[Top 20] List of serial killer movies to watch on Netflix

Are you looking for a good Serial Killer Movies to Watch on Netflix Tonight? Here's 20 movies ranked by audience ratings, from the edge-of-your-seat crime thriller to the’psychological horror.

Many draw inspiration from actual crimes, so get ready. This ranking is based on reviews collected from Allociné, Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb.

Want to watch all of this without breaking the bank? You can get Netflix for less via Sharesub, the best choice for this service.

For your other streaming subscriptions, check out GamsGo. And if you want to explore the platform even further, the secret codes Netflix give you access to hidden categories, including thrillers and crime novels that are hard to find elsewhere.

1. Zodiac

• Allociné: 3,9/5
• Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
• IMDb: 7,7/10

Directed by David Fincher, Zodiac is based on a true story : that of one of the serial killers the most mysterious of the last century. A criminal nicknamed the Zodiac spreads terror throughout the bay of San Francisco in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The film follows the obsession of three men determined to expose him: the journalist Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.), the political cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) and the inspector Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo).

Fincher explores, above all, the psychological ramifications the chase rather than pure action. The investigation is complex, sometimes frustrating, and that is precisely what makes it captivating. Between its meticulous direction and its distribution impeccable, Zodiac remains a unavoidable If you like detective stories based on actual crimes.

2. Scream 1996

• Allociné: 3,7/5
• Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
• IMDb: 7,4/10

Directed by Wes Craven in 1996, Scream is a cult slasher film that revitalized the entire genre. One evening, Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore) is home alone. She's about to watch a horror movie when she gets a strange phone call.

On the other end of the line, a stranger is stalking her and forcing her to terrifying game : answer questions about horror movies correctly, or else he'll kill her boyfriend, who's already tied up outside. She ends up getting one wrong, and the serial killer take action.

Sidney Prescott quickly realizes that she, too, is in the crosshairs of the Woodsboro Killer. Feeling lost, she no longer knows who to trust: her father, her boyfriend, her best friend, or her brother. Who is really hiding behind the ghost mask?

What makes Scream In particular, it's its meta : The monster plays with the conventions of horror cinema, and the film has fun subverting them. A must-see if you love thrillers that blend thrills with nods to the genre. If you want to explore more sagas like this, check out Saw to find out in what order to watch the franchise.

3. Black Christmas

• Allociné: 3,5/5
• Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
• IMDb: 7,1/10

Black Christmas is a seminal slasher film. It established the conventions of the genre long before Halloween. The story takes place during the holidays, in a women's dormitory some of whose residents stay there instead of going home to their families.

One evening, they received some anonymous telephone calls. At first, they don't pay any attention to it. Then one of them disappears without a trace. The police He then found the body of a teenage girl nearby.

The students set out to find their friend, but the bodies are piling up in the dorm. The strange calls keep coming, and some of them find themselves alone in the building. But are they really alone? The psychological tension builds up to a chilling climax.

4. The Devil All the Time

• Allociné: 3,7/5
• Rotten Tomatoes: 65%
• IMDb: 7,1/10

This film follows several characters whose lives intersect against the backdrop of’murders and suicides, ranging from 1945 and 1965 in a small town in Ohio. Williard Russell returns traumatized from World War II.

Together with his wife Charlotte, he is raising a son, Arvin. But Charlotte has a cancer, and Russell, in desperation, tries everything to save her.

In parallel, Roy Lafferty is an eccentric pastor with obvious mental health issues. He kills his wife Helen with a screwdriver, convinced he could bring it back to life.

It's one of the most disturbing scenes in the movie. Sandy and Carl, for their part, form a couple of serial killers who is stalking his next victim on the roads.

This isn't a movie about a single killer, but a dark mural on violence that is passed down from one generation to the next.

The cast, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson and Bill Skarsgård, tells a slow-paced but chilling story. Recommended for fans of psychological thrillers demanding.

5. The Good Nurse

• AlloCiné: 3,7/5
• Rotten Tomatoes: 74%
• IMDb: 6,8/10

The Good Nurse (Murder Without a Prescription) is a film by 2022 directed by Tobias Lindholm. It is based on the true story of Charlie Cullen, one of the serial killers one of the most prolific in the United States, a nurse who murdered patients over the course of his long career.

Jessica Chastain plays the role of the nurse Amy Loughren, who is suspicious of his colleague Charlie Cullen (Eddie Redmayne) when several patients die while under his care. His mission then becomes to uncover the truth and stop this serial killer.

The film is as chilling as it is endearing, carried by the performances of Chastain and Redmayne. The camera focuses on long, static shots to emphasize the realism of these crimes.

6. The Pale Blue Eye

• Allociné: 3,5/5
• Rotten Tomatoes: 63%
• IMDb: 6,6/10

Directed by Scott Cooper, this historical thriller takes place in 1830. You're following the former detective Augustus Landor, tasked with solving the murder of a West Point cadet. To crack the case, he teams up with a young cadet who is passionate about poetry: a certain Edgar Allan Poe.

The final twist, when the the serial killer's true identity As it was revealed, it left more than a few people speechless.

The cast really sets the mood: Christian Bale, Harry Melling, Robert Duvall and Toby Jones. Every minute is worth watching. A historical thriller you shouldn't miss if you like period crime fiction, in the vein of a Hannibal.

7. The Forest of Love

• Allociné: 3,3/5
• Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
• IMDb: 6,3/10

The Forest of Love is a Japanese film directed by Sion Sonoreleased in 2019 and loosely based on real events. It follows Jo Murata, a cold-hearted manipulator who uses his charisma to exert control over those around him. His path crosses that of Shin and a group of young filmmakers who decide to film the toxic relationship between Murata and Mitsuko for their next movie.

The closer this little world gets, the more impossible it becomes to discerning truth from falsehood. The limits of humanity are eventually shattered, to the point of horrific murders. This unsettling story is best suited for fans of dark, uncompromising tales.

8. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

• Allociné: 3,9/5
• Rotten Tomatoes: 54%
• IMDb: 6,4/10

This film is based on the true story of Ted Bundy, one of the serial killers the most famous in the United States. The role is played by Zac Efron, in an unconventional role and truly convincing.

Lily Collins embodies Liz, a single mother who has fallen in love with him and refuses to believe that she is sharing her life with a psychopath. The film adopts his point of view, which makes the story even more unsettling.

Don't you see the crimes live, but the deceptive charm of a man accused of murder. If you want to understand how Bundy If you want to understand how he was able to manipulate those around him for years, this movie is a great place to start. The trailer really captures the mood.

9. Luther: The Fallen Sun

• Allociné: 3,1/5
• Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
• IMDb: 6,4/10

This British film of 2023 directed by Jamie Payne The cult series continues on Netflix Luther, with Idris Elba still playing the role of the inspector and Andy Serkis as a chilling villain. David Robey, a serial killer and millionaire, dredges up Luther's past and exposes his misdeeds to the general public.

Luther finishes in prison, fired from the police force. To stop this monster, he decides to get away and finish what he started. The film relies entirely on Elba’s charisma as he faces a truly unsettling adversary. Watch the trailer before you dive in—you’ll quickly know if the vibe speaks to you.

10. Gerald's Game

• Allociné: 2,7/5
• Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
• IMDb: 6,5/10

Gerald’s Game is a psychological horror film released in 2017 on Netflix, directed by Mike Flanagan and adapted from a novel by Stephen King. A couple heads off to spend the weekend at a secluded home. Gerald asks his wife Jessie Burlingame to handcuff her to the bed. She agrees.

Everything is going well, until Jessie finds the game annoying and asks her husband to stop. He simply replies, «What if I refuse?» An argument breaks out, and then Gerald collapses, who suffered a heart attack. Now she’s alone, still tied to the bed, in the middle of nowhere.

As the hours go by, she must face more and more’strange visions, of the buried secrets and harrowing dilemmas. An oppressive, closed-door setting that plays as much on physical anxiety as it does on the demons of the past.

11. Woman of the Hour

• Allociné: 3,1/5
• Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
• IMDb: 6,6/10

Woman of the Hour marks the beginning of’Anna Kendrick to the production. The star of Pitch Perfect marks the debut of a thriller based on a true story chilling. Direction Los Angeles, 1978 : Cheryl Bradshaw, an actress seeking recognition, agrees to appear on the game show The Dating Game.

The principle is simple: ask questions Three Singles on a Blind Date and choose her favorite based on their answers. What she doesn't know is that one of them is a serial killer already responsible for several actual crimes.

Kendrick avoids voyeurism and focuses primarily on capturing the tension, with a stage scene Memorable. A rare choice for this genre, which makes the story all the more unsettling.

12. Lost Girls

• Allociné: 2,6/5
• Rotten Tomatoes: 73%
• IMDb: 6,2/10

Released in 2020 and directed by Liz Garbus, this drama recounts the case of the serial killer in Long Island, a case that has never been fully solved. Mari Gilbert waits in vain for her eldest daughter, Shannan, aged 24 years old. Two days go by without a word.

Faced with the police's inaction, Mari conducts her own investigation and discovers more than a dozen murders. A serial killer systematically targets vulnerable women. The film may seem conventional, but this mother's tenacity makes it a gripping thriller that's definitely worth watching.

13. Next time I'll aim for the heart

• Allociné: 3,2/5
• Rotten Tomatoes: no opinion available
• IMDb: 6,4/10

This French crime film takes place in the Oise department, between 1978 and 1979. A serial killer has been on the loose in the region and targets only women, running them over with his vehicle or striking right at the heart. Franck, a shy and unassuming young police officer, is assigned to investigate these murders. But the further the investigation progresses, the more the mystery deepens around him.

The film is based on a true story which defined the late 1970s in France. This tension between the upstanding man and the mystery surrounding him is what gives the story its power.

14. The Invisible Guardian

• Allociné: 3,2/5
• Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
• IMDb: 6,4/10

From its original title El guardián invisible, The Invisible Guardian is a Spanish film released in 2017, adapted from the novel by Dolores Redondo.

The body of a naked teenager is discovered at the northern Spain. The evidence points to a serial killer who follows a specific ritual: he cleans his victims' bodies and arranges them as if they were saints.

The Inspector Amaia Salazar takes over the case and must investigate in the village of Elizondo, where she had sworn never to set foot again.

Confronted with her own past, she goes all out to catch the killer. A thriller with a’a heavy, misty atmosphere which successfully blends a police investigation with Basque legends.

15. The Breslau Scourge

• Allociné: 2,8/5
• Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
• IMDb: 6/10

Under its original title Plagi Breslau, this Polish thriller follows Helena Ruś, a police inspector in Wrocław. She is tracking down a serial killer who signs each crime in the same way: his victims are sewn into a cowhide and found at 6:00 p.m. sharp. A chilling scene, directly inspired by a punishment from the 18th century.

The film fully embraces its dark atmosphere and tension. A gritty crime thriller firmly rooted in a realistic setting, which is worth checking out if you like no-holds-barred crime investigations.

16. I Am All Girls

• Allociné: 3,2/5
• Rotten Tomatoes: no opinion available
• IMDb: 6/10

What if, this time, you took the killer's side? I am All Girls is a 2021 South African thriller where the line between justice and revenge becomes blurred.

Jodie Snyman, an agent with the Priority Criminal Investigations Division (DPCI), an investigation into a series of murders at Johannesburg. All the victims are government officials.

As the investigation unfolds, she realizes that this is a targeted retaliation : These men were involved in kidnappings, murders, and the rape of young girls. On each of his victims, the killer inscribed the initials of the missing children. A chilling detail that gives the film its full impact.

17. Creep

• Allociné: 2,7/5
• Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
• IMDb: 6,3/10

Creep is a horror film shot in found footagedirected by Patrick Brice, who also plays the main character. The videographer Aaron responds to an ad and goes to Josef (Mark Duplass) to film a day in his life in exchange for payment.

At first, everything seems normal. But as the hours go by, Josef’s behavior makes Aaron feel increasingly uncomfortable. Each new scene blurs the line between reality and fiction.

The film focuses on the’psychological discomfort rather than on jump scares, and it's an excellent example of what found footage can achieve when done right.

18. Lumberjack the Monster

• Allociné: 3/5
• Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
• IMDb: 5,9/10

Lumberjack the Monster is a Japanese thriller released in 2023, available directly on Netflix with French subtitles. The story begins in Tokyo, where a axe-wielding serial killer spreads terror. One day, he attacks a young man, who nevertheless manages to escape.

This man's name is Akira Ninomiya, an elegant-looking lawyer who hides a completely different, far more sinister nature. From that moment on, he has only one thing on his mind: track down the criminal whatever the cost.

The film skillfully plays on this clash between two disturbed minds. If you like dark stories where the monster isn't always who you think it is, the trailer will quickly win you over.

19. In the Shadow of the Moon

• Allociné: 2,8/5
• Rotten Tomatoes: 59%
• IMDb: 6,2/10

In the Shadow of the Moon is a an American science fiction film released in 2019directed by Jim Mickle. It's a mix of crime thriller and time travel, which makes it a bit of an outlier on this list.

In 1988, the police officer Thomas Lockhart dreams of becoming a detective and sets out to track down a serial killer involving some very strange crimes.

The chilling detail: this woman reappears every 9 years. When his murders defy any scientific explanation, Lockhart’s obsession with the case ends up consuming his entire life. This is the perfect movie if you’re looking for a thriller that breaks the mold.