Skip to main content
Games Radar Newsarama Total Film Edge Retro Gamer
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The smarter take on movies
UK EditionUK US EditionUS CA EditionCanada AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Don't miss these
The 30 best horror movies of all time: pictures from The Wicker Man, The Shining, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Hereditary.
Horror Movies The 30 best horror movies that will haunt you long after the credits roll
Speak No Evil
Horror Movies The 25 best Shudder movies, ranked
Vanessa Kirby in Night Always Comes
Thriller Movies The 25 best Netflix thrillers to watch right now
Fear Street on Netflix
Horror Movies The 25 best Netflix horror movies to watch right now
A still from a Weapons teaser
Horror Movies After Weapons' gory ending, fans are discussing the most disturbing final lines in horror movies
Michael Chernus as John Wayne Gacy in Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy
Crime Shows Final trailer lands for upcoming true crime series based on America's most terrifying killer, and it looks much scarier than Netflix's Monster
A girl's head smiling during one of the best scary movies, House.
Horror Movies I've seen over 500 horror movies, and these are the scary must-watches to add to your Halloween playlist
Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy trailer
Crime Shows Good news Mindhunter and Monster fans, a new crime series based on real events is coming to streaming, and it’s first trailer is positively horrifying
Cillian Murphy in 28 Days Later
Horror Movies The 25 best zombie movies of all time
The best horror comedies
Action Movies The 15 best horror comedies that will have you laughing from behind your sofa
Connor McGregor as Knox and Jake Gyllenhall as Elwood Dalton in Road House.
Amazon Prime Video The 25 best movies on Amazon Prime to watch right now
The Long Walk
Horror Movies The best Stephen King adaptations ranked, from Carrie to The Long Walk
The killer clown in Hell House LLC
Amazon Prime Video The 10 best Amazon Prime horror movies to watch right now
Ralph Fiennes in 28 Years Later
Horror Movies The best horror movies of 2025 have already been announced, and 28 Years Later didn't even make it into the top 10
Michael Myers in Halloween Ends
Horror Movies The best Halloween movies: All the 13 Halloween films ranked from worst to best
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best Netflix Shows
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

13 Serial Killers Who Should Be Movies

Features
By Mark Powell published 12 February 2010

The worst 'first date' films ever...

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Nannie Doss

Nannie Doss

Bumped Off: 11 assorted husbands and relatives between 1927 and 1954. Convicted of eight.

Why A Movie? There's something particularly chilling about her nickname - The Giggling Granny - bestowed due to the barely-disguised mirth with which she recounted her evil deeds to police after being caught.

"He sure did love those stewed plums," was one of her more notorious chuckles, while gleefully recounting one hapless husband's agonising death from arsenic poisoning. Er, LOL!

Starring: Kathy Bates, in more or less a straight reprisal of her screamsome Misery lead.

Page 1 of 13
Page 1 of 13
Ahmad Suradji

Ahmad Suradji

Bumped Off: 42 women in Indonesia, over 11 years until his 1997 arrest.

Why A Movie? The details are spectacularly bizarre: a local dukun (sorcerer), Suradji was regularly visited by women keen to benefit financially or romantically from his 'powers'.

He ritualistically buried them waist-deep in the ground, strangled them, then buried them fully - with every one of his victims heads facing his house, which he felt certain would increase his magic abilities.

Starring: Danny Trejo. Completely wrong ethnicity, but he looks sort of magical and sort of bonkers.

Page 2 of 13
Page 2 of 13
Robert Hansen

Robert Hansen

Bumped Off: 17 to 21 Alaskan sex workers in the 1980s. 'Only' convicted of four, in return for info on further grave sites.

Why A Movie? In a vile twist ideal for tacky exploitation horror, Hansen would fly captives in his Piper Super Cub out from suburban Anchorage to a mountain cabin, then release and 'hunt' them through the surrounding woods.

Our runty ghoul was also heavily acne-scarred and spoke with a severe stutter: lashings of hammy overacting ahoy.

Starring: Mark Hamill, especially if he'll bring his Joker laugh . And yes, we know that's entirely too much. Sorry.

Page 3 of 13
Page 3 of 13
Luis Garavito

Luis Garavito

Bumped Off: A current (ongoing) count confirms 138 Colombian street boys, for an almost meaningless total of 1,853 years' slammer time. Well, in theory...

Why A Movie? A baffling quirk of Colombian law meant that, at the time of Garavito's 1999 capture, the longest sentence available for any crime was 30 years.

Worse, this was squished to 22 years for helping locate bodies; with good behaviour, he could be out this decade. We imagine this one as a morally and politically charged courtroom yell-fest.

Starring: Are we the only ones trying to avoid yelling "I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE"...?

Page 4 of 13
Page 4 of 13
Gerald Stano

Gerald Stano

Bumped Off: Hmm, tricky one. Officially 41 women; that's what he got the chair for in Florida, 1998.

Why A Movie? During his 18-year death row stay, controversy over Stano's cases raged. Specifically, many psychological profilers suspected he was no serial killer, merely a serial confessor.

In particular, one case sergeant - later struck off - was repeatedly observed plying Stano with details of unsolved crimes, which the alleged perp would then spit back verbatim in later 'admissions'.

Starring: Paul Giamatti, in a hairier and considerably more upsetting version of his frazzled American Splendor turn.

Page 5 of 13
Page 5 of 13
Gilles De Rais

Gilles De Rais

Bumped Off: 200? 800? 6000? Impossible to say; this French knight's child-slaying rampage lasted from 1435 to 1440, when he was hanged AND burned. Just in case, like.

Why A Movie? Mostly for the historical context - before 'torturing sex maniac', he was more nobly known as a companion-in-arms of Jeanne d'Arc.

More interestingly, occult types such as Aleister Crowley have claimed De Rais was heavily into demonology, murdering kids as sacrificial offerings to an entity known (chiefly by the gibbering, we assume) as Barron.

Starring: Check that bowl cut - Gérard Depardieu, obviously.

Page 6 of 13
Page 6 of 13
Bla Kiss

Bla Kiss

Bumped Off: At least 24 women circa 1900, luring them to his little town near Budapest. We don't know exactly - he was never caught.

Why A Movie? Quality moustache, plus his story gets more interesting after the 24 bodies were found at his home (several pickled in metal drums) during his WWI service .

Police traced Kiss to a Serbian hospital, only to find a dead soldier's body left in Kiss's bed - the latter had fled the ward undetected. Credible sightings were reported for decades, as far away as Turkey and even New York, but never confirmed.

Starring: Slight age discrepancy aside, John Malkovich all the way.

Page 7 of 13
Page 7 of 13
Lee Boyd Malvo

Lee Boyd Malvo

Bumped Off: Officially, six of the Beltway sniper victims across Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC in Oct 2002.

Why A Movie? Clarity. As naive minor to John Allen Mohammad's manipulative elder, Malvo's exact role has been tough to establish definitively.

He initially claimed all 13 shootings to spare Mohammed the death penalty; when this failed, his story changed. He seems to have been convinced by the elder's crazed plan to create racially exclusive micro-states using ransom money from the spree.

Starring: Elijah Kelley. Yes, straight from Hairspray 2: White Lipstick .

Page 8 of 13
Page 8 of 13
Dnepropetrovsk Maniacs

Dnepropetrovsk Maniacs

Bumped Off: 21 random Ukranians over a month in summer 2007.

Why A Movie? The arbitrariness of the sickening crimes perpetrated by these teenagers with hammers makes them feel unutterably alien. They're almost absurd in their depravity: a human zoo, in the bleakest possible sense.

The fact that conviction followed a leaked, self-shot video of their vile actions also raises the potential role of the web as a legal tool - an unusually contemporary issue to offset the timeless ethical ones.

Starring: Unknowns would be far more effective than famous faces.

Page 9 of 13
Page 9 of 13
Belle Gunness

Belle Gunness

Bumped Off: 40+, mainly suitors lured by lonely hearts ads to her Indiana death farm (a literal pigsty) over a couple of decades or so in the early 1900s.

Why A Movie? A rather brutish woman who killed for pure financial gain, she was never caught, making her murderous exploits doubly screenworthy.

Sacrificing her own children in an arson attack to aid her flight, Gunness also placed the body of an unknown victim in place of hers, framing the home help for her 'death' as she slipped the net.

Starring: She's far from brutish, but we reckon Glenn Close could nail the ruthlessness bit.

Page 10 of 13
Page 10 of 13
Jack Unterweger

Jack Unterweger

Bumped Off: An alleged 15 prostitutes in various countries; convicted of nine in 1994. Life, no parole.

Why A Movie? It wasn't his first murder rap: he'd already been given 'life' for strangling a young woman with her own bra in 1974.

Weirdly, Unterweger embarked on a flourishing literary career behind bars, becoming quite the poster boy for reform and enjoying vocal support from the highbrow arts world. Upon early release, he presented TV shows while, um, continuing to slay women.

Starring: Malcolm McDowell; we're assuming Anthony Hopkins might be 'busy'.

Page 11 of 13
Page 11 of 13
Richard Kuklinski

Richard Kuklinski

Bumped Off: 200+, he says, in a long and unspeakably grizzly life as a mob hitman. Convicted on five counts.

Why A Movie? Allegedly, Mickey Rourke's already on it. You can see why: one fascinating thing about Kuklinski was that neither his wife nor children claimed to have had the slightest inkling at any point during his 37-year career.

Nicknamed 'Iceman', he killed people by slamming them in chest freezers. Oh, and his brother was convicted rapist and murderer Joseph Kuklinski. Nice lads...

Starring: Zach Galifianakis could clearly rock the requisite 'portly 1972 vibe' for the early years.

Page 12 of 13
Page 12 of 13
H. H. Holmes

H. H. Holmes

Bumped Off: Between 27 (for which he was convicted) and 230 across the US and Canada, over six years as the 19th century waned.

Why A Movie? The man built and lived in a 'murder castle' - a freakin' MURDER CASTLE, mind - in the heart of suburban Chicago, half of which he pimped as a hotel. Guests seldom checked out.

The top floor comprised an insane maze of 100+ windowless rooms tricked out with gas vents, acid baths and soundproofed furnaces: the man was practically a cartoon. A very, very scary one.

Starring: Are we the only ones trying to avoid yelling "I DRINK IT UP"...?

Page 13 of 13
Page 13 of 13
Mark Powell
Read more
The 30 best horror movies of all time: pictures from The Wicker Man, The Shining, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Hereditary.
The 30 best horror movies that will haunt you long after the credits roll
 
 
Speak No Evil
The 25 best Shudder movies, ranked
 
 
Vanessa Kirby in Night Always Comes
The 25 best Netflix thrillers to watch right now
 
 
Fear Street on Netflix
The 25 best Netflix horror movies to watch right now
 
 
A still from a Weapons teaser
After Weapons' gory ending, fans are discussing the most disturbing final lines in horror movies
 
 
Michael Chernus as John Wayne Gacy in Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy
Final trailer lands for upcoming true crime series based on America's most terrifying killer, and it looks much scarier than Netflix's Monster
 
 
Latest in Movies
Gizmo in Gremlins
37 years after the last movie, Gremlins 3 is officially happening with Chris Columbus and Steven Spielberg on board
 
 
Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi in Predator: Badlands
When is Predator Badlands on streaming? Speculation on the potential Hulu release date
 
 
Amber Midthunder as Naru in Prey
Predator: Badlands almost centered on a team-up between Yautja protagonist Dek and Prey's Naru, but director Dan Trachtenberg wanted "no humans in the movie"
 
 
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom reveal trailer
The Legend of Zelda movie is now filming in New Zealand, but good luck figuring out which game is being adapted from this vague synopsis
 
 
Rumi in KPop Demon Hunters
KPop Demon Hunters 2: everything we know about the Netflix sequel
 
 
2010's A Nightmare on Elm Street was "premature", says OG actor Robert Englund – but he'd be eager to see a re-do of Part 2 and a franchise-ending prequel soon
 
 
Latest in Features
Cropped Marvel Snap key art showing Wolverine, America Chavez, and Venom.
I couldn't hack Marvel Rivals, but Marvel Snap taught me more about PvP etiquette in 6 months than any game has before it
 
 
Arc Raiders best weapons
Arc Raiders has made me fall in love with getting my ass kicked by giant robots
 
 
Photo taken of the PS Portal by writer Rosalie Newcombe, running the cloud streaming feature.
The PS Portal just got a handy new upgrade, but should you buy one instead of a PS5?
 
 
Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake key art
As a Dragon Quest noob, Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake honestly feels like the perfect introduction
 
 
Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2.
No, we don't need Red Dead Redemption 3, we need to learn that too much of a good thing will ultimately ruin it
 
 
Key art for Alruna: End of History showing Alruna in front of a nuclear power station and religious iconography
Plant powers rule in Alruna: End of History, a grimdark Metroidvania about reclaiming industrial spaces, and I love the condensed approach to maps that still pack secrets
 
 
  1. Discussing Evelyn Dean with D'arcy in The Seance of Blake Manor's lobby
    1
    The Séance of Blake Manor review: "Like horror Clue come to life, this supernatural mystery against the clock is incredibly immersive"
  2. 2
    Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment review: "Zelda is a fantastic lead in this action-packed Tears of the Kingdom prequel, but boring missions hold the magic back"
  3. 3
    Carimara: Beneath the Forlorn Limbs review: "Playing as a goblin thing to crack a gothic fairy tale mystery with magical cards has quickly become one of my favorite gaming short stories"
  4. 4
    Spooktacular review: "This is the perfect family board game for Halloween"
  5. 5
    It’s hard to imagine there are many gamers who won’t enjoy this quick but tactical board game for 2 players
  1. Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi in Predator: Badlands
    1
    Predator: Badlands review: "Die-hard fans may be disappointed, but as a blockbuster action-adventure, Badlands kills it"
  2. 2
    Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc review "Storytelling just as compelling as the chainsaws, devils, and visually excessive fight scenes"
  3. 3
    Tron: Ares review: "Misses out by swapping the Grid for the real world"
  4. 4
    One Battle After Another review: "One of the best studio movies in years and an instant classic"
  5. 5
    The Conjuring: Last Rites review: "Not bold or memorable enough for the Warrens' final chapter"
  1. Liam Hemsworth as Geralt in The Witcher season 4
    1
    The Witcher season 4 review: "The Henry Cavill-less fourth season is the best yet"
  2. 2
    IT: Welcome to Derry review: "A supremely confident step back into the history of Stephen King's cursed town and killer clown"
  3. 3
    Splinter Cell: Deathwatch review: "A pale imitation of the long-dormant stealth franchise"
  4. 4
    Marvel Zombies review: "A fun expansion of the What If episode with delightful MCU Easter eggs and truly gross R-rated kills"
  5. 5
    Gen V season 2 review: "As strong as the first season, if not stronger"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...