Though there’s currently a massive fad at the minute of streaming services spitting out shocking true crime documentaries, movie biopics of real-life criminals are actually few and far between. None only that, but, in the rare event that one does get thrust into production, they rarely turn out to be all that memorable.
Whether it’s rationalizing their behavior, cinematically indulging too much in the crime, or being historically inaccurate, there’s no easy formula to making a great, truly chilling movie about a real-life criminal. However, there’s something to love in most of these movies, and even the ones that suffer from any of the above will still leave audiences unnerved.
Speck (2002) - 3.6
Richard Speck is one of the most disgusting criminals the world has seen, as he killed eight nursing students in one night in Chicago. The movie covers all of that and more, as audiences see his life in prison after he is sentenced, too.
However, the production is nothing more than a B-movie, as there is nothing substantial, and it doesn’t go into any detail about any of the murders. But, the most offensive thing about it might be that the voiceover dialogue are quotes said by other serial killers.
Dahmer (2002) - 5.6
Dahmer has two different timelines, as the main timeline is set in the present day, whereas the second timeline are flashbacks of the criminal recounting his murders, played in reverse. With Jeffrey Dahmer (Jeremy Renner) being one of the most horrific criminals of all time, as he dismembered countless people, the film has been criticized for trying to rationalize how much of a monster the serial killer is.
The one saving grace of the movie is the great performance from Renner, with it clearly showing the actor’s potential early in his career, and it was even the reason why Kathryn Bigelow cast him in The Hurt Locker.
Snowtown (2011) - 6.6
Being the first of a couple of highly controversial movies, Snowtown is rated as low as 6.6 on IMDb purely because of how uncomfortable, gruesome, and borderline unwatchable the movie is.
Snowtown is based on the Snowtown murders in Australia in which several bodies were found in barrels in a bank vault. Even though it’s extremely close to the real-life events, the movie is as close to a snuff movie as it could ever get.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019) - 6.6
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile are the words that were uttered by Judge Edward Cowart right before handing Ted Bundy his death sentence, and it perfectly fits as the title for the best movie about Bundy (Zac Efron.)
Though there have been so many on-screen portrayals of the serial killer, Efron captures Bundy’s evilness perfectly, and, as Bundy was relatively famous for his good looks, it isn’t just the stunt casting that it seems to be. In fact, Efron is the best thing about the movie, as the consensus is that, without him, the movie would be pretty vanilla.
Henry: Portrait of A Serial Killer (1986) - 7.0
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is one of the most infamous crime biopics ever made, as its controversial X-rating is what kept it from hitting theatres until four years after it was filmed. But, when it was finally released, it received widespread critical acclaim, and moviegoers just had to see it.
It isn’t for the faint of heart, though, and it had an X-rating for a reason, as the fact that much of the story is based in reality makes the project all the more disturbing. There is even a sequel that was released seven years later, though it didn’t have half the impact.
The Boston Strangler (1968) - 7.1
When it comes to historical accuracy, The Boston Strangler is almost like a work of fiction, as the core elements of the Boston Strangler’s crimes are all there and the movie follows the real-life Albert DeSalvo (Tony Curtis,) but everything in between is totally factually incorrect.
The movie follows John Bottomly (Henry Fonda,) who is appointed the head of the Strangler Bureau, and it’s one of the most exciting and chilling thrillers of the 1960s. Fonda was even nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance.
Monster (2003) - 7.3
Being Patty Jenkins’ directorial debut, Monster was one of the finest movies from a first time director of the 2000s, but it isn’t exactly the fun romp that Jenkins’ Wonder Woman is. Monster follows Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron,) who was a real-life prostitute and murdered seven of her male clients.
The movie takes some liberties with the real-life events, and it isn’t exactly the most faithful of films, but it’s an incredible and mortifying drama, and it sees Theron in one of her most villainous roles.
To Catch A Killer (1992) - 7.4
Though it’s a movie made for TV, To Catch A Killer one of the best biopics about a criminal, and by far the best portrayal of John Wayne Gacy, the murderous clown from Chicago. The movie is less about all of the murders Gacy committed prior to 1978 and is more about the investigation surrounding the murders. To Catch A Killer is one of the best cat-and-mouse thrillers that people haven’t seen, and it’s fairly historically accurate except for a few changed names for legal reasons.
10 Rillington Place (1971) - 7.6
10 Rillington Place follows the crimes committed by serial killer John Christie (Richard Attenborough,) who murdered several people inside that house in London, and some of the shots were even filmed from inside the real-life location.
The movie is grimy and completely gets under the skin. However, the movie has been criticized for not attempting to delve into the character and what made him the psychopathic way that he was, as it instead overindulged in the horrific actions that were committed by John Christie.
Zodiac (2007) - 7.7
David Fincher is the go-to thriller director in Hollywood, so it’s surprising that Zodiac is actually his only biopic of a real-life criminal. Regardless, the movie is possibly the most comprehensive representation of any serial killer, and, despite the case being unsolved, there are so many things the movie gets right about the case.
Zodiac is one of Fincher’s best, and it features an incredible ensemble cast with Jake Gyllenhaal in one of his darkest roles. Plus, unlike every other biopic about a criminal, Zodiac features some remarkable cinematography, which only adds to its chilling atmosphere.