Photo illustration courtesy of junior Linnaea Marks
My addiction to shows and movies about serial killers is undeniably common. Students at San Luis Obispo High School along with many members of the general population have found themselves fascinated with the psychological and occult aspects of murder. Recently, true crime docuseries have been in the top ten streamed shows in the U.S. on Netflix constantly. The following is a list of TV shows and movies about murder categorized by serial killer. So if you’re anything like me, you should give some of these a try.
Jeffrey Dahmer: “My Friend, Dahmer” and “Jeffrey Dahmer: Mind of a Monster”.
With the former being a fascinating biopic detailing Dahmer’s childhood starring Disney’s Ross Lynch and the latter a graphic and analytical documentary exposing his crimes and psychological functioning, the combo of these two films really creates complex emotions of sympathy and disgust that pay an excellent tribute.
Gary Leon Ridgeway (the Green River Killer): “The Green River Killer: Mind of a Monster”
While the “Mind of a Monster” series is brief, it does a fantastic job of covering serial killing cases. Gary Leon Ridgeway is not a very well known murderer, even though his kill count is one of the highest in U.S. history. What might have made Ridgeway less interesting to the press makes him even scarier to everyone else: his lack of intelligence and his seeming sanity. This documentary delves into his disconnected life and ability to get away with dozens of murders for 20 years.
Ted Bundy: “The Ted Bundy Tapes”
“Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile”, while receiving a lot of publicity for featuring Zac Efron, was criticized for having lack of perspective and revolving too much around stories from the press. “The Ted Bundy Tapes” (available on Netflix), however, covered the story thoroughly through insight from reporters, ex-cops, and recordings of Bundy himself.
David Berkowitz (Son of Sam): “Sons of Sam”
Despite Berkowitz being detained somewhat swiftly, controversy ensued after evidence suggesting multiple gunmen and linking the Son of Sam killings to satanic rituals spread across the country. While this series delves more into the conspiracies of a cult’s involvement in the murders, you can’t miss the insane twists and turns of one of the most famous serial killer cases in the country shown in this Netflix original.
Joseph James DeAngelo (The Golden State Killer/East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker): “I’ll be Gone in the Dark”
One of the major legacies of true crime writer Michelle McNamara, “I’ll be Gone in the Dark” does a tremendous job of digging up evidence from the “EAR/ONS” case, one that despite the magnitude and frequency of the crimes, wasn’t publicized as well as many other serial killer cases. Unlike many of these series, “I’ll be Gone in the Dark” was filmed only recently after the case was finally closed, and much of the show goes to highlight how McNamara helped investigators solve it.
Richard Ramirez: “The Night Stalker”
Probably my personal favorite true crime docuseries, “The Night Stalker” goes into graphic detail over Ramirez’s murders, satanism, multiple close calls with the police, and the absolute negligence of the LAPD in communicating with neighboring precincts. The show especially takes measures to terrify the audience, making viewers experience the fear spread all across LA and Orange County from 1984-1985.
John Wayne Gacy: literally nothing.
I cannot find any good documentaries or biopics on John Wayne Gacy, nor can I understand why none exist. If you are a big time movie director or producer reading this, please make a movie on him; he’s literally a killer clown.
