True Crime Movies

STANDREID

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My top 10 and the actual crimes they were inspired by with (Year of release-Country of making-Running time):

10-Lonely Hearts (2006-U.S.-1:48) The slayings by Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck

9-In Cold Blood (1967-U.S.-2:13) A grayscale rendition of the Clutter Family massacre

8-Murderous Maids [Les Blessures Assassines] (2000-Fr.-1:34) The killings by the Papin Sisters

7-Let Him Have It (1991-U.K.-1:55) The controversial Bentley and Craig Case

6-Borderland (2007-U.S.-1:45) The cult murders at Matamoros

5-The Man From the Pru (1989-U.K.-1:30) The unsolved murder of Julia Wallace

4-True Confessions (1981-U.S.-1:50) A film inspired by the unsolved Black Dahlia murder

3-10 Rillington Place (1971-U.K.-1:51) The crimes of serial killer John Christie

2-The Young Poisoner's Handbook (1994-U.K.-1:39) The serial murders of Graham Young

1-White Mischief (1988-U.K.-1:48) The unsolved murder of Lord Errol
 
I actually have a top 200 and I've seen all of them but I'm not feeling particularly ambitious about posting all of them right now.
 
Richard Brooks's "In Cold Blood" is hard to beat. Wish I'd seen "10 Rillington Place," can't imagine how I've missed that one. "Badlands" is good. Possibly my favorite is "Dog Day Afternoon." Or Fritz Lang's "M" - great film.
 
Of course M is up there in its original form. I haven't seen the remake.

The remake of In Cold Blood is decent.

I like Badlands but my favorite Starkweather movie is actually Murder In the Heartland with Tim Roth.
 
Five more:

11-Shadow of a Doubt (1943-U.S-1:48) Said to be inspired by serial killer Leonard Earle Nelson

12-Murder in the Heartland (1993-U.S.-2:37) The Starkweather/Fugate murder spree

13-Psycho (1993-U.S-1960) Film inspired by Ed Gein's murders

14-Dance With a Stranger (1985-U.K.-1:41) Ruth Ellis murders David Blakely

15-An American Crime (2007-U.S.-1:38) The murder of Sylvia Likens

Only 185 left to go!
 
Is your list just movies that were in theaters or does it include TV movies too?
 
Hi Eileen:

TV and direct to video movies are included. As I recall, Murder In the Heartland was a TV movie.
 
"River's Edge" is loosely based on a true incident. Fine, scary film.
 
Helter Skelter
The Capture of The Green River Killer
Monster
Wolf Creek
 
Top 20:

16-The Krays (1990-U.K.-1:59) Mobsters the Kray Brothers

17-The Life and Crimes of William Palmer (1998-U.K.-3:00) The doctor serial killer

18-Crime of the Century (1996-U.S.-1:56) Lindbergh kidnapping/murder

19-The Murder of Mary Phagan (1987-U.S.-4:11) Leo Frank Case

20-I Want to Live (1958-U.S.-2:00) Barbara Graham is executed for murder
 
Top 25:

21-Dandelion Dead (1994-U.K.-4:00) Killing by Herbert Armstrong

22-Cause Celebre (1987-U.K.-1:49) The mysterious Rattenbury Murder Case

23-The Case of Charles Peace (1949-U.K.-1:20) The English multiple murderer

24-The Elegant Criminal [L' Elegant Criminel] (1990-Fr.-2:05) Murders by Pierre Lacenaire

25-The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975-U.S.-1:40) The unsolved murders of Mr. and Mrs. Borden
 
The world needs a good true crime movie about The Bloody Benders, who worked their nefarious evil about six miles from where I grew up.
 
The world needs a good true crime movie about The Bloody Benders, who worked their nefarious evil about six miles from where I grew up.

I agree. There is a movie about a fictional modern descendant of the Benders but I haven't seen it. From what I've read it is rather fanciful.
 
I have neither read nor seen "In Cold Blood" and lately I've seen it mentioned a lot. I think I need to stop by the library and see if I can pick up a copy. Is it better to read the book before seeing the movie?
 
I haven't read the book so I can't say but the movie comes highly recommended by me for whatever that's worth. There was a TV movie remake and the case also received some coverage in the two Capote movies.
 
Neither of the recent Capote films is a remake per se of "In Cold Blood." The best of them is "Capote," starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman as the author. Both center on his research in Kansas for his book, and his relationship with Perry Smith, one of the killers.

I'd read the book first, before seeing any of the films. But the 1967 film of the book is a must-see too.
 
I was going to post Dance with a Stranger, also there was an excellent TV mini series, I think BBC about the Ipswich serial killer. Five Daughters.

See No Evil, a TV movie about the Moors Murderers
Sid and Nancy
Black Dahlia and Plunket and Mcleane (loosely) based on reality

I dread the up coming film/series about the Wests
 
26-Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986-U.S.-2:17) Loosely base on the Lucas/Toole murders

27-Mobsters (1991-U.S.-1:44) Murders and rise of Luciano, Lansky, Costello and Siegel

28-Citizen X (1991-U.S.-1:45) Serial killer Andrei Chikatilo

29-Heavenly Creatures (1994-U.K.-1:48) Murder by Parker and Hume

30-Zodiac (2007-U.S.-2:38) Unsolved serial murders by Zodiac
 
"Heavenly Creatures"! I forgot that one too, that's an excellent one:

I worship the power of these lovely two

With that adoring love known to so few

’Tis indeed a miracle, one must feel

That two such heavenly creatures are real.

—Pauline Yvonne Parker, from “The Ones That I Worship”


Poetry as a prelude - as foreplay, really - to murder. Chilling.
 
And one became a famous author after she was released from prison.
 

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