Editorials
6 Serial Killer Movies from the Killer’s Perspective to Watch After ‘Trap’
I think part of our collective fascination with serial killers comes from an empathetic desire to uncover exactly what needs to go wrong for a human being to snap and turn into a murderer. That’s why it makes sense that this form of morbid curiosity lies at the heart of so many successful horror stories, with countless genre filmmakers trying their best to explore the minds of predators.
And in honor of M. Night Shyamalan’s latest thriller expertly allowing us to see through the eyes of a cold-blooded murderer, we’ve decided to come up with a list highlighting six other serial killer movies told from the killer’s perspective. After all, there are plenty of interesting cinematic killers out there, and not all of them are as charming as Josh Hartnett in Trap.
As usual, don’t forget to comment below with your own murderous favorites if you think we missed a particularly thrilling one. And while we won’t be including it on the list, I’d also like to give a shout-out to Chris Nash’s avant-garde slasher In a Violent Nature, which follows a Jason-Voorhees-inspired murderer as he embarks on a vengeful rampage.
With that out of the way, onto the list…
6. Mr. Brooks (2007)
I can’t be the only one who wishes Kevin Costner did more horror movies. While Bruce A. Evans’ deep dive into the mind of a fractured man is more of a psychological thriller than a proper scary movie, it’s still proof that Costner can be legitimately terrifying when he chooses to be.
Telling the story of a seemingly normal man who secretly struggles to keep his murderous alter ego under control, Mr. Brooks doesn’t exactly re-invent the serial killer wheel with its ruminations on addiction, but you can’t help but sympathize with Costner as his double life spirals out of control.
And if you like this one, don’t forget to check out our interview with the director as he explores the film’s unmade sequels!
5. Maniac (1980)
It’s rare that both a horror film and its remake are equally good explorations of their respective subject matter, but since we already included Franck Khalfoun’s Maniac on our list recommending six experimental slashers, today I’d like to highlight the grimy thrills of William Lustig’s 1980 original. It may not feature the same POV gimmick as its 2012 successor, but Maniac still does a phenomenal job of putting viewers in the shoes of a deeply disturbed individual.
Following a murderous landlord as he slays (and scalps) his way through New York City, this brutal character study is only enhanced by its low production value and seedy Manhattan backdrop. Lustig makes the most of eerie street corners and dark alleyways here, making this film a memorable portrait of urban chaos – as well as one hell of a disturbing gore-fest.
4. The House that Jack Built (2018)
Even Lars von Trier’s more conventional films tend to tackle controversial subject matter, but The House that Jack Built takes the director’s penchant for dark stories to the next level with its portrayal of a deeply malevolent man that embodies all the worst traits of famous serial killers. Feeling a lot like an art-house companion piece to American Psycho, this mean-spirited romp is so gruesome that you often forget it’s meant to be satirical.
From animal cruelty to the disturbingly realistic slaughter of innocent women, this is one of the most uncomfortable movies on this list, but it also features a mesmerizing performance by the incredibly talented Matt Dillon. That alone already makes it worth the price of admission. I wouldn’t recommend this one to duck lovers, though.
3. Peeping Tom (1960)
Moral panics are nothing new, especially when it comes to media depicting grisly acts of murder. And while some desensitized viewers might not understand why this 1960 thriller nearly ruined its director’s career, I think Peeping Tom still holds up as one of the UK’s earliest example of schlocky exploitation.
A surprisingly meta story about the thrills of watching others die on celluloid, Peeping Tom introduces us to an aspiring filmmaker who secretly murders women and produces snuff films about their dying moments – a decidedly modern premise for a movie produced decades before the slasher craze.
2. Man Bites Dog (1992)
One of the most shocking examples of Found Footage/mockumentary filmmaking that doesn’t involve the paranormal, this pioneer Belgian flick is way more influential than most genre fans give it credit for. Inspiring everything from Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon to What We Do in the Shadows, Man Bites Dog is another case of storytellers using serial killing as an excuse to explore our fascination with violent media.
And while the film is presented as a serious documentary about a charming murderer who slowly recruits the filmmakers to his cause, it’s the satirical undertones that make it so effective. That being said, you’ll likely forget the humorous elements when Ben commits some of the most heinous acts ever put on film.
1. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is loosely inspired by claims made by real life murderer Henry Lee Lucas (as well as his partner in crime Otis Toole), and while most of the supposed 600 deaths once attributed to Henry have since been proven to be false confessions, John McNaughton’s low budget character study escapes its sensationalist True Crime origins due to its honest and unflinching portrayal of antisocial behavior.
From the gritty 16mm photography to the frighteningly realistic death scenes, there’s plenty to love about this controversial indie flick. However, the film’s greatest asset is a young Michael Rooker in a career-making role as our disturbed main character.
Just make sure you don’t choose this one for family movie night.
The problem with filming sequels back-to-back is that, unless you can afford expensive reshoots, there’s no easy way to adjust course in between movies if fans react badly to where the story is headed. That’s why it’s important to have a complete narrative thought out well in advance lest you accidentally kill a budding franchise.
However, this isn’t always the case. Every once in a while, it seems like the cinema gods smile upon certain chaotic productions and gift moviegoers with complete franchises that feel like more than the sum of their hastily produced parts. Ted Nicolaou’s Bloodlust: Subspecies III is precisely one of these miraculous pictures, with the raw talents of the artists involved (as well as the continued support from Romania) turning the feature into an effective conclusion for a series that kind of made things up as the filmmakers went along.
That’s why I’d like to invite my fellow readers to join me on this third part of our journey through the Subspecies franchise as we look into Bloodlust and talk about how it remains a surprisingly satisfying finale to the original trilogy.
A Trilogy Planned on the Fly
Released only a year after Bloodstone found plenty of success in rental stores and mail-in VHS catalogues worldwide, 1994’s Bloodlust was produced at the same time as its predecessor in (mostly) the same locations and with the same team. This means that the movie benefited from all the same upgrades as Bloodstone, with the crew now being more experienced with the ins and outs of surviving a low-budget Romanian production and the cast really settling into their characters.
At this point, everything from location scouting to the makeup process had been streamlined, with Wayne Toth and Norman Cabrera, the main duo behind special effects, even switching out time-consuming prosthetics for latex gloves in order to speed up Anders Hove’s monstrous transformation. The titular “subspecies” demons were also once again relegated to a mere cameo appearance due to the laborious puppetry required to bring them to life.
The only real hiccup came from the fact that actress Denice Duff had replaced the first film’s Michelle (Laura Mae Tate) and was immediately expected to portray the character as both an innocent victim in part II and as a secondary villain in part III. According to behind-the-scenes interviews, the hectic production schedule that blended two different movies meant that Duff would often find herself having to alternate between two incredibly different versions of Michelle during the same shooting day – though it’s obvious that she’s having more fun with Bloodlust’s more traditionally vampiric version of her character.
In the finished film, we pick things up immediately where the previous entry left off as Rebecca (Melanie Shatner) is forced to leave her vampire sister Michelle (Duff) behind in the dungeons of Castle Vladislav due to the rising sun. This allows Mummy (Pamela Gordon) to use Michelle’s blood to revive the vicious Radu (Hove) so that he may continue his quest for the coveted Bloodstone – a magical artifact that perpetually drips the Blood of Saints.
Meanwhile, the dreamy US embassy agent Mel (Kevin Blair) agrees to help Rebecca plan a rescue mission, though they’re unaware that Radu has become infatuated with Michelle during his attempts to guide her growing bloodlust. This all culminates in a climactic confrontation meant to tie up all of the series’ loose ends in one of Full Moon Pictures’ most ambitious productions.
The Evolution of Radu
Like its predecessor, Bloodlust: Subspecies III was also warmly received by fans who argued that the series was an even bigger success than Full Moon’s other major horror franchise, Puppet Master. This praise wasn’t unanimous, however, as 1994 had seen the rise of a more modern breed of sexy vampire popularized by Anne Rice, with old-school Nosferatu like Radu being viewed as obsolete when compared to the likes of Lestat and Gary Oldman’s take on Dracula.
In a way, one might argue that Nicolaou’s film is something of a swan song for the classic vampire story, as Bloodlust combines all of the traditional elements we tend to associate with these tales into a single tragic yarn that ties a neat little bow on Radu’s story as well as the old-fashioned monster movies that he represents. The finale remains shocking despite the fact that this is the third time we see Radu get brutally killed onscreen, with the brief tease that he may one day return feeling more like a nod towards the nature of evil rather than sequel bait.
The film dabbles a bit in gothic romance and even explores the inherent power fantasy behind transforming into an immortal creature of the night, but the filmmakers never lose sight of Radu as a demonic force even when he’s willing to betray his beloved Mummy for Michelle’s sake. In fact, his twisted “love” for his fledgling makes him even creepier as we get the feeling that his passion comes from a dark and disturbing place.
Anders Hove is at his absolute best in this film, with the effects department boosting his moments of what the younger generation would call “aura farming” whenever Radu emerges from shadows like a 90s version of Count Orlok. There are even a couple of surprisingly effective jump-scares here, which is why I’d argue that Bloodlust cements Radu as one of the most memorable cinematic vampires of all time despite his humble origins.
Subspecies Saves Its Best For Last
Nicolaou and Vlad Panescu also saved the best for “last” (more on that in a bit) regarding the film’s visuals, with the cinematography and overall atmosphere of Bloodlust absolutely surpassing what we saw in the previous films. Everything feels appropriately climactic this time around (including the wonderful soundtrack that was co-composed alongside an authentic Romanian orchestra), and I appreciate how this is the fastest-paced entry in the trilogy since the film doesn’t need to waste time setting anything up.
Bloodlust still suffers from some of the same low-budget blemishes as its predecessors, but there’s so much creative passion here that no amount of wonky effects work or stilted dialogue can get in the way of appreciating the flick’s gothic grandeur. That’s why it’s not surprising that the movie’s definitive(-ish) ending would later be retconned as fans begged for more Radu.
Of course, the next entry in this series would be a different kind of vampiric endeavor altogether, with the filmmakers attempting to engage with the same trends that ultimately killed Radu and his antiquated kin. That, however, is a story for another time. For now, I’ll merely insist that Bloodlust: Subspecies III remains a highlight of Full Moon’s expansive catalogue and is definitely worth seeking out today.
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