Sometimes, the darkest stories don’t come from imagination but from real-life horrors. Serial killers have fascinated and horrified humanity for decades, while some get caught, some remain elusive for decades. From infamous murderers in the West to chilling cases closer to home, these 19 films capture the minds behind the madness. 

19 Chilling Movies Based on Real-Life Serial Killers And Their Crimes 

Sector 36 (2024) 
Where to Watch: Netflix  

 
When children from an Indian slum go missing, an ambitious cop uncovers a manipulative killer. This film is inspired by the horrifying crimes of Surinder Koli and Moninder Singh Pandher. 

Anjaam Pathiraa (2020) 
Where to Watch: Aha 

  
A criminal psychologist teams up with the police to hunt down a mysterious serial killer targeting officers. While the movie doesn’t follow one specific killer, parts of the plot were real events: like the Psycho Simon character who was taken from the 2017 Nanthancode massacre along with Ripper Ravi’s character who was based on Ripper Chandran, a serial killer in Kerala who was active late 1980s. 

Main Aur Charles (2015) 
Where to Watch: Disney+ Hotstar 

This stylish thriller follows the enigmatic Charles Sobhraj, infamous as "The Serpent" for his crimes across Asia during the 1970s. Netflix later revisited his chilling story in its series The Serpent. 

Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016) 
Where to Watch: Zee5 

  
A psychopathic killer and a corrupt cop engage in a dark battle of obsession and violence. The story draws from the real-life serial killer Raman Raghav, who terrorized Mumbai in the late 1960s. 

Posham Pa (2019) 
Where to Watch: Zee5 

The lives of two sisters unravel as they become accomplices to their mother’s heinous crimes. This film is loosely based on the chilling story of Seema Gavit and Renuka Shinde, convicted for kidnapping and murdering children. 

The Stoneman Murders (2009) 
Where to Watch: JioCinema 

A journalist investigates a series of killings targeting the homeless in Mumbai. This film explores the real-life unsolved Stoneman murders of the 1980s in Mumbai and Kolkata. 

No Man of God (2021) 
Where to Watch: Prime Video 

FBI analyst Bill Hagmaier interviews the notorious Ted Bundy, peeling back the layers of his twisted mind. 

Zodiac (2007) 
Where to Watch: Prime Video (rent) 

A journalist and a cartoonist become obsessed with solving the Zodiac killer's cryptic messages. The Zodiac Killer is perhaps the most widely known serial killer who was never caught and who taunted California law enforcement in the late 1960s and 1970s. 

The Gray Man (2007) 
Where to Watch: TBA 

This psychological drama explores the gruesome double life of Albert Fish, the "Gray Man," a cannibalistic killer active in the early 20th century. 

The Alphabet Killer (2008) 
Where to Watch: Plex 

A detective investigates a series of murders where victims’ initials match their hometowns. The plot draws loosely from unsolved child murders in 1970s New York. 

The Golden Glove (2019) 
Where to Watch: Prime Video 

A drunk and disturbed man kills women in the red-light district of Hamburg. The movie covers the crimes of Fritz Honka, a German killer who targeted women in the 1970s. 

Memories of Murder (2003) 
Where to Watch: TBA 

Detectives struggle to solve the murders of young women in rural South Korea. The highly-rated movie is based on South Korea's first known serial killer, Lee Choon-jae, responsible for the Hwaseong murders. 

The Clovehitch Killer (2018) 
Where to Watch: TBA 

A teenager discovers evidence that his father might be a dormant serial killer. Based on Dennis Rader, the "BTK Killer," who terrorized Kansas for decades. 

Wolf Creek (2005) 
Where to Watch: TBA 

Three backpackers are hunted by a sadistic man in the Australian outback. The movie was inspired by the crimes of serial killer Ivan Mila Ivan Milat, the "Backpacker Murderer". 

The Frozen Ground (2013) 
Where to Watch: YouTube Movies (rent) 

A detective partners with a survivor to bring an Alaskan serial killer to justice. 
The Frozen Ground is based on the real acts of serial killer Robert Hansen, and the story tries to be as fateful as possible with the addition of some spicy drama. 

From Hell (2001) 
Where to Watch: Prime Video (rent) 

A detective investigates Jack the Ripper’s gruesome murders in Victorian London. Loosely based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore, the film adds a fictional twist to the infamous case. 

Sins of the Father: The Green River Killer (TV Movie 2022) 
Where to Watch: TBA 

This gripping true-crime drama delves into the twisted mind of Gary Ridgway, the infamous Green River Killer responsible for a decades-long killing spree. 

Watch Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile 
Where to Watch: AppleTV (rent) 

Yet another chilling recounting of Ted Bundy’s crimes and his manipulative charm, played by Zac Efron.  

My Friend Dahmer (2017) 
Where to Watch: TBA 

A teenager befriends a socially awkward classmate who later becomes a serial killer. This is a glimpse into Jeffrey Dahmer’s teenage years, exploring the awkward, disturbed young man who became the infamous "Milwaukee Cannibal."