Horror films have made a great comeback in 2022, and with the new title that will be considered a prequel to the Predator, Prey has fans of the horror sci-fi films excited to see this new addition to the franchise. And like many horror movies before it, there is more than one kind of predator, and it does not always come in the form of a monster/creature.
Serial Killers in horror movies are a long-time staple of the genre. Many iconic feature films and B Rated horror movies provide plenty of good content while using a blood-thirsty killer as either the protagonist or antagonist. And while there are so many to choose from, IMDb makes it a little easier to pick one out to watch.
Halloween (1978): Michael Myers
The 70s and 80s had plenty of classic horror films, many of which have massive fan bases and have continued to inspire filmmakers to this day. The popular 1978 film, Halloween, is a great example of this.
Known for being one of the best films that Jamie Lee Curtis stars in, the film starts by introducing a young Michael Myers, who is later taken into custody. Michael started his killing spree by murdering his sister Judith, and it would only continue after he broke out and hunted down his younger sister, killing anyone who stood in his way.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974): Leather Face
As one of the great horror films that still hold up today, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has garnered a huge following and many sequels due to its popularity. It's also one film with one of the scariest and most intense serial killers.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre starts strong and ends with a cliffhanger. In the film, where cannibals reside and a killer that wears the faces of his victims, this movie brought out a new form of terror by marketing it as being off on real-life events. These events and the basis of inspiration for Leatherface are the crimes committed by the serial killer Ed Gein.
Scream (1996): Ghostface
There are plenty of horror movies that have received prequels and sequels. And one film that got a few sequels throughout the years is the 1996 film Scream.
Following the popular horror movie trope of killing teens with a bit of humor added into the mix, Scream introduces its main protagonist, Sidney Prescott, who is arguably one of the smartest characters that provide plenty of good quotes throughout Scream. The masked killer, Ghostface, who became another iconic figure in the horror movie realm, kills her friends one by one. And like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Scream was also based on a real-life event. The events were the murders committed by the Gainesville Ripper, otherwise known as Danny Rolling.
Black Christmas (1974): Billy
Christmas is supposed to be full of joy and fun with plenty of gift-giving. However, Black Christmas is not a good example of what to do for the holiday season, but it is a great 70s horror film about a killer in a sorority house.
The Sorority House Killer, or Billy, takes his time tormenting the occupants of the sorority house by first calling them at random. He rants, moans, and screams and continues to harass them until eventually striking when the time is right when one of the women is upstairs in a room alone packing. Not much is known about Billy in the 1974 version other than that after the film’s release, it was noted that his parents had known he was unstable and that something happened the night Billy’s sister Agnes disappeared.
The House That Jack Built (2018): Jack
Not all horror movies involving serial killers are pointless killing without a motive. And for those looking for a different kind of serial killer movie, The House That Jack Built is one movie that brings in a unique concept by adding the nine circles of Hell into the mix.
In the film, Jack was a failed architect who became a serial killer to Virgil, whom he nicknamed Verge. The mention of Virgil is inspired by the poem The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, and in the film, Virgil helps lead Jack through the nine circles of Hell, but first, Jack must build a “home” made of the bodies of his victims to get there.
Maniac (1980): Frank Zito
Several horror movies in the 70s and 80s were deemed a little over the top at the time of their release. Maniac was one of the films that pushed some boundaries and came out during one of the best years for horror movies.
The serial killer in the film named Frank Zito kills and scalps women, later nailing the scalps onto the heads of mannequins. The movie shows him trying to live an everyday life while revealing his past, the murders he commits, and his interactions with the woman he tries to get close to. This film was once considered an exploitation film and later ended up being one of the 80s classic horror films.
The Collector (2009)
If there is one horror movie that has plenty of action and gruesome scenes to go alongside it, it's the 2009 horror movie The Collector. This killer is known only as "The Collector." Due to both films containing the same killer and a direct sequel, the 2009 and 2012 films will be mentioned.
The first film shows the unique traps and torture methods that the first main character, Arkin, experiences. But The Collection shows a full-blown massacre of the killer slaughtering hundreds of people in one night. Alongside the mass killing, the audience sees where The Collector keeps his live victims and how they've been treated alongside the torture they've endured.
Sleepaway Camp (1983): Angela Baker
There are not a lot of films that can nail a twist ending where it completely throws the audience. And as one of the great films with a steady build-up of creep factors and a twist ending, Sleepaway Camp is a great example of good storytelling. And while the story is good, there is also a lot of controversy surrounding the story that should be noted.
Sleepaway Camp features Angela Baker, who killed those who bullied and hurt her and shows Angela's traumatizing past. While the practical effects and acting are great, there are many issues brought up about Angela's identity and backstory. In the storyline, Peter was renamed Angela after his deceased twin and forced to live as a girl after his aunt adopted him. While some viewers have speculated that Peter was transgender the whole time, the director has not confirmed or denied it and still has plenty of people unhappy with the unanswered question and implications that the story has.
The Strangers (2008): Three Masked Killers
Some films within the slasher horror genre include the crime of breaking and entering, followed by murdering a person or two. And in 2008, the film, The Strangers, was added to the list of movies that landed in that trope.
When in a secluded place and tensions already high due to a marriage proposal being rejected, the last thing anyone would want is three masked serial killers showing up at the front door in the dead of night. The three individuals are masked and do not reveal their names or motives. It is only before stabbing the couple that the three assailants remove their masks. After its success, The Strangers eventually got a sequel released in 2018.
The Slumber Party Massacre (1982): Russ Thorn
The 80s wasn’t just a great time for horror, but horror movie serial killers. And if there is a continuous need to watch the classic and somewhat comical 80s slasher horror movies, look no further as The Slumber Party Massacre is one film that needs to be watched.
The Serial Killer, Russ Thorn, in Slumber Party Massacre, is a power drill-wielding man who primarily targets women. The men he does end up killing is because they are merely in the way. He is not the silent intimidating type, more so the awkward and creepy type that is considered a sexual sadist who talks about how pretty the girls are. It might not sound comical, but some moments are just so entertaining that it lightens the mood entirely for a good moment or two.