40+ Serial Killer Movies Based on True Stories That’ll Keep You Up at Night

Look, we’re all a little obsessed with true crime – don’t even try to deny it. There’s something darkly fascinating about serial killers, and Hollywood knows it. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill horror flicks with made-up monsters. These are serial killer movies based on true stories – real people who did unspeakable things, turned into the kind of cinema that makes you sleep with the lights on.

Let’s dive into the ultimate chronological list of movies that bring real-life nightmares to the big screen. Buckle up, because this rabbit hole goes DEEP. 

The Classics That Started It All (1960s-1970s)

1. Psycho (1960)

Based on: Ed Gein
Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece introduced us to Norman Bates, inspired by Ed Gein – the Wisconsin killer who made furniture and clothing from human body parts. Yeah, you read that right. The shower scene? Iconic. The real story? Absolutely horrifying.

2. The Boston Strangler (1968)

Based on: Albert DeSalvo
Tony Curtis plays the killer who terrorized Boston in the early ’60s, murdering 13 women. This was one of the first major films to seriously tackle a real serial killer case.

3. 10 Rillington Place (1971)

Based on: John Christie
British serial killer John Christie murdered at least eight women in London during the 1940s-50s. Richard Attenborough gives a chilling performance as the mild-mannered monster.

4. The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)

Based on: The Phantom Killer (Texarkana Moonlight Murders)
This masked killer terrorized Texarkana in 1946, killed five people, and was never caught. The case remains unsolved to this day.

The Golden Age of Serial Killer Cinema (1980s-1990s)

5. The Deliberate Stranger (1986)

Based on: Ted Bundy
Mark Harmon plays Ted Bundy in this TV movie that shows the charming face of evil. Bundy confessed to 30 murders but probably killed way more.

6. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

Based on: Henry Lee Lucas
Disturbing, raw, and absolutely brutal. This low-budget film about drifter Henry Lee Lucas (who confessed to hundreds of murders) became a cult classic for its unflinching realism.

7. Ted Bundy (2002)

Based on: Ted Bundy

Multiple Bundy films came out in the ’80s because America was OBSESSED with this charismatic psychopath who killed at least 30 young women.

8. Manhunt: Search for the Night Stalker (1989)

Based on: Richard Ramirez
The Night Stalker terrorized California in 1985, killing 14 people in brutal home invasions. Ramirez was a Satan-worshipping burglar-turned-killer who left pentagrams at crime scenes.

9. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Based on: Ed Gein, Ted Bundy, Gary Heidnik
Yes, Hannibal Lecter is fictional, but Buffalo Bill is a composite of multiple real killers. The skin-suit obsession? Pure Ed Gein. The manipulation tactics? Ted Bundy. The dungeon? Gary Heidnik. This movie swept the Oscars and changed cinema forever.

10. To Catch a Killer (1992)

Based on: John Wayne Gacy
Brian Dennehy plays the “Killer Clown” who murdered 33 young men and buried most of them under his house. Gacy performed at children’s parties as “Pogo the Clown” while being one of America’s most prolific killers.

The Modern Era Goes DEEP (2000s)

11. Dahmer (2002)

Based on: Jeffrey Dahmer

Jeremy Renner’s breakout role as the Milwaukee Cannibal who killed 17 men and boys. Dahmer kept body parts in his fridge and performed lobotomies on living victims. This movie doesn’t hold back.

12. Ed Gein (2000)

Based on: Ed Gein
Another Gein film, because Hollywood can’t get enough of the Butcher of Plainfield. This one focuses more on his mother-obsessed psychosis.

13. Gacy (2003)

Based on: John Wayne Gacy
A low-budget but chilling portrayal of the Killer Clown’s final days before his arrest.

14. Monster (2003)

Based on: Aileen Wuornos
Charlize Theron won an Oscar for playing America’s first female serial killer – a prostitute who killed seven men in Florida. Theron transformed herself completely for this role, and it’s absolutely haunting.

15. The Hillside Strangler (2004)

Based on: Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono
These cousins terrorized Los Angeles in the late ’70s, kidnapping, raping, and murdering 10 women. They left bodies on hillsides, hence the name.

16. Bundy: An American Icon (2008)

Based on: Ted Bundy
Another Bundy film because we apparently can’t stop making movies about this guy.

The 2010s: True Crime Boom

17. The Frozen Ground (2013)

Based on: Robert Hansen
Nicolas Cage and John Cusack star in this film about Alaska’s serial killer who hunted women like animals in the wilderness. Hansen kidnapped, raped, and murdered at least 17 women.

18. The Samaritan (2012)

Based on: Various serial killers
While not directly based on one killer, it draws from multiple true crime cases.

19. The Snowtown Murders (2011)

Based on: John Bunting (Australia)
Australia’s worst serial killer case. Bodies found in barrels in a bank vault. This film is deeply disturbing and brilliantly acted.

20. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)

Based on: Ted Bundy
Zac Efron as Ted Bundy. Told from girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer’s perspective, showing how Bundy’s charm fooled everyone.

21. My Friend Dahmer (2017)

Based on: Jeffrey Dahmer’s teenage years
Based on a graphic novel by Dahmer’s high school classmate, this film shows the young Jeffrey before he became the Milwaukee Cannibal.

22. No Man of God (2021)

Based on: Ted Bundy’s death row interviews
Elijah Wood plays FBI profiler Bill Hagmaier, who interviewed Bundy before his execution. This focuses on their bizarre relationship.

23. Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes (2019)

Documentary series featuring actual audio recordings of Bundy discussing his crimes.

 International Serial Killer Films

24. Memories of Murder (2003) – South Korea

Based on: Hwaseong Serial Murders
Bong Joon-ho’s masterpiece about South Korea’s first confirmed serial killer case (1986-1991). The killer was never caught – until DNA technology identified him decades later. This film is a MASTERCLASS in tension.

25. Zodiac (2007)

Based on: The Zodiac Killer
David Fincher’s meticulous recreation of the hunt for California’s most infamous unsolved killer. The Zodiac murdered at least five people in the late ’60s and taunted police with cryptic letters. He was never caught.

26. Summer of Sam (1999)

Based on: David Berkowitz (Son of Sam)

Spike Lee’s take on the summer of 1977 when the Son of Sam terrorized New York City, killing six people and wounding seven.

The Netflix/Streaming Era (2020s)

27. The Good Nurse (2022)

Based on: Charles Cullen
Eddie Redmayne plays a nurse who murdered dozens (possibly hundreds) of patients over 16 years. This quietly terrifying film shows how a killer can hide in plain sight.

28. Woman of the Hour (2023)

Based on: Rodney Alcala (The Dating Game Killer)
Anna Kendrick directs and stars in this film about a serial killer who appeared on The Dating Game in 1978 while actively murdering women. Alcala killed at least 8 people, possibly over 100.

29. Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022) – Netflix Series

Based on: Jeffrey Dahmer
Evan Peters delivers a chilling performance in Ryan Murphy’s miniseries that reignited America’s obsession with the Milwaukee Cannibal.

30. Monster: The Ed Gein Story (2024) – Netflix Series

Based on: Ed Gein
Charlie Hunnam stars as Ed Gein in Ryan Murphy’s latest installment. Ed inspired Norman Bates, Leatherface, and Buffalo Bill – basically the godfather of fictional serial killers.

Lesser-Known But Worth Watching

31. The Riverman (2004)

Based on: Ted Bundy helping catch the Green River Killer
Bundy, on death row, consulted with police to help catch Gary Ridgway, who killed at least 49 women in Washington state.

32. Citizen X (1995)

Based on: Andrei Chikatilo (The Butcher of Rostov)
Soviet serial killer who murdered at least 52 women and children. This HBO film shows how Soviet bureaucracy hindered the investigation.

33. Capturing the Friedmans (2003)

Documentary about a father and son accused of child molestation – controversial and disturbing.

34. Paradise Lost Trilogy (1996-2011)

Documentary series about the West Memphis Three – three teens convicted of murdering three boys in a case many believe was a miscarriage of justice.

35. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Inspired by: Ed Gein

While not a direct biopic, Leatherface and his skin-wearing ways are 100% inspired by Ed Gein’s gruesome hobbies.

TV Series That Brought Serial Killers to the Small Screen

36. Mindhunter (2017-2019)

Based on: Real FBI profilers interviewing serial killers

Features appearances by Edmund Kemper, Jerry Brudos, Richard Speck, and more. Kemper (played brilliantly by Cameron Britton) murdered 10 people including his grandparents and mother.

37. Manhunt: Unabomber (2017)

Based on: Ted Kaczynski

Paul Bettany plays the Harvard-educated domestic terrorist who killed three people and injured 23 others with mail bombs over 17 years.

38. The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (2018)

Based on: Andrew Cunanan
The spree killer who murdered fashion designer Gianni Versace in 1997. Cunanan killed five people total before committing suicide.

39. Des (2020) – British Series

Based on: Dennis Nilsen

David Tennant plays Britain’s most notorious serial killer, who murdered at least 12 young men in London.

40. Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer (2021) – Netflix Documentary

Based on: Richard Ramirez
Documentary featuring actual detectives who caught the Night Stalker.

41. Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes (2022)

Documentary with never-before-heard audio recordings of Gacy discussing his crimes.

42. American Horror Story (Various Seasons)

Features multiple real serial killers as characters, including John Wayne Gacy, Richard Ramirez, Aileen Wuornos, and more.

Why Are We So Obsessed?

Here’s the thing: serial killer movies based on true stories tap into something primal. We want to understand evil. We want to believe we’d see the signs. We want to think we’re nothing like these monsters.

These films serve as cautionary tales, psychological studies, and sometimes just straight-up horror. They remind us that the scariest monsters are real, living among us, looking normal until they’re not.

From Ed Gein inspiring three generations of horror villains to Ted Bundy’s charm fooling everyone, these stories refuse to fade. Every generation gets its serial killer movies, and every generation can’t look away.

They’re not just entertainment – they’re windows into humanity’s darkest corners. So dim the lights, lock your doors, and dive into this disturbing corner of cinema. Just maybe don’t watch them alone at 3 AM. We’re not responsible for the nightmares. 

Which serial killer movie scarred you for life? Drop your picks!