Serial Killers: 177

Sleepless (2001) is an Italian giallo film directed by Dario Argento. It begins with Angela, who has just had sex with a man and is being verbally attacked by him for not satisfying him. As she collects her belongings, she accidentally knocks over a chest filled with bladed weapons, causing her to flee in fear. In her haste, she takes a blue scrapbook that belongs to an unknown serial killer in Turin, known as ‘The Dwarf Killer’. The killer then contacts Angela and threatens her life. Unable to find help from the train conductor, she turns to her friend Marta at the station to retrieve the scrapbook. ...

Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell, From Hell (2001) is a period detective horror film directed by the Hughes Brothers and written by Terry Hayes and Rafael Yglesias. Set in 1888, it follows Mary Kelly and her fellow London prostitutes as they navigate their harsh daily existence. Ann Crook, a former prostitute now married to painter Albert, has recently given birth to a daughter named ...

Lee Tamahori directed the American neo-noir psychological thriller film, Along Came a Spider (2001). This movie is the second part of the Alex Cross series. After Detective Dr. Alex Cross of Washington DC, a forensic psychologist and writer, loses control of a sting operation and his partner Tracie Fisher dies, he decides to retire from the police force. However, his break from work is short-lived as Gary Soneji, a computer science teacher, kidnaps Megan Rose, the daughter of a US senator from her private school. The breach in security that allowed Soneji to take the girl is blamed on US Secret Service Special ...

Hannibal (2001), an American crime thriller directed by Ridley Scott and adapted from Thomas Harris’s novel, follows FBI Special Agent Clarice Starling. A decade after catching serial killer Jame Gumb, Starling is blamed for a failed drug raid that cost five lives. She is approached by Mason Verger, the lone survivor of cannibalistic murderer Hannibal Lecter who has been on the run since escaping custody. Verger, a wealthy predator who was left paralyzed and disfigured by Lecter, has been plotting revenge against him and enlists Starling’s help to capture him. ...

The Cell (2000) is a science fiction psychological thriller film, Tarsem Singh’s directorial debut. Child psychologist Catherine Deane is hired to use an experimental virtual reality treatment on coma patients. This involves a ‘Neurological Cartography and Synaptic Transfer System’ device managed by doctors Henry West and Miriam Kent, which allows her to enter the minds of comatose patients and try to awaken them. The technology is funded by the parents of Edward Baines, a young boy in a coma due to an unusual strain of schizophrenia caused by a viral infection. However, Baines’ progress has been ...

The Watcher (2000) is an American thriller film directed by Joe Charbanic. In the film, FBI Special Agent Joel Campbell fails to save a young woman from a serial killer he has been pursuing in Los Angeles. Stricken with guilt, Campbell leaves his job and relocates to Chicago, where he suffers from agonizing migraines. In an attempt to cope with his emotional distress, Campbell seeks therapy from Dr. Polly Beilman and remains isolated from others. However, his quiet life is interrupted when a woman is murdered in his apartment building. Upon receiving a photo of the victim in the mail, which was sent three days prior to ...

Scream 3 (2000), an American slasher film, was directed by Wes Craven and written by Ehren Kruger. In the movie, Cotton Weary, now the host of a successful talk show, receives a call from the newest Ghostface killer, who demands to know where Sidney Prescott is. Despite being threatened, Cotton refuses to reveal any information. However, this only angers Ghostface who then breaks into Cotton’s home and attacks his girlfriend Christine. Upon hearing of this attack, Cotton rushes home but tragically arrives too late as Ghostface has already killed Christine and then ...

Frequency (2000) is an American sci-fi thriller set in New York City. In 1969, during a gasoline tanker accident on a highway ramp, two workers become trapped in an underground electrical substation. Despite his commander’s orders, experienced firefighter Frank Sullivan goes down to rescue them. With the fuel level rising and damaged electronics sparking, Frank and a fellow firefighter manage to save the workers just before a massive explosion occurs. Back at home, Frank is greeted by his loving wife Julia and young son Johnny. Thirty years later, John Sullivan is now an NYPD detective living in the same house. His girlfriend Samantha breaks up with him, ...

American Psycho (2000), a satirical psychological thriller film, is directed and co-written by Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner respectively. Set in 1987, the story follows investment banker Patrick Bateman as he maintains his façade for his fiancée Evelyn Williams and wealthy acquaintances. During a business meeting, Bateman’s colleagues showcase their business cards and obsess over their designs. One particular card belonging to Paul Allen sparks anger in Bateman, leading him to kill a homeless man and his dog later that night. As Bateman plans dinner with Allen after a Christmas party, he harbors resentment ...

In Dreams (1999), a psychological thriller directed by Neil Jordan, is an adaptation of the novel Doll’s Eyes (1993) by Bari Wood. As a suburban housewife and mother, Claire Cooper spends her free time illustrating children’s stories while her husband Paul, an airline pilot, is often away for work (and possibly having an affair with his Australian co-worker). This leaves Claire to care for their daughter Rebecca, who is eight years old. Strange and hazy dreams ensue for Claire involving an underwater city and the murder of a young girl. Tragedy ...

Tim Burton’s gothic supernatural horror film, Sleepy Hollow (1999), is a loose adaptation of Washington Irving’s short story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Set in 1799, the film follows New York City police constable Ichabod Crane as he investigates a string of brutal murders in the upstate Dutch hamlet. Among the insular town elders who receive him are wealthy Baltus Van Tassel, town doctor Thomas Lancaster, Reverend Steenwyck, notary James Hardenbrook, and magistrate Samuel Philipse. According to local beliefs, the killer is an undead headless ...

The Bone Collector (1999), a crime thriller, was helmed by director Phillip Noyce. Set in New York City the year prior, the protagonist Lincoln Rhyme is left paralyzed from the neck down following an accident. While on patrol duty, Amelia Donaghy uncovers a mutilated body at an old Civil War-era railroad site. With Rhyme confined to his bed, he guides her through the investigation via video and audio feeds from her patrol car. Upon finding evidence that suggests foul play, Rhyme enlists Amelia’s help despite her initial hesitation. The killer poses as a taxi driver and kidnaps a married couple before our ...

The American supernatural thriller film, Fallen (1998), directed by Gregory Hoblit, tells the story of Philadelphia Police Detective John Hobbes and his encounter with serial killer Edgar Reese. Many years after capturing Reese, Hobbes visits him on death row where he is met with a surprisingly upbeat demeanor. During their conversation, Reese grabs Hobbes’ hand and delivers a spiteful monologue in an unknown language, later identified as Syrian Aramaic. As Reese is executed, he taunts the onlookers and sings ‘Time Is on My Side’ by The Rolling Stones. After a series of murders resembling Reese’s ...

Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later (1998), an American slasher film directed by Steve Miner, is a direct sequel to the original Halloween franchise. Ignoring the previous three installments’ Jamie Lloyd story arc, it picks up almost twenty years after Michael Myers’ escape from Smith’s Grove and return to Haddonfield to kill his long-lost sister, Laurie Strode. Following an explosion caused by Dr. Sam Loomis at Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, Michael’s body vanished and was presumed dead. On October 29, 1998, Marion Wittington (née Chambers), Loomis’ former colleague who cared for ...

Scream 2 (1997) is an American slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson. It follows two Windsor College seniors, Maureen Evans and Phil Stevens, who attend a sneak preview of Stab, a film based on the Woodsboro massacre. While briefly leaving the theater to use the bathroom, Phil falls victim to Ghostface, the masked killer. Ghostface then takes Phil’s seat next to Maureen and repeatedly stabs her without anyone in the raucous crowd noticing. As Maureen climbs up on stage for help, mistaking her cries for publicity, she tragically succumbs ...

Kiss the Girls (1997), an American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Gary Fleder and based on James Patterson’s best-selling 1995 novel of the same name, follows the story of Alex Cross, a well-known detective and forensic psychologist in Washington, D.C. Recently, Alex learns that his niece Naomi, who lives in Durham, has been missing for four days. Despite trying to reassure his family, he can’t shake off his own concerns. He makes the decision to travel to Durham and investigate her disappearance himself. Even though his cousin Sampson warns ...

2 Days in the Valley (1996) is a darkly humorous American film by writer-director John Herzfeld. Two hired killers, Lee Woods and Dosmo Pizzo, enter a bedroom and find a sleeping couple: Olympic athlete Becky Foxx and her ex-husband Roy Foxx. After injecting Becky with a tranquilizer, Lee shoots Roy and the two men flee to an empty spot near Mulholland Drive. There, Lee stages Dosmo’s death by shooting him and blowing up their car. With his girlfriend Helga Svelgen in tow, Lee runs from the scene while Dosmo miraculously survives thanks to his bulletproof vest. Seeking refuge at the opulent home of affluent art ...

Profiler (1996–2000), an American crime drama created by Cynthia Saunders, aired on NBC from September 21, 1996 to July 1, 2000. The show follows Dr. Samantha ‘Sam’ Waters, a forensic psychologist and criminal profiler for the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force (VCTF) in Atlanta, Georgia. Sam possesses a unique gift that allows her to see through the eyes of others and gives her valuable insights into the minds of criminals. Her dedication to her job stems from a personal tragedy years ago when her husband was murdered by a serial killer named ‘Jack of All Trades’. Due to Jack’s ...

Freeway (1996) is an acclaimed American black comedy crime film, written and directed by Matthew Bright and produced by Oliver Stone. The story centers around Vanessa Lutz, a teenage girl living in Southern California. After her mother, Ramona, is arrested for prostitution and her stepfather, Larry, is taken in for drug and child abuse charges, social worker Mrs. Sheets arrives to take Vanessa away. However, she quickly devises a plan to escape by handcuffing the social worker to a bed and fleeing in her run-down car. Her destination: Stockton, where she plans to live ...

Scream (1996), an American slasher film helmed by Wes Craven and penned by Kevin Williamson, is set in the small town of Woodsboro, California. The story begins with high school student Casey Becker who is alone at home when she receives a call from an unidentified person. The conversation starts off innocent enough, discussing horror movies, but quickly takes a dark turn as the caller becomes sadistic and threatens her life. To make matters worse, the caller reveals that Casey’s boyfriend Steve is being held captive on her patio. In order to save his life, the ...