Serial Killer Crime backdrop

Serial Killer Crime movies

A repeating killer case with patterns, escalation, investigative urgency, and a persistent psychological threat.

The Hunted

1. The Hunted

Drama Action Thriller Crime Military Action
6.1
20031h 34min

Overview

In the wilderness of British Columbia, two hunters are tracked and viciously murdered by Aaron Hallam. A former Special Operations instructor is approached and asked to apprehend Hallam—his former student—who has 'gone rogue' after suffering severe battle stress from his time in Kosovo.

Themes

Survival under pressure, War trauma, Secrecy of missions, Mentorship under stress, Moral ambiguity of violence, Paranoia and mistrust

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Red Dragon

2. Red Dragon

Crime Thriller Horror Serial Killer Crime Investigation Suspense
7.2
20022h 4min

Overview

Former FBI Agent Will Graham, who was once almost killed by the savage Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lecter, now has no choice but to face him again, as it seems Lecter is the only one who can help Graham track down a new serial killer.

Themes

Dual identities, Abuse and control, Media manipulation, Police profiling, Traumatic upbringing, Obsessive compulsion

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Blood Work

3. Blood Work

Thriller Crime Action Mystery Investigation Suspense
6.4
20021h 50min

Overview

Still recovering from a heart transplant, a retired FBI profiler returns to service when his own blood analysis offers clues to the identity of a serial killer.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Survivor guilt, Blood as clue, Donor heart resonance, Illicit investigation ethics, Obsession vs duty

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Murder by Numbers

4. Murder by Numbers

Crime Drama Thriller Serial Killer Crime Investigation Suspense
6.2
20022h

Overview

Tenacious homicide detective Cassie Mayweather and her still-green partner are working a murder case, attempting to profile two malevolently brilliant young men: cold, calculating killers whose dark secrets might explain their crimes.

Themes

Wealth and influence, Moral ambiguity under pressure, Deception within partnerships, Manipulation of evidence, Status versus loyalty, Parental pressure and power

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Frailty

5. Frailty

Drama Thriller Crime Mind Game Thriller Serial Killer Crime
7.2
20021h 40min

Overview

A mysterious man arrives at the offices of an FBI agent and recounts his childhood: how his religious fanatic father received visions telling him to kill people who were in fact "demons."

Themes

Trauma from loss, Rose garden violence, Angel influence, Family secrecy and manipulation, Religious fundamentalism control, Moral coercion and punishment

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Ichi the Killer

6. Ichi the Killer

Action Crime Horror Serial Killer Crime Gore Horror
6.9
20012h 9min

Overview

As sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara searches for his missing boss he comes across Ichi, a repressed and psychotic killer who may be able to inflict levels of pain that Kakihara has only dreamed of.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Violence against women, Trauma and false memory, Cycles of violence, Power in underworld networks, Absurd brutality

Available on

Apple TV
Kanopy
Hoopla
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Hannibal

7. Hannibal

Crime Drama Thriller Serial Killer Crime Psychological Drama
6.8
20012h 11min

Overview

After having successfully eluded the authorities for years, Hannibal peacefully lives in Italy in disguise as an art scholar. Trouble strikes again when he's discovered leaving a deserving few dead in the process. He returns to America to make contact with now disgraced Agent Clarice Starling, who is suffering the wrath of a malicious FBI rival as well as the media.

Themes

Institutional corruption, Deception and frame, Power abuse, Violence as spectacle, Psychological manipulation

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Pledge

8. The Pledge

Crime Drama Mystery Thriller Serial Killer Crime
6.7
20012h 4min

Overview

A police chief, about to retire, pledges to help a woman find her daughter's killer.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Duty under retirement pressure, Investigative persistence under doubt, Protective guardianship dynamics, Community suspicion and fear, Ethics in pursuit

Available on

Netflix
Apple TV
Hulu
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Crimson Rivers

9. The Crimson Rivers

Crime Mystery Thriller Serial Killer Crime Investigation Mystery
6.9
20001h 46min

Overview

Two French policemen, one investigating a grisly murder at a remote mountain college, the other working on the desecration of a young girl's grave by skinheads, are brought together by the clues from their respective cases. Soon after they start working together, more murders are committed, and the pair begin to discover just what dark secrets are behind the killings.

Themes

Graveyard desecration, Skinhead violence, Intellectual elitism vs village, Mountain isolation, Inbreeding consequences, Ritual murder motifs

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Frequency

10. Frequency

Science Fiction Thriller Family Crime Time Travel Sci-Fi
7.4
20001h 58min

Overview

When a rare phenomenon gives police officer John Sullivan the chance to speak to his father, 30 years in the past, he takes the opportunity to prevent his dad's tragic death. After his actions inadvertently give rise to a series of brutal murders he and his father must find a way to fix the consequences of altering time.

Themes

Deception and framing, Altering history consequences, Cross-generational communication, Family bonds across time, Unintended collateral damage, Duty under danger

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.