The 7 Best Thriller Films Based On Actual True Crime Cases

If the numerous documentaries, podcasts, biographical dramas, and television anthologies weaving through pop culture are any indication, it seems that audiences are currently living in what might be termed the Golden Age of True Crime.

Whether binging the latest Netflix exclusive or listening to Crime Junkie on our drive home from work, most viewers today have continually expressed their interest and enthusiasm for true crime-related material, accounting for the genre’s rapid rise in popularity since the mid to late 2000s. 

Just as true crime documentaries can be found everywhere from streaming platforms to cable television, biographical films based on infamous murder investigations have similarly found their way into the public spotlight. From meticulously-researched crime dramas to portraits of notorious serial killers, here are some of the absolute greatest thriller films based on actual true crime cases, ranked from worst to best.

Bernie (2011)

An unusual film in more ways than one, Bernie tells the story of Jack Black’s titular mortician — a well-meaning, mild-mannered Texas undertaker who befriends an elderly, mean-spirited millionaire in his community. In spite of their close friendship with one another, the pair’s relationship is soon hampered by jealousy, toxicity, and passive aggressive anger, leading to unexpectedly fatal consequences. Presented in a pseudo-documentary fashion, Bernie eloquently dramatizes its bizarre 1996 crime story, closely adhering to the facts surrounding the case, as well as the immediate reactions Bernie’s friends and family had to the shocking murder.

My Friend Dahmer (2017)

Every monster has their origin story, and Jeffrey Dahmer is certainly no exception. Based on the award-winning comic book memoir by John Backderf, My Friend Dahmer provides an intense look at the adolescent life of the notorious serial killer who, years later, brutally murdered 17 people throughout the late ‘70s, ‘80s, and early ‘90s. Providing a deep dive into the nature versus nurture debate, My Friend Dahmer hammers home the idea that every notorious figure in history had humble beginnings, allowing us a deeper glimpse into Dahmer’s life, upbringing, and increasingly precarious mental state.

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

It’s hard to separate fact from fiction when it comes to the 1986 thriller, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Loosely based on the disputed claims of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, Henry specifically looks at the gross immorality of its titular subject, following Henry’s random crime spree as he ventures across the U.S. In an era when cinematic representation of violence had become plagued by kitschy horror films and campy slasher films, Henry emphasizes the grim reality behind brutal murders and terrifyingly realistic serial killers (a far cry from cinematic baddies like Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorhees).

Monster (2003)

It’s always something of a risk trying to humanize a serial killer, but when performed properly, audiences are able to form a deeper understanding of the individual’s psyche (even if they remain appalled and sickened by their deplorable actions). Such is the case for 2003’s Monster, a harrowing biopic centered around petty criminal-turned-serial killer, Aileen Wuornos. With Charlize Theron disappearing into her role as the Florida-based murderer, Monster offers compelling arguments behind Wuornos’ descent into crime, specifically evaluating society’s role in turning Wuornos towards her hyper-violent reign of terror.

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Director Martin Scorsese has routinely turned to true crime cases for the basis of his films, from his earlier work on biographical dramas like Goodfellas to his more recent efforts with 2023’s Killers of the Flower Moon. With the latter, Scorsese recreates a harrowing 1920s conspiracy that saw over 60 Osage Nation members brutally murdered in order to acquire their oil-rich Oklahoma property. Featuring three remarkable performances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon shines an illuminating light on a little-known criminal case in American history, as well as portraying the systemic abuse and injustice Indigenous Americans faced in the early 20th century U.S. courts system.

Zodiac (2007)

Time and time again, director David Fincher has proven himself adept at handling dark, disturbing, loosely historical crime narratives. Just as he’d later accomplish with Netflix’s Mindhunters, Fincher follows the various attempts to capture the Zodiac Killer in 1960s San Francisco. Cycling through the various perspectives of the law enforcement agents and reporters working on the case, Zodiac meticulously conjures up the same anxiety and paranoia-fueled atmosphere that swept across the Bay Area during the Zodiac’s spree. Posing just as many questions as it provides answers, Zodiac’s increasingly claustrophobic tone establishes it as one of the best true crime films in recent memory, as well as one of the greatest entries in Fincher’s filmography yet.

In Cold Blood (1967)

In Cold Blood might not have been the first true crime biopic ever made, but it almost assuredly set the hard-boiled blueprint borrowed by every true crime-inspired film that followed. Based on Truman Capote’s genre-defining 1966 novel, In Cold Blood offers a similarly stark portrayal of its underlying premise, in which two would-be Kansas burglars murdered a family of four following a botched robbery. Adhering to the main facts surrounding the case, In Cold Blood’s simple, straightforward nature betrays the utter complexity of the duo’s crimes. An intense look at how the human psyche can gradually devolve into animalistic instinct, it’s a timeless crime drama as engaging now as it was upon its release in 1967, aging gracefully with each subsequent decade that’s passed.