Serial Killer Movies Not The Usual Suspects
All worth watching. I tried to keep em as close to police procedurals as possible, and tried not to add to many well known films (seven, silence of the lambs). Of course horror fans should know all of these, but for every one else here ya go.
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- DirectorNa Hong-jinStarsKim Yoon-seokHa Jung-wooSeo Yeong-hieA disgraced ex-policeman who runs a small ring of prostitutes finds himself in a race against time when one of his women goes missing.
- DirectorKang Woo-sukStarsSol Kyung-guLee Sung-jaeKang Shin-ilA detective plays cat-and-mouse with a banker who brutally murdered his own parents.fantastic film! a korean dirty harry trilogy
- DirectorKiyoshi KurosawaStarsMasato HagiwaraKoji YakushoTsuyoshi UjikiA frustrated detective deals with the case of several gruesome murders committed by people who have no recollection of what they've done.a great film
- DirectorHenry MillerStarsWillem DafoeScott SpeedmanDon HarveyA psychological thriller based on the concept of anamorphosis, a painting technique that manipulates the laws of perspective to create two competing images on a single canvas.
- DirectorKim Jee-woonStarsLee Byung-hunChoi Min-sikJeon Gook-hwanA secret agent exacts revenge on a serial killer through a series of captures and releases.
- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsSong Kang-hoKim Sang-kyungKim Roe-haIn a small Korean province in 1986, two detectives struggle with the case of multiple young women being found raped and murdered by an unknown culprit.
- DirectorKyu-maan LeeStarsPark Yong-wooRyu Seung-ryongSung Dong-ilThe film is based on a true case from the early 1990s that is known among Koreans as the "disappearance of the frog children." In 1991, five elementary school students told their parents that they were going to hang out on a nearby mountain to catch frogs. They went missing.
- DirectorYun-hyeon JangStarsHan Suk-kyuShim Eun-haJang Hang-seonLieutenant Cho, a cop on the edge, is mourning his mother's recent death while under investigation for graft; on top of that he is suddenly put in charge of a seemingly-impenetrable mystery.
- DirectorAlfred LotStarsMélanie LaurentÉric CaravacaGilles LelloucheTwo unemployed computer technicians discover 2 million euros next to a dead body in a field of windmills.
- DirectorKuo-Fu ChenStarsTony Ka Fai LeungDavid MorseRene LiuAn FBI Agent pairs with a troubled Taiwan cop to hunt for a serial killer who's embedding a mysterious fungus in the brains of victims.
- DirectorHo-Cheung PangStarsJosie HoChing WongHelen ToCheng Li-sheung is a young, upwardly mobile professional finally ready to invest in her first home. But when the deal falls through, she is forced to keep her dream alive - even if it means keeping her would-be neighbors dead.i know its more of a slasher but good
- DirectorChris GerolmoStarsStephen ReaDonald SutherlandMax von SydowDuring the 1980s, Soviet authorities hunt for a serial killer who picks his victims in railway stations and commuter trains and lures them into the woods.not perfect, but will do in a pinch
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsJake GyllenhaalRobert Downey Jr.Mark RuffaloBetween 1968 and 1983, a San Francisco cartoonist becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac Killer, an unidentified individual who terrorizes Northern California with a killing spree.i know a usual suspect, but too great to leave off
- DirectorAlbert HughesAllen HughesStarsJohnny DeppHeather GrahamIan HolmAfter five ritualistic murders are committed in 1888 London, Inspector Abberline's assignment is to investigate the "Jack the Ripper" murders. Along with a string of mutilated prostitutes, he uncovers a conspiracy involving the government.
- DirectorYun-ho YangStarsKim Kang-wooKim Gyu-riSu-kyeong LeeOfficers Kyung-yoon CHO and Eun-joo PARK are on the hunt a killer following duo of ghastly murders. The victims carry a common military past, and the secret of their past must be unraveled to find the killer.
- DirectorKome Kongkiat KomesiriStarsArak AmornsupasiriSonthaya ChitmaneeJessica PasaphanA serial killer is preying on the rich and influential, exposing their sexual proclivities, dismembering them and dumping them and their severed body parts in various locations around Thailand. The police officer on the case is not even close to finding the killer, but given an ultimatum to solve it in 15 days, Papa Chin (Chatchai Plenpanich) turns to the one man he doesn't want to use -- an imprisoned hitman named Tai (Arak Amornsupasiri), who thinks the killer is a friend of his from childhood. Tai let out of prison while his girlfriend Noi is kept under close watch by Chin. Tai heads back to his hometown to search for clues about where his old friend might be. As he recalls his childhood and friendship with the troubled boy Nut, the events of the present day crystallize until Tai is confronted with a shocking reality.this is a remake of rainbow eyes so see this after the better film rainbow eyes
- DirectorJennifer LynchStarsJulia OrmondBill PullmanPell JamesTwo FBI agents attempt to clarify the murders occurring in a desolate region. They approach the witnesses of the latest incident with the help of the local police. All of them hide something and all have wildly different stories to tell.
- DirectorMichael MannStarsWilliam PetersenKim GreistJoan AllenFormer FBI profiler Will Graham returns to service to pursue a deranged serial killer dubbed "the Tooth Fairy" by the media.
- DirectorJon AmielStarsSigourney WeaverHolly HunterDermot MulroneyAn agoraphobic psychologist and a female detective must work together to take down a serial killer who copies serial killers from the past.hasnt aged very well but worth a watch
- DirectorNiels Arden OplevStarsMichael NyqvistNoomi RapaceEwa FrölingA journalist is aided by a young female hacker in his search for the killer of a woman who has been dead for forty years.a little long but the trilogy as a whole is worth it, although 2 and three are not serial killer movies but get better with each installment
- DirectorSpike LeeStarsJohn LeguizamoAdrien BrodyMira SorvinoSpike Lee's take on the "Son of Sam" murders in New York City during the summer of 1977 centering on the residents of an Italian-American Northeast Bronx neighborhood who live in fear and distrust of one another.
- DirectorTom ShanklandStarsStellan SkarsgårdMelissa GeorgeAshley WaltersA calculating killer coerces a detective to pay for his previous mistakes.
- DirectorGil-young JungStarsRyu Deok-hwanHa-ram KimDa-mi KoTwo killers are living in our town An ordinary small town is terrorized when local women are found brutally murdered and 'crucified' in public places. Gyeong-joo, a struggling novelist, impulsively kills his landlady during a fierce argument over rent. With the recent murders, he decides to stage the killing so that it looks like the act of the serial killer. Mimicking the details of previous killings, Gyeong-joo (Oh Man-seok) hangs the dead body in the village park. The police and media believe the case is the work of the same serial killer, but Hyoi (Ryu Deok-hwan), who runs a small stationery shop in the neighborhood, knows something really interesting has happened. He knows that it is a copycat crime because he is the real killer. While Gyeong-joo's childhood buddy and police officer Jae-shin (Lee Sun-kyun) begins to suspect that there may be a second killer, anxious Gyeong-joo and Hyoi, begin their own secret investigations to track down each other.
- DirectorRob SchmidtStarsEliza DushkuCary ElwesTimothy HuttonBased on the true story of the double initial killings in Rochester, NY.its got a good start, but doesnt end well. out of all on the list this one i maybe shouldnt have added, but maybe some one will enjoy
- DirectorBrett RatnerStarsAnthony HopkinsEdward NortonRalph FiennesA retired FBI agent with psychological gifts is assigned to help track down "The Tooth Fairy", a mysterious serial killer. Aiding him is imprisoned forensic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter.i liked this better than manhunter, but both are good. i know many people did not like this one though
- DirectorPhillip BorsosStarsKurt RussellMariel HemingwayRichard JordanWhen a teenager is shot at the beach, a journalist from The Miami Journal is sent to cover the story. He's called by the murderer and told there'll be four more.didnt hold up mainly cause lots of other films used same formula after this was released. not that this was the first of its kind but it should still fill 2 hours nicely
- DirectorJong-Hyuk LeeStarsYum Jung-ahJi Jin-heeSung Ji-ruSerial killer Shin-Hyun gives himself up to police and confesses to committing a series of particularly horrifying murders of exclusively female victims. He is imprisoned and awaiting the death sentence but the killings continue, with the same characteristics of the Shin-Hyun serial killings. The case is re-opened when two more bodies are discovered, both pregnant women; one found in the city's landfill site and the other was horrifically murdered on a public bus. Detective Mi Yun (Yum Jung-Ah) and her newly-appointed partner Detective Kang (Ji Jin-Hee) are assigned to the case. Mi Yun and Kang have difficulty working with each other; their personalities and working methods constantly clash. Detective Kang goes about his new job buoyantly and enthusiastically. He follows a new suspect, Huh, and eventually catches him in the act of brutally murdering a woman in a crowded techno bar. Huh is taken into custody after Kang shoots and wounds him at the crime scene. Once again, the case seems to be solved with this spectacular arrest--yet the murders continue in copy-cat style. The police desperately hunt for new leads. They start an in-depth investigation of a Doctor Chu, who is Shin-Hyun's psychiatrist, but progress is frustrated when Dr Chu becomes a victim of the copy-cat killings herself. The murdered psychiatrist's former boyfriend, a fanatical character named Choi, quickly becomes the prime suspect. All the pieces are finally starting to fit together, and the case seems almost resolved. But all efforts are suddenly frustrated once again, when Choi takes his own life--but still, the killings continue. The case gets more complicated when even the police themselves appear to become suspects in the murders. In unraveling this mystery, everyone involved is pushed to the limits of human understanding.
- DirectorJeb StuartStarsDanny GloverDennis QuaidClaudia StedelinAn FBI agent tries to catch a serial killer who kidnapped his son.not great but worth a look, for some reason i always come back to it
- DirectorE. Elias MerhigeStarsAaron EckhartBen KingsleyCarrie-Anne MossA mysterious serial killer is preying on other serial killers and one FBI agent suspects there may be more to the vigilante than the obvious characteristics.also many flaws, but worth a look. it was almost quite good
- DirectorKyu-maan LeeStarsKim Myung-minYoo Joon-sangKim Tae-wooDue to inadequate use of anesthetics, a young boy experiences "intra-operative awareness" during his own heart surgery, hearing every sound and movement of the procedure. The little boy is severely traumatized from this horrific accident. As a result, he ends up brutally murdering a young girl soon after the incident...
- DirectorJulian JarroldStarsAndrew GarfieldDavid MorrisseyJohn HenshawRookie journalist Eddie Dunford is determined to find the truth in an increasingly complex maze of lies and deceit surrounding the police investigation into a series of child abductions.
- DirectorJames MarshStarsWarren ClarkePaddy ConsidineJames FoxThe Home Office bring in senior Manchester detective Peter Hunter to conduct a secret review of the Ripper investigation to date.
- DirectorAnand TuckerStarsDavid MorrisseyLisa HowardChris WalkerWhen another child goes missing, washed-up solicitor John Piggott unwittingly provides a catalyst for Detective Chief Superindent Maurice Jobson to start to right some wrongs.
- DirectorOxide Chun PangStarsAaron KwokKai-Chi LiuTak-Bun WongA private detective is drawn into a complex murder mystery when he is hired to track down a missing young woman.
- DirectorMin-ho WooStarsKim Myung-minUhm Ki-joonPark Joo-miThe life of a respected minister and loving family man shatters after his daughter is kidnapped. When she is not returned, he renounces God and becomes a corrupt businessman.
- DirectorMichael AptedStarsWilliam HurtLee MarvinBrian DennehyA Moscow police officer investigates a vicious triple homicide and stumbles upon a high-level international political conspiracy.
- DirectorChristopher CroweStarsWillem DafoeGregory HinesFred WardMcGriff and Albaby are probably doing the worst law enforcement job in the world - they are plain clothes U.S. military policemen on duty in war-time Saigon. However, their job becomes even harder when they start investigating the serial killings of local prostitutes. Their prime suspect is high ranking U.S. Army officer which brings their lives in danger.
- DirectorOxide Chun PangStarsAaron KwokPatrick TamBeibi GongBumbling private detective Chan Tam (Aaron Kwok) is enlisted by police pal Fung Chak (Liu Kai Chi) to help in the investigation of a serial murder case. The victims--a middle-aged man killed at home, a dead woman found in the trash dump, and a teenage girl slain in the park--were all killed in grisly manners, but they didn't seem related to one another. With no clue to follow up on, Tam is decidedly at his wits' end. But when Chak is seriously wounded by a mysterious assailant, Tam deduces that the only way to uncover the truth is to get into the mind of the deranged killer, and in so doing he is forced to face a long-hidden side of himself.
- DirectorWilliam Peter BlattyStarsGeorge C. ScottEd FlandersBrad DourifA police lieutenant uncovers more than he bargained for as his investigation of a series of murders, which have all the hallmarks of the deceased Gemini serial killer, leads him to question the patients of a psychiatric ward.this is the second best entry in the exorcist franchise, and is a detective hunts killer story. it's quite good, and belongs on this list.
- DirectorPark Shin-wooStarsHan Suk-kyuSon Ye-jinGo SooA pawnbroker is found murdered in a remote town. Police suspect that he was murdered by an acquaintance, as even the most experienced investigator on the case could identify no signs of resistance. Three people come under suspicion but all of them have perfect alibis and the investigation comes to a standstill. One year later, one of them is found dead and the original murder case becomes even more mysterious. Almost fifteen years pass and the lead inspector, now approaching retirement, reflects on the only case he could not solve in an otherwise successful career. Haunted by a sense of responsibility and guilt that he caused suffering by letting the murder case go unsolved, he decides to re-investigate. His persistent search brings attention to the long forgotten case and reveals a hidden relationship between the victim's son and the neighborhood woman's daughter. As their love grows, more crimes happen. As their sin grows, the inspector's chase comes closer to them.
- DirectorDick MaasStarsHuub StapelMonique van de VenSerge-Henri ValckeA hard-boiled police detective sets out to capture a gruesome serial killer terrorizing the canals of Amsterdam.
- DirectorPark Jin-PyoStarsSol Kyung-guKim Nam-juGang Dong-wonOne day, the only son of famous news anchor HAN Kyung-bae, disappears without a trace. Soon, the kidnapper calls the mother demanding a $100,000 ransom. The police assign a veteran inspector to the case and assemble a top-notch task force to work under his command. But the kidnapper constantly outwits the police and continues calling the parents with yet more instructions for the money drop.
- DirectorUi-seok JoStarsKim Sang-kyungPark Yong-wooHan Bo-baeJung-Ho a famous photographer who has a special ability to read people's minds, has just returned to Korea from abroad. Jung-Ho still can't get rid of traumatic memories of his late girlfriend who ended her life in front of him. In the midst of this, Jung-Ho becomes a temporary guardian for Soo-Yeon a little girl whose mother is in a coma. Detective Kim begins to suspect Jung-Ho is involved in the gruesome events that surround him. And the case becomes even more desperate when Soo-Yeon herself disappears.
- DirectorCarlos CarreraStarsAna de la RegueraAsur ZagadaMarco PérezThe true story of the border town of Juarez, Mexico where since the mid-1990s thousands of women have gone missing or turned up as sun-burnt corpses in the desert. Can new police captain Blanca Bravo stop the savagery?
- DirectorBruce RobinsonStarsAndy GarciaUma ThurmanLance HenriksenJohn Berlin, a former Los Angeles homicide detective, investigates a multiple murder case in San Diego. The only witness is a blind girl to whom he is immediately attracted.
- DirectorJaume BalagueróStarsEmma VilarasauKarra ElejaldeTristán Ulloa5 years after a mom's 6 y.o. girl is murdered, she gets a phone call from someone claiming to be the daughter. An ex cop and a reporter help. A secret group called The Nameless may be behind it all.
- DirectorMathieu KassovitzStarsJean RenoVincent CasselNadia FarèsA murder detective must follow the footsteps of a brutal killer within the secrets of a classist college.
- DirectorMario MuñozStarsHumberto ZuritaPlutarco HazaEmilio GuerreroSET IN MEXICO! A series of murders leads Commander Trujillo to a town close to a salt mine, where he meets Víctor Zepeda - a lonely teenager who works in his father funeral home.
- DirectorOlivier DahanStarsJean RenoBenoît MagimelChristopher LeePierre Niemans faces the threat of the apocalypse while investigating a series of ritual murders.
- DirectorAmi Canaan MannStarsSam WorthingtonJeffrey Dean MorganChloë Grace MoretzIn the Texas bayous, a local homicide detective teams up with a cop from New York City to investigate a series of unsolved murders.
- DirectorDae-min ParkStarsHwang Jung-minRyu Deok-hwanUhm Ji-wonThe story takes place in occupied Korea at the start of the 20th century, where a young student in medicine discovers the murdered body of the son of a government official. Being scared of being accused, he decides to hire Hong Jin-ho (a detective) to help him find the murderer before the police accuse him of the murder.
- StarsJulio ChávezCecilia RothVillanueva CosseA series of homicides reunite detectives Renzo Marquez and Marina Segal and leads them on a quest to stop a killer whose modus operandi is to replicate previous slayings as if they were works of art.its an hbo tv show but its not half bad, and will fill your void even if the lead actor kind of sucks
- CreatorBen CourtCaroline IpStarsRupert Penry-JonesPhil DavisSteve PembertonA fast-tracked inspector, a hardened detective sergeant, and an expert in historical homicides investigate modern crimes with connections to the past in the Whitechapel district of London.another mini series this ones only a few episodes, but extremely good.
- DirectorRobert SchwentkeStarsAugust DiehlChristian RedlNadeshda BrennickeTwo police detectives, a grizzled veteran and one fresh-faced rookie, hunt a ritualistic serial killer murdering people with tattoos and skinning them.
- DirectorNick WillingStarsGoran VisnjicPaddy ConsidineShirley HendersonA hypnotherapist is caught up in the pursuit of a serial killer.
- DirectorKim Dae-seungStarsCha Seung-wonPark Yong-wooJi SungBlood Rain tells the story of a slew of grisly murders plaguing a small, fairly isolated island village. However, it's not just the mounting death toll that's causing residents to worry, but the sadistic, methodical way in which the victims were killed. With the killer still on the loose, the government sends in special investigator Wong Gyu (Cha Seung Won) to crack the case. While conducting his dogged investigation, he soon uncovers a myriad of hidden secrets, tracing the murders back to an incident that occurred some seven years earlier. The previous owner of the village's paper mill was executed as a Christian. Does that mean that the murdered man's spirit has come back to seek bloody retribution? The real truth, Wong Gyu learns, may be far more terrifying...
- DirectorYoshihiro FukagawaStarsKengo KôraMaki HorikitaKeiko TodaBased on a novel with the same name, years pass and the unsolved mystery of the case of the death of a man puzzles the police detective. With more death, suicide and murder within the circle of the family and friends over the years the case remains alive, but unresolved.
- DirectorBrett LeonardStarsAlex O'LoughlinPatrick ThompsonGabby MillgateA cybercrime investigator tracks a man suspected of force-feeding women to death.
- DirectorJames B. HarrisStarsJames WoodsLesley Ann WarrenCharles DurningAn obsessive, insubordinate homicide cop is convinced a serial killer is loose in the Hollywood area and disobeys orders in order to catch him.some really like this film, and some don't. i fall some where in the middle, but think james woods gives an outstanding performance even though some flaws in the film are hard to over look. still it holds up nicely
- DirectorWilliam FriedkinStarsAl PacinoPaul SorvinoKaren AllenA police officer goes undercover in the underground S&M gay subculture of New York City to catch a serial killer who is preying on gay men.
- DirectorRichard TuggleClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodGeneviève BujoldDan HedayaNew Orleans single dad and cop Wes Block goes after a serial rapist-killer, but when he gets too close the hunter suddenly becomes the hunted.its a bit dated by todays standards the sex stuff is pretty tame, and its a little weird seeing clint in this film, but still worth viewing when youve run out of serial killer movies to see
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodJeff DanielsAnjelica HustonStill recovering from a heart transplant, retired F.B.I. profiler Terry McCaleb returns to service when his own blood analysis offers clues to the identity of a serial killer.this fits more into the thriller genre but worth a mention
- DirectorRussell MulcahyStarsChristopher LambertMike AnscombeJeff J.J. AuthorsChicago homicide detectives Prudhome and Hollingsworth are assigned to investigate a murder. Both become entangled in the plot of a serial killer whose goal is to recreate the body of Christ.good enough gore for an honorable mention
- DirectorPitofStarsGérard DepardieuGuillaume CanetInés SastreParis, 1830: Vidocq is killed by a mirror masked man. A thief turned investigator, he was working on a case of men killed by lightning. His biographer tries to solve the case.
- DirectorAndrea MolaioliStarsToni ServilloDenis FasoloNello MasciaThe body of a young woman is found in a small and quiet town in North Italy. A detective from the nearby main city is called to solve the mystery.
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsHugh JackmanJake GyllenhaalViola DavisWhen Keller Dover's daughter and her friend go missing, he takes matters into his own hands as the police pursue multiple leads and the pressure mounts.