15 Incredible Fictional Serial Killer Performances In Movies & TV Shows

Summary

• Anthony Perkins’ role as Norman Bates in Psycho set the standard for the slasher genre, with a shocking split personality twist.
• Anthony Hopkins’ unmatched performance as Dr. Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs won him an Academy Award in just 24 minutes on screen.
• Mads Mikkelsen’s portrayal of Dr. Hannibal Lecter in the TV series Hannibal leaned more towards seductive, charming, and manipulative aspects.

Despite their deranged morality and insatiable need for murder, audiences can’t get enough of their favorite fictional serial killers. As a glimpse into a horrifying world where tormented souls continually gave into their darkest impulses, following the stories of deranged killers allowed viewers to experience these chilling, consistent murderers from the safe distance of a fictional narrative. While they have not been real criminals, the effective performances of these killers meant their names were forever entrenched in popular culture.

The success of the best serial killer movies and TV shows came down to the performances of deranged protagonists or antagonists as viewers tuned in to witness a world they will hopefully never encounter in reality. From the unstoppable pursuit of silent killers such as Michael Myers to the ethical code of Dexter Morgan, no two killers were alike, and this was part of what made them so fascinating to watch. While many of these movies and TV shows were not for the faint of heart, it’s hard to deny the power of these serial killer performances.

15 Nick Cast As Michael Myers

Halloween (1978)

As a silent, unstoppable killing machine, Nick Cast’s portrayal of the babysitter killer Michael Myers in Halloween helped kickstart one of the most influential horror franchises ever. With brooding intensity, Cave was simply known as The Shape in John Carpenter’s original Halloween, as his endless, wordless pursuit of Laurie Strode made him a truly menacing antagonist. While other fictional serial killers may have had more characterization, in terms of the pure, relentless hunting of his victims, Myer’s felt almost otherworldly in his sinister nature.

14 Gunnar Hansen As Leatherface

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Although The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has been rebooted and reimagined countless times over the past four decades, it’s impossible to beat the original. Part of the terrifying appeal of this horror classic was Gunnar Hansen’s unnerving portrayal of Leatherface. As a deeply troubled serial killer who experienced a desperately traumatic upbringing, it’s hard to underestimate just how fear-inducing the concept of a killer wearing the skin of his victims as he pursued more kills with a chainsaw actually was when it was unleashed on unsuspecting viewers for the first time.

13 Betsy Palmer As Mrs. Voorhees

Friday the 13th (1980)

When viewers think of the Friday the 13th series today, the first thing that will come to their mind is the machete-wielding masked foe Jason Voorhees, but this ignores the series’ original antagonist, Mrs. Voorhees. This was Jason’s deranged mother, Pamela, who Betsy Palmer expertly portrayed in the first film. Here, Palmer gave an extraordinary performance as the serial killing mother who stalked and killed the attendees of Camp Crystal Lake as an act of vengeance for her supposedly drowned son.

12 Robert Englund As Freddy Krueger

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Horror legend Robert Englund has portrayed the supernatural serial killer Freddy Krueger across the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and turned this disfigured child killer into a true pop culture icon. Viewers were first introduced to Freddy in the original 1984 Wes Craven movie as a deranged murderer infiltrating the dreams of children and murdering them with his bladed gloves. Englund truly brought to life the horror of this concept, as the children soon discovered if they died in their dreams, they died for real.

11 Penn Badgley As Joe Goldberg

You (2018 – Present)

Some of the most sinister serial killers were the ones who at first appeared to be normal, functioning members of society. This was certainly the case for Joe Goldberg from Netflix You, a seemingly mild-mannered bookstore employee who became infatuated with one of his customers and soon delved into extreme obsession, stalking, and, of course, murder. The success of You was primarily due to the performance of Penn Badgley, who imbued Joe with a likability that meant viewers followed along with his deranged thought process well past the point of rationality.

10 Jamie Dornan As Peter Paul Spector

The Fall (2013 – 2016)

The Fall was a crime series set in Northern Ireland that featured one of the all-time great serial killer performances from Jamie Dornan as Peter Paul Spector. As a seemingly loving husband and father, the power of Dornan’s performance was the manipulation and sadistic sexuality hiding just beneath the surface. With a career-best performance from Dornan, The Fall was a thrilling series that featured an intense game of cat-and-mouse between Spector and Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson, who was also powerfully portrayed by Gillian Anderson.

9 Nicolas Cage as Longlegs/Dale Kobble

Longlegs (2024)

In a career full of truly intense and manic movie performances, Nicolas Cage reached new heights of panic and anxiety with his serial killing role in Longlegs. With a story about an FBI agent hunting down an occultist killer, Longlegs has been called the perfect Silence of the Lambs replacement, and this was in large part due to the Cage’s nightmarish performance as the elusive Longlegs. With elements of crime procedural, mystery, and the supernatural, Cage brought his A-game to Longlegs and delivered a new cinematic killer for the ages.

8 Tobin Bell As Jigsaw

Saw (2004)

As the primary antagonist of the Saw franchise, Jigsaw was powerfully portrayed by Tobin Bell, who imbued the character with real depth throughout the long-running series. Although Jigsaw has often been seen in the form of Billy the Puppet, a terrifying toy who explained the games and traps that victims must survive, behind this facade was the troubled killer John Kramer. Bell gave a fantastic performance as John’s motivations were revealed toward the end of the first movie, and viewers learned his inoperable tumor meant he forced others to reckon with the fickle nature of life and death.

7 John Lithgow As The Trinity Killer

Dexter (2006 – 2013)

Many compelling serial killers appeared throughout the Showtime series Dexter, as the title character only murdered those he deemed deserved to die. However, it was in Season 4 that it appeared Dexter Morgan had finally met his match when he encountered the elusive Trinity Killer, who became the most memorable antagonist on the show due to John Lithgow’s astounding performance. Although Lithgow was known as a talented comedian, he showcased his skill for pure brutality as The Trinity Killer buried children, murdered women in bathtubs, and bludgeoned fathers in a systemic kill cycle rivaled only by Dexter himself.

6 Michael C. Hall As Dexter Morgan

Dexter (2006 – 2013)

As the Miami Metro blood spatter analyst Dexter Morgan, Michael C. Hall delivered one of television’s greatest serial killer performances. As a killer with a code who consistently tried to suppress his ‘Dark Passenger,’ part of the appeal of Hall’s performance was how much Dexter struggled to put some good in the world while also feeding his insatiable need to kill. Interest in Dexter has not waned in the decade since the show went off the air, with Hall reprising his role in Dexter: New Blood and a prequel series called Dexter: Original Sin in the works.

5 Christian Bale As Patrick Bateman

American Psycho (2000)

While American Psycho was a polarizing movie when it was first released, the one thing that was not up for debate was that Christian Bale delivered an extraordinary performance as Patrick Bateman. As an image-obsessed Wall Street investment banker, Bateman perfectly encapsulated the shallow and vicious nature of capitalism and 1980s neoliberalism as he endlessly consumed and killed his way through life. Through his creepy mannerisms and cool detachment, Bale proved himself to be one of the most interesting actors of the modern age through his unmatched portrayal of Bateman.

4 Kevin Spacey As John Doe

Se7en (1995)

The shocking ending of Se7en has been entrenched in viewers’ minds for almost three decades, as Kevin Spacey’s incredible performance as John Doe has maintained its horrific power. As a calculated serial killer whose murders were inspired by the seven deadly sins, part of the menace of Spacey’s performance was how methodical and cunning he was in his acts. With a desire to showcase the immortality of humanity through those who broke what he deemed sacred rules, Spacey’s performance worked so well because he imbued the character with a real sense of disgust for both himself and his victims.

3 Mads Mikkelsen As Dr. Hannibal Lecter

Hannibal (2013 – 2015)

While the iconic character of Dr. Hannibal Lecter had already gained widespread notoriety through Thomas Harris’ novels and their film adaptations, Mads Mikkelsen brought something new to the role for the television series Hannibal. While the character was known for his chilling and intimidating nature, Mikkelsen’s portrayal leaned more toward the seductive, charming, and manipulative aspects of Lecter. It was a testament to Mikkelsen’s skill as an actor that he was able to breathe new life into an already-established character and truly make it his own.

2 Anthony Perkins As Norman Bates

Psycho (1960)

The entire slasher genre can be traced back to Alfred Hitchcock’s extraordinary horror Psycho, although the film would not have nearly the same iconic reputation if not for Anthony Perkins’ role as Norman Bates. As a clean-cut boy-next-door archetype, the terror of Bates was how disconnected he was from his own sinister nature. When the twist in Psycho revealed that Norman had a split personality and was unknowingly acting out the deranged actions of his supposed mother himself, this was a truly shocking moment that has been entrenched in cinematic history, made all the better by Perkins’ convincing portrayal.

1 Anthony Hopkins As Dr. Hannibal Lecter

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The gold standard of serial killer performances was Anthony Hopkins’ unmatched role as Dr. Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. This truly chilling and unnerving role even won Hopkins the Academy Award for Best Actor despite only appearing onscreen for just 24 minutes, which was a testament to the extraordinary power of his performance. As a cannibalistic killer who stole every scene he was in, Hopkins’ unblinking eyes and restrained movement meant viewers could sense his desire to kill even when he was confined to a straightjacket.