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Despite the fear and nightmares, sometimes, the audience is very keen to watch serial killer movies, and the distinctive cinematography is one of the reasons for this interest, but there are certainly reasons related to the drama surrounding the work itself.
The worst kind of killers are those who sneak in the dark or come unexpectedly, breaking the rules of conflict, and going beyond the depths of moral decadence to what is lower. Between the atmosphere of mystery and attempts to explore the human soul, the monster of curiosity awakens in the viewer.
Here are some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films about serial killers:
David Fincher's Se7en (1995) begins when retired police detective William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) takes on one last case with the help of newly transferred David Mills (Brad Pitt), and they uncover a series of elaborate and horrific murders. They realize they are dealing with a serial killer (Kevin Spacey) who targets people he believes are committing one of the seven deadly sins. Somerset also befriends Mills' wife, Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow), who is pregnant and fearful of raising her child in the crime-ridden city.
The film has a gloomy and oppressive atmosphere, marked by rain and perpetual darkness, creating a sense of despair and dread, and the film's cinematography and surroundings increase the tension as the investigators delve deeper into the killer's mind.
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Zodiac 2007
The second film on the list, also directed by David Fincher, who has always been known for his ability to capture the eerie and creepy atmosphere, “Zodiac” is based on the story of a real-life killer who terrorized the residents of San Francisco in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., and Mark Ruffalo, the film focuses on the journalists and investigators who try to solve the case.
Fincher's focus on minute details allows the viewer to be completely absorbed and deeply anxious, and the film captures the state of suspicion and fear that gripped San Francisco during the Zodiac murders.
Fincher used a slow pace that seeped tension from the screen to the viewer, and he also portrayed the atmosphere of the 1970s in a way that made the ordinary details of the city tools in telling a scary story.
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American Psycho 2000
Directed by Mary Harron, the film is based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis. The work mixes horror and comedy, and revolves around Patrick Bateman, played by Christian Bale, a wealthy investment banker in New York City who lives a double life as a serial killer.
The film satirizes the excesses of 1980s yuppie culture, offering a stunning and stylish portrayal of the wealthy of the 1980s, and blends black humor with disturbing violence.
The contrast between the film's bright, polished images and the disturbing actions of its hero provided a biting satire that embodied the falseness of a society that only appears shiny from the outside.
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“Monster” 2003
Directed by Patty Jenkins, this biographical drama follows the real-life murderess Aileen Wuornos, played by Charlize Theron, who was executed for the murders of several men after luring them into prostitution. Charlize Theron's performance in this film won the Academy Award for Best Actress.
The film details the life of Aileen Wuornos, including the cruelty and bitterness that led her to this harsh fate. The film's gloomy tone and Charlize Theron's performance evoke both sympathy and horror for the heroine.
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The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
David Fincher's third film on the list, based on a novel by Swedish novelist and journalist Stieg Larsson, stars Rooney Mara as Elisabeth Salander, a hacker who helps journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) investigate the disappearance of a girl from a wealthy family decades ago. The investigation uncovers a series of murders.
The work is dominated by a stark Scandinavian atmosphere that reflects the gloomy and disturbing investigation, the cinematography expresses the mood swings of the heroes skillfully and creatively, and the colors play a vital role in the sense of tension and mystery.
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No Country for Old Men 2007
Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, it is based on the novel by American Cormac McCarthy and stars Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh, a ruthless professional killer. Although he is not a serial killer in the traditional sense, his violent nature has made him one.
The work embodies the harsh nature of the American state of Texas and the constant fear that the heroes live in from everything around them. The film's simple music and tense silence enhance the frightening presence of the hero's character.
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The Snowman 2017
Swedish director Tomas Alfredson presents this complex plot in which detective Harry Hole finds that the death of a young woman during the first snowfall of winter does not seem like a routine murder. His investigation leads him to the “Snowman Killer,” a psychopath who taunts society and the police with cat-and-mouse games. As the brutal killings continue, Harry teams up with a brilliant recruit to try to lure the crazed killer out of the shadows before he can strike again.
The work is adapted from a novel by the Norwegian writer Jo Nesbø, which is distinguished by its terrifying atmosphere.
The icy white color dominates most of the scenes of the work, presenting a terrifying atmosphere of loneliness, insecurity, and anticipation of the worst. The winter landscapes and frightening images contribute to giving the film a disturbing atmosphere.
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Prisoners 2013
Canadian director Denis Villeneuve delivers a film that is as scary and tense as it is morally contentious. Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) faces every parent's worst nightmare when his 6-year-old daughter Anna and her friend disappear. The only clue he can get to is an old campervan parked on his street. The investigating officer, Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal), arrests the driver (Paul Dano), but due to a lack of evidence, Loki is forced to release the only suspect. Dover realizes that his daughter's life is at stake, and he decides he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands.
An intensely scary and morally ambiguous film, reflecting the desperation and moral dilemmas faced by the characters, the film's dark, rain-soaked visuals and tense pacing heighten the emotions in the film.
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Nightcrawler 2014
In Nightcrawler, director Dan Gilroy attempts to recapture aspects of his father, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Frank Gilroy, as the protagonist Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) becomes a freelance crime reporter in Los Angeles, but the line between observer and participant in the violence becomes blurred when he stumbles upon the photo and the story that will bring him wealth.
The work raises many questions about the ethics of the journalism profession, and as much as the film appears beautiful, it is exciting in its capture of the secrets of Los Angeles at night through the lens of exciting crime journalism.
The film's neon-lit cityscapes and Gyllenhaal's chilling performance delivered a sense of moral decay and unstoppable greed.
The Black Dahlia 2006
Through “The Black Dahlia”, inspired by the novel by the American James Ellroy, the great director Brian De Palma tries to reveal the other side of Hollywood in the forties, through a fictional account of the murder of “Elizabeth Short”, the infamous woman who was not solved in 1947, known as the Black Dahlia.
The work belongs to those films that use darkness within the frame as one of the elements to add mystery, sadness and tension to the scene, but it also evokes the glamour of Hollywood in the forties of the last century and reveals the truth of a brutal murder.
