“Zodiac” (2007)
What allows for David Fincher’s “Zodiac” to transcend and subvert your common thriller is the refusal to rely on the crimes committed by the criminal himself to dictate how the film plays out. While we watch on in horror as individuals fall victim to senseless, clinical and bloody murder, those moments are overall fleeting throughout the entire runtime. Arguably Fincher’s greatest piece of work, demonstrating restraint where other, lesser filmmakers might have gone for the easy and cheap thrills and jump scares. “Zodiac” is classified as a “slow burn,” a film that etches itself into the inside of your eyelids, leaving you jittery and keen on locking every single entry point in your apartment. Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr. lead the cast in a superb example of novelized filmmaking which allows the story to play out naturally without ever inserting anything unnecessary or anything to fill the time. Despite the meticulous and even pace and characters who always seem to be looking from the outside in rather than being in the midst of the action (aside from one remarkable sequence which leaves us worried over Gyllenhaal’s well being) “Zodiac” is as effective, if not more so, than any of its slasher contemporaries due to its reliance on silence. – AJ
“Texas Chain Saw Massacre” (1974)
There are plenty of films on this list that aim to plant you firmly into the perspective of a serial killer, dissect them, and see what makes them tick. Tobe Hooper’s greatest filmmaking achievement has no desire to do any of that. There’s no insight into what makes Leatherface and the rest of the Sawyer family insane cannibals (though this year’s “Leatherface” – while solid – does unfortunately demystify that a little bit), but all we know is that they are, and you probably should not trespass onto their property. A slow burn with a sense of uneasiness throughout, Hooper’s film starts with a trek through rural Texas post-Vietnam, a place that feels disenfranchised and aloof, with the lethargy of a hangover that seems to last forever. From there, it becomes a relentless descent into madness. A visceral, in-your-face confrontation with your greatest fears that gives you an anxiety attack just imagining yourself in Sally’s (Marilyn Burns) position. Everyone has a fear of uncertainty and the unknown, and Hooper gets the maximum effect by placing the audience into the most uncertain and unknown situation one could possibly find themselves in. – RO
“American Psycho” (2000)
Thank goodness it was a woman who took on the film adaptation of “American Psycho.” What easily might’ve turned into an exploitative bloodbath was instead given the thought that it deserved and, under Mary Harron’s watchful sense of direction, the film instead adhered to the social commentary that the novel had attempted to achieve. Painting Patrick Bateman (an excellent Christian Bale) as the insecure, desperate misogynist that he was, “American Psycho” allowed for a much more interesting narrative to play out. What is so impressive and frightening about Harron’s film is how timely and relevant it remains. In a time when the Batemans of the world seem to reside in the insidious realm of comment sections, who use social media to demean, insult and harass women who threaten their sense of dominance and security in the world, his threat in the film and overall demeanor is eerily in tune with the times. Toxic masculinity and the need to conform to society’s expectations will continue to press on but what makes Harron’s rendering entertaining rather than depressing is her depiction of Bateman and the way she uses the camera to capture Bale in the role. – AJ
“Monster” (2003)
Before she was snatched up by the multi-billion-dollar superhero franchise machine, “Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins helmed a small film that was about a much darker kind of female agency. 2003’s “Monster,” based on the life of Floridian serial killer Aileen Wuornos, drew in over $60 million at the box office despite its scant $8 million budget. The film depicts Wuornos, who killed seven men during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s while courting her girlfriend, Selby (Christina Ricci). Her victims were all clients that solicited her services as a sex worker. Wuornos, who died by lethal injection in 2002, suffered from debilitating mental illnesses as a result of lifelong sexual trauma. Jenkins’ “Monster” aims to depict her in a complex and considerate way without glorifying her actions. The film pays special attention to her loving lesbian relationship but doesn’t shy away from her brutal actions. It’s a tough line to walk, but Jenkins pulls off what’s largely considered one of the best movies of the aughts with aplomb. The movie earned Charlize Theron long overdue recognition for her portrayal of Wuornos — a role that Roger Ebert called “one of the greatest performances in the history of cinema” and “[not] a performance but an embodiment.” Theron won the Golden Globe, SAG Award, and Oscar for her portrayal. Nearly 15 years later, “Monster” holds up as one of the best serial killer films — and one of the best films about a woman — ever made. – Lena Wilson
“I Saw the Devil” (2010)
For a film that’s as consistently and persistently violent as Kim Jee-woon’s exceptionally bleak “I Saw the Devil,” it’s even more startling just how equally remorseful and sullen it can be. A revenge thriller-drama centered on broken NIS agent Soo-hyun (Lee Byung-hun) and his deadly quest to find Jang Kyung-chul (an incredible Choi Min-sik), a psychopathic murderer who brutally killed Soo-hyun’s fiancee, this psychological, deeply existential cinematic cat-and-mouse game might be too brooding and remorseless for some viewers, but this 2 ½ hour action thriller is anything but emotionally detached. Yes, it’s graphic in its ruthless portrayal, and it’s certainly not the most feel-good serial killer movie ever made (if such a film should even exist), but Jee-woon’s densely-realized masterwork uses its stark violence, gory storytelling and cutthroat visual approach to provide a heartbreaking, unforgettable exploration into death, grief, moral consequences and what values and constitutes justice. It’s a remarkably uncompromising piece of work, and that’s what makes it so powerful. “I Saw the Devil” might be liberal in its extreme depictions of savagery, and boy can it be cruel at times, but it also understands the weight of its sacrifices. – WA