What’s your favourite genre of movies? Romance? Comedy? Action? Thriller? Serial killer and true crime? How many of you raised your hands on the last one? If you did, you are at the right place. Stay tuned to find out the best serial killer movies streaming on Netflix in 2023.
For the longest time, India did not consume a lot of true crime or serial killer movies and series. We had a few gems here and there, yes, but it took us a while to truly evolve into fans of the serial killer genre. From murderers committing cold-blooded murders to discovering patterns to their crimes, there’s something extremely intriguing about serial killer movies.
Thanks to the boom in OTT, especially during the pandemic, watching new and interesting movies at the comfort of home is possible now. The best of cinema from India and around the world is right here on your laptop or mobile screens. If you want to watch some of the best real serial killer movies, Netflix is a great platform.
Whether you are more interested in the mind of the serial killer, the discipline of their acts, the mechanism in which the killer’s mind works, the police investigation which goes in catching the criminal, the cat-and-mouse chase between the authorities and the culprit, or even a documentary, we have compiled a list that will cater to all kinds of fans of the genre. Here are some of the best serial killer movies to watch on Netflix in 2023.
Best serial killer movies to watch on Netflix in 2023
Jump To / Table of Contents
- The Pale Blue Eye (2022)
- The Good Nurse (2022)
- There’s Someone Inside Your House (2021)
- Irul (2021)
- Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes (2021)
- Murder by the Coast (2021)
- American Murder: The Family Next Door (2020)
- Lost Girls (2020)
- Twin Murders: The Silence of the White City (2019)
- In the Shadow of the Moon (2019)
- The Forest of Love (2019)
- Magamuni (2019)
- The Invisible Guardian (2017)
- Manson Family Vacation (2015)
- Creep (2014)
1 /15
Directed by: Scott Cooper
Cast: Christian Bale, Harry Melling, Lucy Boynton, Gillian Anderson
Synopsis: In this movie, a veteran detective takes on the job of investigating a series of gruesome murders. He takes the help of a young cadet who eventually goes on to become the world-famous author Edgar Allan Poe.
More about the film: This is not based on a true story. It’s an adaptation of Louis Bayard’s novel of the same name, but Bayard did take inspiration from Poe’s life for the tale.
Image: Courtesy IMDb
2 /15
Directed by: Tobias Lindholm
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Jessica Chastain, Kim Dickens, Noah Emmerich
Synopsis: A nurse is shocked when one of her colleagues, Charlie Cullen, is found responsible for the murder of dozens of patients over a period of 16 years, across two states and nine hospitals, without being charged.
More about the film: This is the true story of an American serial killer Charles Cullen during his 16-year nursing career working in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania medical systems before being arrested in 2003.
Image: Courtesy IMDb
Directed by: Patrick Brice
Cast: Sydney Park, Theodore Pellerin, Dale Whibley, Jesse LaTourette
Synopsis: After moving to live with her grandmother in Hawaii, a teenager has to confront her past when fellow students at Osborne High are murdered by a masked assailant.
More about the film: The film is based on a horror novel by American author Stephanie Perkins.
Image: Courtesy IMDb
4 /15
Directed by: Naseef Yusuf Izuddin
Cast: Darshana Rajendran, Fahadh Faasil, Soubin Shahir
Synopsis: We see Alex and Archana go on a trip when their car breaks down and they seek shelter at a nearby house. However, things soon take a turn when the owner of the house behaves in a suspicious manner.
More about the film: The film features only three characters, the couple and the owner.
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Directed by: Michael Harte
Cast: Dennis Nilsen, Ivan Lawrence, Douglas Bence and others
Synopsis: In this documentary, notorious serial killer Dennis Nilsen narrates his life and horrific crimes via a series of chilling audiotapes recorded from his jail cell.
More about the film: Director Michael Harte was granted access to over 250 hours of audiotapes, recorded by the Scottish serial killer from his prison, alongside 7000 pages of written material.
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Directed by: Tània Balló Colell
Cast: Dolores Vázquez
Synopsis: In 1999, a teen named Rocío Wanninkhof was murdered. While her mother’s ex-partner, Dolores Vázquez, is suspected, the real question lies if she do it? A second victim reveals the truth.
More about the film: This documentary is based on the controversial false conviction that came from it.
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Directed by: Jenny Popplewell
Cast: Celeste Watts, Shanann Watts, Frank Rzucek, Nickole Atkinson and more
Synopsis: This is a true crime documentary based on the story of the 2018 Watts family murders, which took place in Frederick, Colorado. The documentary uses archival footage including social media posts, law enforcement recordings, text messages, home video footage and also public theories as to why the murders were committed.
More about the film: The film doesn’t reveal until much later who committed the murders, bringing in a suspense element.
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8 /15
Directed by: Liz Garbus
Cast: Amy Ryan, Thomasin McKenzie, Gabriel Byrne, Lola Kirke and others
Synopsis: Determined to find her missing daughter, a desperate woman starts a personal investigation that leads police to the unsolved cases of murdered sex workers.
More about the film: Like in the movie, the real Shannan Gilbert was an escort who advertised through Craigslist and met with a client in the gated community of Oak Beach prior to her death. This was the base story for the movie as well.
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Directed by: Daniel Calparsoro
Cast: Belén Rueda, Javier Rey, Aura Garrido, Manolo Solo, Sergio Dorado and others
Synopsis: A detective returns to Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain to investigate the murders which mimic those of a serial killer who’s about to be released from prison.
More about the film: The film was shot and set in the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz. The film also features an old cathedral of Santa María which was founded in 1180.
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Directed by: Jim Mickle
Cast: Boyd Holbrook, Cleopatra Coleman, Michael C. Hall, Bokeem Woodbine, Sarah Dugdale
Synopsis: Set in 1988, a police officer who is desperate to become a detective, begins tracking a serial killer who resurfaces every nine years. But when the killer’s crimes defy all scientific explanation, the officer’s obsession threatens to destroy everything.
More about the film: The film may be based on two independently created nonfiction works about crewed lunar research programs.
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11 /15
Directed by: Sion Sono
Cast: Kyoko Hinami, Yuzuka Nakaya, Eri Kamataki, Natsuki Kawamura, Kippei Shiina
Synopsis: In this Japanese crime thriller, a small group of student filmmakers and a shy young girl with strict parents are simultaneously manipulated, seduced and abused by an older man.
More about the film: The film ia inspired by the murders, torture and extortion committed in Kyushu, Japan from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s by convicted serial killer Futoshi Matsunaga
Image: Courtesy IMDb
12 /15
Directed by: Santha Kumar
Cast: Mahima Nambiar, Indhuja Ravichandran, Arya, Rohini
Synopsis: Twins, Magadevan and Muniraj, are separated at birth when their mother leaves them. Many years later when the two cross paths under unfavourable circumstances, fate takes over.
More about the film: The film was majorly shot in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Erode.
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Directed by: Fernando González Molina
Cast: Marta Etura, Elvira Mínguez, Nene, Francesc Orella, Miquel Fernández
Synopsis: A police officer trained by the FBI returns to his hometown in Navarra to trace a serial killer. But he also has to confront his own past.
More about the film: This movie is part of a trilogy which includes The Invisible Guardian (2017), The Legacy Of The Bones (2019) and Offering To The Storm (2020).
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Directed by: J. Davis
Cast: Jay Duplass, Linas Phillips, Leonora Pitts, Davie-Blue
Synopsis: Two bickering brothers, one of whom is a family man based in LA, returns to tour the Charlie Manson murder sites as his brother is obsessed with the murder site.
More about the film: Writer-director J Davis had revealed that the idea of the film had stemmed from a conversation between friends.
Image: Courtesy IMDb
15 /15
Directed by: Patrick Brice
Cast: Mark Duplass, Patrick Brice, Katie Aselton
Synopsis: Aaron answers an online ad and drives to a stranger’s house to film him for the day. The man wants to make a movie about his unborn child, but his requests become more bizarre as the day goes along.
More about the film: This psychological horror film marks the directorial debut of Patrick Brice.
Image: Courtesy IMDb
Hero and Featured Image: Courtesy IMDb
A journalism student who studied the subject only to meet SRK in person, she settled for the best way to meet him. Covering Entertainment throughout her career, and now Food, Health and Lifestyle as well, Sreetama is also a self-proclaimed plant mom. In love with all things slow and quiet, she can often be found hunting for quiet corners with a glass of wine in hand. Other loves include little, inconsequential things, like neatly tucked-in bedsheets and big, significant things, like whole cheesecakes. She dreams of being a baker and writing about food someday.
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