Five Great Serial Killer Movies You May Have Missed

Citizen X

Based on the real account of serial killer, Andrei Chikatilo, aka. The Rostov Ripper, this film illustrates one man's struggle to track down an elusive murderer in Russia in the late 70-80's. Hampered by a system of bureaucracy and red tape in the Soviet Union at the time, Stephen Rea portrays the immensely patient and sensitive detective, Viktor Burakov, with a performance worthy of the many awards he was nominated for. Also, Donald Sutherland brilliantly portrays Col. Mikhail Fetisov, a performance that won him an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor. Ranks up there with Seven and Silence of the Lambs as one of the greatest serial killer movies ever.

Nightwatch

Boasting a superb cast of a young Ewan McGregor, Patricia Arquette, Nick Nolte, Josh Brolin, John C. Reilly, Lauren Graham and the always creepy Brad Dourif, McGregor takes a job as a security guard in a morgue while a serial killer is on the loose. The killer starts playing mind games with McGregor and he begins to suspect everybody. Truly creepy, sometimes hilarious; but what really makes it worth watching is Brolin's brilliant performance. A sign for things to come.

Switchback



Dennis Quaid is a FBI agent searching for the serial killer who kidnapped his son. In a parallel story arc, Danny Glover and Jared Leto are two drifters who meet up and take a short trip on the road. How will these stories come to a point? Great acting by Leto and Glover, and with the combined effort of such memorable supporting actors as R. Lee Eremy (Full Metal Jacket), William Fichtner (The Dark Knight) and Ted Levine (Silence of the Lambs), with a soundtrack provided by the great Basil Poledouris (Conan the Barbarian), and some breathtaking scenery of the Rocky Mountains, all covered in a fine layer of genuine suspense and mystery, make this a serial killer film worth watching.

Breakdown

Kurt Russell and Kathleen Quinlan are the Taylors who are moving to California. Their vehicle breaks down in the desert and they are left stranded on the road. A trucker comes along and offers Amy Taylor a ride, as her husband stays with their vehicle, awaiting their return. They never do. Suspense and mystery are the key elements in this film, as we plunder along with Russell as he tries to figure out what happened to his missing wife. Russell and JT Walsh are terrific; we find ourselves getting frustrated with Jeff Taylor and intimidated by a truly scary Walsh. With a downright grab your seat ending, score another one for underrated gems.

Lonely Hearts



This is film noir done well, with such staple ingredients as: a femme fatale played by a chilling Salma Hayek, a 40's setting, two plodding gumshoes (John Travolta and The Soprano's James Gandolfini, dressed consistently in black and rumpled overcoats), a con man, acted superbly by Jared Leto (again!), a broken romance (Travolta's 'dame' played by the always great, Laura Dern) and some great humour and camaraderie between cops. The film twists into a pretty nasty and bleak tale; so much so, you may find yourself shocked they went there. But it is based on a true story. And not to be missed. Noir for the 2000's.