Cinema of the Damned
A directory of horror — thousands of films and series, each scored by the Crypt Score, our audience-first blend of IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, and the reviews of this coven. Hunt by sub-genre, decade, or dread.
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31 titles
Zodiac
›R2007 · Crime, Mystery, Thriller · 157m · Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards
Over the course of a decade, editors of the San Francisco Chronicle entice themselves in the murders of the Zodiac Killer. However, as time runs its course, interest in the case dwindles in the eyes of the professionals. The Killer stops interacting with the public. However, believing he has the answers, an amateur cartoonist from the initial sightings races against time to prevent what he believes is another murder.
The Long ShadowSeries
›2023 · Crime, Drama · 1 season · Michael McElhatton, Jack Deam, Lee Ingleby
Dramatizing one of the most infamously notorious and shocking serial killer cases in the world, the hunt for Peter Sutcliffe, commonly dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper, between October 1975 and January 1981, South Yorkshire police undertook the biggest manhunt in British criminal history. The search for Sutcliffe lasted five years, involved over a thousand officers and changed the way the British police worked forever.
Helter Skelter
›1976 · Crime, Drama, Thriller · 184m · George DiCenzo, Steve Railsback, Nancy Wolfe
The investigation of two horrific mass murders leads to the capture and trial of the psychotic pseudo-hippie Charles Manson and his "family".
Devil in Disguise: John Wayne GacySeries
›TV-MA2025 · Crime, Drama · 1 season · Michael Chernus, Gabriel Luna, James Badge Dale
When a teenager goes missing, it becomes clear that many young men and boys have disappeared at the hands of John Wayne Gacy, the prime suspect.
Appropriate AdultSeries
›2011 · Crime, Drama, Mystery · 1 season · Dominic West, Emily Watson, Robert Glenister
The extraordinary story of Gloucester housewife Janet Leach who played a key role in the uncovering of the crimes of Fred and Rosemary West.
Until I Kill YouSeries
›TV-142024 · Crime, Drama · 1 season · Anna Maxwell Martin, Shaun Evans
A extraordinary true story of Delia Balmer, who survived a near-fatal relationship with murderer John Sweeney. The series narrates the ordeal Delia suffered at the hands of John Sweeney, and her traumatic journey through the police and criminal justice system as they attempt to prosecute him for his crimes.
In Plain SightSeries
›2016 · Crime, Drama · 1 season · Martin Compston, Douglas Henshall, Joanne Thompson
Based on the true story of Lanarkshire detective William Muncie’s quest to bring to justice notorious Scottish killer Peter Manuel.
To Catch a Killer
›1992 · Crime, Drama, Thriller · Brian Dennehy, Michael Riley, Margot Kidder
"To Catch a Killer" tells the true gruesome story of John Wayne Gacy - a good friend and helpful neighbour, a great child entertainer, a respectful businessman, and a violent serial killer who raped and murdered over 30 young boys.
The Deliberate Stranger
›NR1986 · Drama, Crime, Thriller · 185m · Mark Harmon, Frederic Forrest, George Grizzard
Based on a true story, this film depicts the life of Ted Bundy, the serial killer. In 1974, after having murdered several young women, he leaves Seattle for Utah, where he is a law student and where other girls disappear. It takes the cooperation of a number of police forces to work efficiently on this case. Soon, but not soon enough, the police eliminate endless possibilities and close in on him. Bundy is tried in the media and his good-boy attitude brings him sympathy but also the hatred of many.
The Pembrokeshire MurdersSeries
›TV-142021 · Crime, Drama · 1 season · Luke Evans, Keith Allen, Caroline Berry
Detective superintendent reopens two unsolved murder cases from the 1980s. Forensic methods link the crimes to a string of burglaries. Steve's team has to find more evidence before the perpetrator is released from prison.
Catch Me a KillerSeries
›TV-MA2024 · Crime, Drama · 1 season · Charlotte Hope, Steven John Ward, Lemogang Tsipa
Follow South Africa’s first forensic and investigative psychologist, Micki Pistorius (played by Charlotte Hope), as she studies the minds of South Africa's serial killers. Catch Me A Killer is an adaptation of Micki's autobiography that details her work as the first female criminal profiler in the country, which is brought to life as the events are depicted in the series.
Woman of the Hour
›R2024 · Crime, Drama, Thriller · 95m · Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto, Nicolette Robinson
An aspiring actress crosses paths with a prolific serial killer in '70s LA when they're cast on an episode of "The Dating Game."
Sinister
›R2012 · Horror, Thriller, Mystery · 110m · Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, Vincent D'Onofrio
True-crime writer Ellison Oswalt is in a slump; he hasn't had a best seller in more than 10 years and is becoming increasingly desperate for a hit. So, when he discovers the existence of a snuff film showing the deaths of a family, he vows to solve the mystery. He moves his own family into the victims' home and gets to work. However, when old film footage and other clues hint at the presence of a supernatural force, Ellison learns that living in the house may be fatal.
Amityville: An Origin StorySeries
›TV-MA2023 · Documentary, Crime · 1 season · John Carpenter, Diane Franklin, Christopher Lutz
The story behind the world's most infamous haunted house tale: the Amityville murders. This is the first elevated look at every aspect of this wildly layered story about the heinous murder of a family of six that became eclipsed by paranormal controversy.
Jack the Ripper: The Definitive StorySeries
›2011 · Documentary, Drama · 1 season · Paul Begg, Dianne Learmouth, Caroline Waite
Two-part docudrama recreating the famous investigation using reenactments and state-of-the-art CGI.
Fall RiverSeries
›TV-MA2021 · Documentary · 1 season · Murray Farnell
In 1979, three young women were killed in a streak of brutal murders in Fall River, MA, allegedly by a satanic cult practicing human sacrifice. Twenty years later, new evidence has surfaced and shed light on murders that were thought to have been solved.
Murder in the HeartlandSeries
›TV-141993 · Crime, Drama · 1 season · Kate Reid, Brian Dennehy, Randy Quaid
Murder in the Heartland tells the grotesque true story of Charlie Starkweather, 19, who killed 11 people in Nebraska in 1957-58, and his 14-year-old girlfriend,
The Night Stalker
›2016 · Crime, Drama, Thriller · 89m · Bellamy Young, Lou Diamond Phillips, Alice Rietveld
An account of serial killer Richard Ramírez and his rampage in California during the mid-1980s.
Bizarre MurdersSeries
›TV-142018 · Crime, Documentary · 1 season · Steve Moore
Bizarre Murders reveals a true and surprisingly strange crime story. These are not serial murderers evading the FBI, but Fargo-like capers with shocking twists and unusual characters.
The Frozen Ground
›R2013 · Thriller, Crime · 105m · Nicolas Cage, Vanessa Hudgens, John Cusack
An Alaska State Trooper partners with a young woman who escaped the clutches of serial killer Robert Hansen to bring the murderer to justice. Based on actual events.
Killer Legends
›2014 · Documentary, History, Crime · 86m · Rachel Mills, Joshua Zeman, Cindy Butler
Delving into our collective nightmares, this horror-documentary investigates the origins of our most terrifying urban legends and the true stories that may have inspired them.
The Gray Man
›R2007 · Crime, Drama, Thriller · 97m · Patrick Bauchau, Jack Conley, John Aylward
In the late 1920s, Albert Fish, a seemingly benevolent father and grandfather who reared his family by himself after his wife deserted them, turns out to be a serial child molester and murderer. Based on a true story.
The Secret Life: Jeffrey Dahmer
›1993 · Crime, Drama, Horror · 99m · Carl Crew, Christopher 'CJ' Smith, Donna Stewart Bowen
Based on the life of notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, who murdered 17 men and ate many of them before he was caught in 1991.
Freeway Killer
›R2009 · Horror, Thriller, Drama · 88m · Scott Anthony Leet, Cole Williams, Dusty Sorg
For years he terrorized California motorists as he rode the endless highways searching for his next victim. The discarded bodies turned up beaten, sexually assaulted and horribly mutilated. Deceptively charming and intelligent, the scheming murderer easily avoided police at first. But as police closed in and the killer’s pattern grew more erratic, the only question was how many more will die?
