serial Killer
It would be all too easy to say this was a cast born from nepotism, but the truth is Depp plays the part of the conflicted Barber to perfection, as does his oft co-star Helena Bonham Carter. The chemistry between the two is obvious. While their goals are criminal, their reasons for them are at least understandable. Their folie à deux manifests these desires into delusions beyond their control. Both are so dynamically off-kilter and yet the audience cannot help but root for them. Unfortunately, by that time, their ultimate demise comes much too soon for comfort. Stream on Amazon Prime
5 Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh - No Country For Old Men (2007)
Anton Chigurh is the main antagonist in both the novel and the 2007 film adaptation of No Country For Old Men. Portrayed by Javier Bardem, he's a man on a mission to recover money stolen from a drug deal gone wrong. He stalks Llewelyn Moss, the errant hunter who stumbled across the funds. Bardem won himself an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a British Academy Film Award for the role, which has since been described as an almost perfect portrayal of a psychopath. That's interesting considering Bardem was initially wary of the violent part.
What Makes Anton Chigurh an Iconic Serial Killer
Here's the thing. Yes, Chigurh's work is dangerous, requiring him to kill as he sees fit. The problem is his trigger finger for killing is shorter than a hairpin and is often decided upon by the toss of a coin. He murders for fun and to make things easier for himself. For him, being an emissary of cruelty and chaos is simply a means to an end.
While not based on anyone in particular, the narrative is strikingly similar to that of killers like Richard Kuklinski, aka The Iceman of mafia hit fame. Able to kill in a variety of ways, Bardem's Chigurh also experimented with different methods, including a captive bolt stunner. In the film, he uses this weapon to both bust into buildings and create bullet-like wounds in his victims. His precise methods, flat affect, and literalism are all cues to his clinical nature. Stream on Paramount+
4 Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates - Psycho (1960)
It should come as no surprise that this iconic performance from one of Hitchcock's best films is on the list. In Psycho, a secretary, Marion, goes on the run after stealing from her employer. En route, she checks into a remote hotel, where she becomes the victim of a serial killer. Those who come to find out more about her sudden disappearance keep winding up dead as well.
Anthony Perkins played the iconic hotel manager, Norman Bates. Unassuming in person, Bates blames his mother for just about everything. Because of this, it's assumed throughout the course of the story that the killer stalking the hotel's residents is none other than his jealous, overbearing momma. It's not until Lila, Marion's sister, discovers her rotting corpse in the house up the way that the audience discovers that Bate's alter-ego is, in fact, his mother. Twists like this one have gone on to inspire similar films like Identity.
What Makes Bates an Iconic Serial Killer
Norman Bates, to put it kindly, has issues... mommy issues. Which is part of the reason he became a serial killer in the first place. Inspired loosely in part by the wrongdoings of Ed Gein, in the hands of Anthony Perkins, the iconic Norman Bates came across as harmless... until he wasn't. The true monster comes out in the scene where Norman describes to Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) how "we all go a little mad sometimes." While he might be talking about his mother, he's really describing himself. Even after Crane's now iconic shower murder, Bates puts on a horrified reaction to those who come to inquire about it, which truly makes the audience believe it was his mother who carried out the killings.
Perkins' performance is absolutely flawless throughout this piece. That final image of him smiling over a voiceover of Norman's mother telling us how harmless she ends with an unsettling grin from Perkins. The effect is nothing short of masterful. It's only fitting that, once placed in a psychiatric facility, Bates can't seem to shake his mother from his own persona. Rent on AppleTV+
3 Benoit Poelvoorde as Ben - Man Bites Dog (1992)
Man Bites Dog is a darkly comedic Belgian mockumentary from 1992. In it, Benoit Poelvoorde (who also wrote and directed the film) plays Ben, a serial killer who is followed around by a camera crew documenting his life. It's only a matter of time, however, before Ben slowly convinces the crew to become more involved in his crimes, to the point they even start to actively participate in them. This film has been recommended as an unlikely cult classic ever since.
What Makes Ben an Iconic Serial Killer
Poelvoorde had quite the challenge when it came to making this racist, sexist, and generally all-around despicable human being someone the audience would want to follow around. Poelvoorde knew how to make Ben someone who seemed like they'd be fun to be around by utilizing his natural charisma. As a result, it's not hard to see why the camera crew would want to help him out. Poelvoorde put out a shocking and disturbing black comedy that has gone on to inspire many a future mockumentary. Stream on Max
2 Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter - Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Dr. Hannibal Lecter has a very solid case for being one of the greatest fictional serial killer ever put to screen, and it's all thanks to Anthony Hopkins' legendary performance in Silence of the Lambs. With only about twenty-five minutes of screen time, this is the second shortest performance ever to win the Best Actor Oscar, second only to David Niven in Separate Tables, which clocks in with about a minute less of screen time. Most of the screen time is taken up by FBI Agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) in her quest to stop another serial murderer. In doing so, she enlists the help of Dr. Lecter to help create a profile of the killer.
What Makes Dr. Lecter an Iconic Serial Killer
While the trope of the overtly cultured serial killer does not necessarily flesh with reality, it's easy to be entertained by this star performance. What makes Lecter so scary are the mind games he plays with Agent Starling. It's worth noting that Jodie Foster also won a much-deserved Oscar for this film.
Hopkins adopted a particularly unsettling voice for the role, which Hopkins said was a mix of Truman Capote and Katharine Hepburn. The sound only adds to the creep factor that Lecter exudes. It's a testament to how good Hopkins' performance is that "cannibalistic serial killer" is not the most frightening thing about the character. Every word, every inflection, everything is just precise. This is the perfect example of a fascinating character portrayed to perfection by an incredible actor. Stream on Max
1 Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman - American Psycho (2000)
Christian Bale plays Patrick Bateman in the controversial adaptation of American Psycho. Bateman is an investment banker/serial killer. Bateman is perfectly groomed and coiffed to fit in, and is manipulative and narcissistic to a fault. He ticks far too many of the boxes off of The Psychopathy Checklist for comfort. His propensity to murder comes about as easily as ordering a coffee, and he carries out most of them with meticulous precision as if he were checking an item off his to-do list. Not many on this list toe the line between realistic and entertaining without swaying too far toward one end of the continuum or the other. Bateman is both entertaining to watch and highly realistic, even down to his unfulfilled fantasies of murder. No one would suspect this man of outright serial murder, which is kinda the point
What Makes Bateman an Iconic Serial Killer
Bale proves a surprisingly adept performance as Bateman, from his sly manner to his precision kills. The voice Bale puts on Bateman is perfect, too. There's definitely something off about the way he talks, a sense of unsettling falseness about it. It's like he's playing a person instead of being a person, which is common for someone with psychopathic tendencies.
The film is intended to be a satire of 1980s yuppie culture and consumerism, something that Bale does a good job of capturing. Watch the famous "business card scene," where Bateman and his fellow co-workers compare their business cards, heavily emphasizing the color and the font. When he sees Paul Allen's card, Bateman's inner monologue is a perfect demonstration of him losing his mind. Bale's physical reaction on the outside, however, remains perfectly normal. It's easy to see how Batemen's line of work coincides with his psychopathic tendencies. Just about everything about Bateman's public persona is false, just like his co-workers. The sad truth is this is a common industry for this. Rent on AppleTV+
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