Diksha Sundriyal
The allure of darkness has always captivated humankind, which is why perhaps the stories about serial killers are so fascinating to the audience. More than the gruesome nature of the crimes, people are attracted to the psyche of the murderer, trying to understand how someone could commit horrific crimes that send shivers down one’s spine. In developing its catalog of some of the best TV shows in business, Netflix has invested a lot in the genre of serial killers. From fictional stories about imagined murders to docuseries that focus on crimes beyond our imagination, the streaming service offers a wide range of titles to entertain and quench the curiosity of the viewers.
21. Somebody (2022)
Created by Jung Ji-woo and Han Ji-wan, ‘Somebody’ focuses on the crimes of a tech-savvy serial killer. As if dating apps weren’t already a hellscape, they get worse when they become the hunting grounds for psychopaths and serial killers. The Netflix series focuses on a fictional dating app named Somebody and the serial killer Sung Yun-oh, who uses it to meet his victims and kill them in the most horrifying manner. Things get complicated when his path intertwines with the creator of the app, Kim Sum. Meanwhile, Sum’s friend is a detective on the case, and when she meets Yun-oh, she starts to notice something extremely off about him. What happens next in the case can be found by watching the show here.
20. Copycat Killer (2023)
‘Copycat Killer’ (originally titled ‘Mo Fang Fan’) is a Taiwanese crime series that follows the story of a prosecutor who is on the quest to catch a serial killer whose case has taken the nation by storm. The killings have generated a media frenzy and turned the entire investigation into a public spectacle. While the prosecutor tries to solve the case and contain the situation, the serial killer exploits the public interest in the case to manipulate not just the public but also the people investigating it, leading to a very complicated situation for the ones pursuing him. Based on the 2001 eponymous novel by Japanese writer Miyuki Miyabe, ‘Copycat Killer’ is adapted for the screen by Ko-Ming Ma and offers a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase. You can watch the show here.
19. The Chestnut Man (2021-)
Created by Dorte Warnøe Hagh, David Sandreuter, and Mikkel Serup, ‘The Chestnut Man’ (‘Kastanjemanden’ in Danish) follows the story of two detectives who come across a crime that becomes one of the most trying cases of their lives. Detective Naia Thulin and her partner, Mark Hess, are brought to the crime scene, where they find the dead body of a woman whose one hand is missing. A curious thing at the scene is a chestnut figurine, which leads the detectives in the direction of another missing girl. As more dead bodies drop and the figurines repeatedly show up, the detectives run against the clock to find the serial killer and stop him from killing once and for all. Based on the book of the same name by Søren Sveistrup, the show is a captivating watch, which you can binge right here.
18. The Playing Card Killer (2023)
Directed by Amanda Sans Pantling, ‘The Playing Card Killer’ (originally titled ‘Baraja: La firma del asesino’) is a three-part docuseries that focuses on the case of the titular serial killer who terrorized Spain in 2003. Alfredo Galán was responsible for the murder of six people and would leave a deck of cards at each crime scene. The Netflix docuseries unfolds the case like a detective story that has many unexpected twists and turns. And like any good true crime docuseries, it leaves you with more questions than answers. You can watch the show here.
17. The Frog (2024)
Created by Son Ho-young and Mo Wan-il, ‘The Frog’ (originally titled, ‘Amudo Eobsneun Supsokeseo’) follows two chilling cases that intertwine over the course of several decades. One case takes place in a hotel where the owner, desperate for business, invites a strange man to stay in one of the prime rooms. Later, it turns out that the guest was a serial killer. In the present day, an old man lives a reclusive life in his country home, grieving his wife. He opens the door of his rental place to a woman and her son but is horrified to discover blood stains, a smell of bleach, and the missing son the next day. In a departure from the usual shows in the genre, ‘The Frog’ offers an interesting back-and-forth between the serial killers and their interactions with the people whose lives are forever altered by the crimes committed under their roofs. You can watch the show here.
16. The Nurse (2023)
Created by Kasper Barfoed, ‘The Nurse’ is a Danish true crime drama series that takes place in a hospital. It begins with the arrival of a new nurse, Pernille Kurzmann, at Nykøbing Falster Hospital in Denmark. Being new at her job, she struggles to make connections with her colleagues but eventually meets Christina Aistrup Hansen, who eases things for her. What begins as a good friendship takes a dark turn when Pernille notices a strange pattern in Christina’s work as a nurse. Over the course of four episodes, the show explores Pernille’s suspicions about Christina and how the negligence of the people around her costs the lives and safety of several patients. You can get the whole story of the case here.
15. The Confession Killer (2019)
It is one thing to confess to the crimes committed by oneself, but confessing to the crime committed by someone else is on a completely different level. While we are all interested in knowing what goes on in the mind of a killer, ‘The Confession Killer’ focuses on what goes on in the mind of a liar. Directed by Robert Kenner and Taki Oldham, this five-part docuseries presents a shocking case where a man, Henry Lee Lucas, confessed to having killed over two hundred people. However, when the truth came out, a lot of lies in his confession were exposed, leaving people to wonder why he would accept accountability for the things he never did. Apart from this, the show also packs a lot of other interesting questions and theories, all of which you can explore here.
14. A Killer Paradox (2024)
Serial killer stories tend to get pretty dark, especially as they delve into the inhuman crimes and the complex psychology of the criminals. However, not all serial killers are bad, or at least, that’s what we see in ‘A Killer Paradox’ (originally titled: ‘Sarinja-ng-Nangam’). Based on the webtoon of the same name, the show follows the story of an ex-army man, Lee Tang, who accidentally kills a man who attacks him. While he considers coming clean about his crime, Lee Tang discovers that the man he killed was a serial killer himself. This leads him on a path where he targets other killers that have evaded justice. At the same time, he is pursued by Detective Jang Nan-gam. Created by Kim Da-min and Lee Chang-hee, ‘A Killer Paradox’ is a captivating series, perfect for the fans of ‘Dexter.’ You can watch it here.
13. Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer (2021)
In the 1960s and 1970s, the states of New York and New Jersey were terrorized by a serial killer named Richard Cottingham. He was given the moniker of the Times Square Killer and the Torso Killer, the latter due to the mutilation involved in several killings. This three-part docuseries, directed by Joe Berlinger, focuses on the investigation that begins in 1979, leading the detectives on the case to discover some of the most haunting crimes they have come across. You can trace their footsteps and the outcome of the investigation here.
12. The Ripper (2020)
The story of Jack the Ripper terrorizing the streets of London in the late 1880s is pretty well-known. Netflix’s ‘The Ripper,’ however, takes place in recent history, focusing on the series of murders that took place between 1975 and 1980 in West Yorkshire and Manchester. Because the victims were sex workers from an impoverished neighborhood, not enough heed was paid to their deaths. But when a teenager was killed, the investigation suddenly took a turn, and the case came under public scrutiny. Directed by Jesse Vile and Ellena Wood, the four-part docuseries not only shows us the hunt for the serial killer (nicknamed the Yorkshire Ripper) but also how it was botched. You can watch it here.
11. Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields (2022)
Directed by Jessica Dimmock, this docuseries presents a chilling case of the area known as the Texas Killing Fields, where over thirty dead bodies of young women have been discerned over the years. The show particularly focuses on the murders of four women whose bodies were discovered in the 80s and the 90s, the investigation into the case, and the search for answers by their loved ones, which leads them to some very unexpected places. You can watch the entire case unfold over the course of three episodes right here.
10. The Sons of Sam: A Descent Into Darkness (2021)
The fascination that we have with true crime and serial killers as viewers of movies and TV shows is a basic thing that rarely if ever, affects our daily lives. However, to the people investigating such crimes, the obsession can turn into something so consuming that it eats away much of their lives. It is such an obsession that is at the center of ‘The Sons of Sam,’ directed by Joshua Zeman. It focuses on investigative journalist Maury Terry, who spent years investigating the crimes that serial killer David Berkowitz was convicted of and tried to prove that the killer did not act alone. Zeman draws from now-deceased Terry’s real research and the conversations he had with the journalist while he was still alive. Overall, the docuseries presents a chilling case study, which you can watch here.
9. This is the Zodiac Speaking (2024)
The case of the Zodiac Killer is one of the most fascinating cases of a serial killer in recent history. The fact that he was never caught has been one of the more compelling points about him and has led several filmmakers to use him at the center of their stories. In ‘This is the Zodiac Speaking,’ directors Phil Lott and Ari Mark follow the story of a family and their connection with a man named Arthur Leigh Allen, who may or may not have been the Zodiac killer. What exactly this connection is can be found out by watching the three-part docuseries here.
8. The Raincoat Killer: Chasing a Predator in Korea (2021)
Directed by John Choi and Rob Sixsmith, ‘The Raincoat Killer’ transports the audience to South Korea, where a string of murders leads the cops on a daunting investigation. The crimes at the center of the story are committed by a man named Yoo Young-Chul, who targets rich people and sex workers. Working on his own weird logic, he kills his victims by bludgeoning them to death. The three-part docuseries follows the investigation and how the criminal was eventually brought to justice. You can watch the show here.
7. The Serpent (2021)
‘The Serpent’ follows the life and crimes of serial killer Charles Sobhraj, who targeted backpackers traveling to Bangkok. Written by Richard Warlow and Toby Finlay, the series focuses on Charles’ charismatic personality that lured his victims and the way he manipulated and exploited them before killing them. At the same time, we also follow the investigation of a Dutch diplomat, Herman Knippenberg, who starts tracing Charles’ footsteps to catch him and bring him to justice. The series presents a captivating tale that not only keeps you hooked but also serves as a lesson to stay away from the likes of Charles Sobhraj. You can get his full story by watching the show here.
6. The Forest of Love: Deep Cut (2020)
A fictionalization of the Kitakyūshū Serial Murder Incident, ‘The Forest of Love’(originally titled: ‘Ainaki Mori de Sakebe’) was originally conceived as a film written and directed by Sion Sono and released in 2019. The TV series is an extended cut of the film presented in the form of seven episodes. The TV show goes into much greater depth than the movie and presents different sides of the story through the point of view of varying characters. At the center of it is a con man named Joe Murata, who gets involved with a group of students and budding filmmakers, leading them to become familiar with the horrific crimes he commits. You can watch the show here.
5. Indian Predator (2022-)
‘Indian Predator’ is a collection of docuseries that focus on different cases. It started with ‘The Butcher of Delhi,’ a three-part series that focuses on the crimes of serial killer Chandrakant Jha and the investigation conducted by Officer Sunder Singh. The second series is titled ‘The Diary of a Serial Killer,’ which follows the case of Raja Kolander, accused of murdering and eating his victims. The third series, ‘Murder in a Courtroom,’ focuses on rapist and murderer Bharat Kalicharan Yadav who had justice inflicted on him in a very unexpected manner. The fourth installment is titled ‘Beast of Bangalore’ and focuses on the crimes of a former police officer who confessed to the rape and murder of eighteen women. Altogether, the four docuseries pack a punch that you will not recover from for a while. You can watch them here.
4. Conversations with a Killer (2019-)
Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, and Jeffery Dahmer are some of the most infamous serial killers whose monstrous acts have been told in various forms of media. However, seeing their fictionalized versions dilutes the true scale of their crimes. Hearing it in their own words has a completely different effect, and that is what ‘Conversations with a Killer’ offers to the audience. The three different docuseries use tapes and recordings of serial killers talking about their lives and crimes, which paints a picture eerier than any you’ll get in popular media. You can watch the series here.
3. Dahmer- Monster: The Jeffery Dahmer Story (2022)
Jeffery Dahmer is one of the most notorious serial killers in recent history. The more one finds out about his crimes and the manner in which they were committed, the more horrified they get. In ‘Monster,’ creator Ryan Murphy takes the viewers into the mind of the serial killer by presenting a fictionalized version of events. Apart from focusing on Dahmer’s origins as a killer, the show also focuses on the sheer negligence of law enforcement that allowed the criminal to walk free and kill people for as long as he did. At times, the viewer is more appalled by the lapse from the end of the cops, making the whole thing even more terrifying. You can stream the show here.
2. Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer (2021)
Richard Ramirez terrorized the greater Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area in the early 80s. He had the blood of around a dozen people on his hands, but there were several other aspects of the case that disturbed the investigators and the public alike. ‘Night Stalker’ follows the footsteps of the detectives who worked on the case and hunted down Ramirez to bring him to justice. Their daunting journey, which leads to some terrifying revelations, can be watched here.
1. Mindhunter (2017-2019)
One of the best shows on Netflix, David Fincher’s ‘Mindhunter’ is packed with cases that will chill you to the bone. In two seasons, the series focuses on the development of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, which studies serial killers to understand how they work and to catch other killers before they inflict more damage than they already have. Created by Joe Penhall, the series focuses on Holden Ford, Bill Tench and Wendy Carr, who create a system that becomes the foundation of the methods used to catch serial killers. Based on the book of the same name by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker, every episode of the show presents new crimes and killers, presenting a whole spectrum of them, which you will rarely find in any other show. You can watch its two seasons here.
Read More: Best Serial Killer Movies on Netflix
You must be logged in to post a comment.