Sommerleigh Pollonais, Senior Writer
Since the invention of the moving pictures, every decade of cinema seemed to have its favourite subject to focus on, and for the 90s that subject was serial killers.
The brilliant but damaged detective(s) hunt for the elusive, deadly and (in my best Boston accent) "wicked-smart" killer who was always two steps ahead until he wasn't. While the quality of these thrillers varied, they were at the very least entertaining to watch and some of them were even so good, modern-day thrillers still take inspiration from them.
So, let's leave the big dogs like Basic Instinct, The Silence of the Lambs and Se7en out of the mix for now and take a look at EIGHT GREAT SERIAL KILLER THRILLERS OF THE 90S (THAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED). Why eight you ask? Well because I love this sub-genre so much, I just couldn't slice it down to five!
#8 Striking Distance (1993)
I'll be the first to admit this one is flawed and has a lot of issues in terms of tone; the movie doesn't know if it wants to be an action film or a thriller. But I had to add it here if just to avoid Bruce Willis' Colour of Night – another serial killer movie he starred in that's less about the killer and more about putting Bruce Willis' errant wiener (Editor Jules chuckles at "errant wiener") on full display.
Here Willis plays Tom, a cop from a long line of cops in his family. Tom's hunting a killer he believes is also an officer of the law, making him a pariah amongst his family and friends. Demoted to river duty, the killer begins taunting him by dumping his victims in the river Tom patrols as a game of cat-and-mouse unfolds and he tries to stop him before the next victim becomes someone he loves.
It's a who's who of famous faces in this one. From Sarah Jessica Parker, Dennis Farina and Tom Sizemore to Tom Atkins and the late (and still very missed) Andre Braugher, who most will know from his role as Captain Holt on Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
More action-oriented and faster paced than these movies usually are, but still a fun watch, Striking Distance is the kind of thriller that appeals to action fans too and definitely worth checking out.
#7 Serial Mom (1994)
It's almost blasphemous how underrated and under the radar this movie is considering how good damn good it was. Starring Kathleen Turner in what I would personally rank as one of her best roles, Serial Mom follows suburban housewife and mom Beverly who takes being the perfect mom to crazy levels as she gleefully kills off anyone seen as a threat, or even an insult to her family.
I think one of the reasons this film was overlooked is some folks may not have understood the tone it was going for. Those thinking it would be a straight-up comedy would've been appalled by the blood and gore while those expecting a serious thriller may have been thrown by the one-liners and comedy. But for those of you that enjoy dark comedy and satire (the movie does poke fun at society's obsession with true crime) I very much recommend checking out Serial Mom, a smart and funny movie that is just as good today as it was back in the 90s.
#6 The Bone Collector (1999)
This is one of those cases where a solid cast saves a mediocre screenplay. While I genuinely enjoyed this movie and I've viewed it multiple times over the years, I find it to be the most predictable of all the movies I've listed here. How predictable? I figured out who the killer was in the first ten minutes! I mean it couldn't have been more obvious if they had a neon sign hanging over this guy's head.
That said, The Bone Collector keeps you engaged due to the performances of leads Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. An unlikely pairing to be sure, but one that works well as Washington plays an ex-homicide detective who was severely injured on the job leaving him quadriplegic. His outlook on life is grim but his mind is as sharp as ever and after rookie cop Amelia played by Jolie discovers the gruesome remains left behind by a serial killer, the two team up to stop the monster dubbed "The Bone Collector".
A predictable killer, the shaky motives for his crimes and plot holes you could drive a truck through (not to mention it's overly saccharine conclusion) stops this from being as great as other movies of its ilk, but I still like this one. The chemistry between Jolie and Washington as well as some truly gruesome and just mean-spirited kills saves it from being a wash. And fans of the genre should find enough here to make it worth checking out at least once.
#5 The Exorcist III (1990)
When you hear the word "exorcist" the last thing you would probably tie to it would be serial killer, but that's exactly what they did with The Exorcist III, a movie that pretends its predecessor doesn't exist (don't we all) and instead has a character from the first movie, Lieutenant Kinderman, investigate a series of demonic murders that have the markings of a serial killer called the Gemini. Problem is the Gemini has been dead for years (insert dramatic gasp here).
I love this movie! Perfectly blending horror with the mystery found in serial killer stories, The Exorcist III does lose subtlety in the latter half. But as they say, it's all about the journey and with a movie chockfull of disturbing imagery, a haunting score and the truly chilling mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat for most of the runtime, it's worthy of its cult status and then some.
#4 Freeway (1996)
Were you the kind of kid that loved creepy bedtime stories? Do you enjoy it when writers take beloved tales and make them even more twisted than you could've imagined? Then Freeway is just the movie you were looking for.
Out griming the Brothers Grimm, writer/director Matthew Bright takes the story of Red Riding Hood and turn it into a modern-day tale of a teenage delinquent played by Reese Witherspoon on the run from a sadistic serial killer played by Kiefer Sutherland.
With juggernaut performances by both actors (I think this was the role that put Witherspoon on the map in a big way), Freeway would make the perfect match as a double feature for films like Natural Born Killers or 8MM. There's an air of sweat and grime that you could almost feel here, and Freeway pulls zero punches with its dark and twisted take on an already twisted fairy tale. Just be warned this movie isn't for everyone with characters that are all various degrees of wicked and wild, but if you're interested and you don't mind your movies heavy on the swearing and brutality, Freeway is one helluva ride.
#3 Kiss the Girls (1997)
And just like that The Little Mermaid song is stuck in your head! Kidding aside, there was a time in the 90s when Ashley Judd was the queen of thrillers. With films like Double Jeopardy, Eye of the Beholder and Natural Born Killers¸ she was on a roll. But my personal favourite of these films was and still is Kiss the Girls (1997) based on the 1995 novel of the same name by James Patterson.
Here Judd played a doctor who becomes a victim of a serial killer who not only kills his victims, but also collects and keeps them like living trophies. Being the only one to escape him, she joins up with renowned profiler Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman) and together they try to figure out who the killer is before he strikes again.
With enough twists and turns thrown in to keep you on your toes and great on-screen chemistry between leads Judd and Morgan, Kiss the Girls is a suspense thriller that could've been a contender if not for the clunky ending. Besides the strong performances I especially enjoyed the unique nature of the serial killer known as "Cassanova", as with these types of movies a great antagonist is a must. A monster that sees himself as a lover and not a killer is something you don't normally see in thrillers.
Kiss the Girls was followed by Along Came a Spider, where Morgan Freeman returned as the titular profiler Alex Cross, but that movies plays more like an action thriller and just doesn't have the dark suspenseful nature that made this one as memorable as it is.
#2 Perfect Blue (1997)
If you've never watched anime because you believe it to be "for kids", then boy do I have the movie for you.
Considered one of the greatest anime films of all time, Perfect Blue is one of those movies that you might watch once and then never revisit again. And it is not because it's bad but because this masterpiece of a thriller takes you on a very dark ride through the psyche of a young woman who may or may not be a serial killer and it does so in a way that's not always easy to watch.
A singer gives up her career to pursue acting but with the role demanding a lot of her both physically and psychologically, she starts to go insane. Add to that an obsessed fan stalking her and people around her dying in truly horrific ways, Mima begins to wonder if she's the one behind it all.
Initially this movie was meant to be a live action one but was turned into an anime when financial backers pulled out. After viewing it I have to wonder if audiences could've handled a live version and maybe an animated version was for the best. That said, the story of a young celebrity being used, abused and twisted up by celebrity culture is just as topical now as it was back then. So much so Perfect Blue is still an inspiration for filmmakers to this day.
#1 Copycat (1995)
While Perfect Blue is arguably the better movie, I had to put my personal favourite on top and that would be the 1995 serial killer thriller (try saying that five times fast) Copycat.
The film stars the unconquerable Sigourney Weaver as psychologist Helen Hudson whose brilliant insight into serial killers makes her the target of one. After an almost near fatal attack, she becomes agoraphobic, unable to leave her home and only willing to communicate with the outside world via the internet. She's forced back into the fray when a serial killer starts picking off victims by modelling his kills after that of infamous killers like Ted Bundy and David Berkowitz.
Smart, perfectly paced with a killer who might look like a fool but is anything but, Copycat deserves to be on the top of the pile with the likes of The Silence of the Lambs and Se7en. Weaver's performance is one of her most memorable as she balances the trauma of having survived the unthinkable with the frustration of being a woman who is smart and capable but trapped by her own mind's fears. Harry Connick Jr genuinely shocked me here as previously I had only known him for his singing and seeing him play against type was jarring in the best ways.
Unpredictable, suspenseful, with a solid cast of supporting and leading actors, Copycat is one of those thrillers I rewatch every time it pops up in my streaming feed and I enjoyed it as much now as I did the first time I saw it. And I can't recommend it enough.
So that's my list. What other under-the-radar 90's serial killer thrillers would you add to the list? And you can check out more killer content below:
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Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge-Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever, and I'll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes. Double Tap Baby! Read More
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