Featuring grisly acts of violence and played out through streaming services for thousands of captivated viewers, media about serial killers are an especially popular craze, specifically those based on real life. Audiences chase entertainment, horror and spectacle, and true crime provides all three. Serial killers are especially intriguing because they are so different from “normal” people, as many have no clear motivation for their actions and exhibit psychopathic tendencies. However, the most interesting reason many people subscribe to true crime is the mystery behind how they got away with their crimes for so long.
Turning back to the topic of real-life killers made into movies, a person may begin to see the ethical problems behind such entertainment. When it comes to issues with these productions, skeptics often list the emotions of the victims’ loved ones and the movie industry’s potentially unjust profit from making content based on this kind of historical atrocity. However, the biggest issue cited is the possibility of glorifying the crimes of the killer, giving them undeserved attention.
With all these valid complaints, how could making movies about real serial killers even be considered beneficial? Though stories like these can quickly become skewed causing undue sympathy for the killer and even outright admiration, they can also be informative and human-centric, shining light on the stories of the victims,. Additionally, although an underwhelming conclusion, the majority of watchers can understand that these heinous acts committed in history and reenacted in media are not to be admired or mimicked.
According to a social study on serial killers by Kevin Haggerty and Ariane Ellerbrok at the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, the appeal of celebrity status also applies to serial killers. Many of the most notorious killers in history thrived on attention and many sought national publicity for their crimes. Serial murderers such as Dennis Rader (BTK), the Zodiac Killer, Bundy and others played up their public image feeling no remorse for the crimes they committed.
To counteract such results, movies have come from directly focusing on the killer to reducing them to a smaller role by telling the story from the victims’ perspective. Although still casting attention upon the killer, most serial killer movies no longer try to redeem or create empathy for them.
A movie about a real serial killer can act as a time capsule to memorialize the victims, not the perpetrator. It solely depends on the delivery and awareness of the audience. Movies based on serial killers should not portray the killer as redeemable or inspirational. And although their past shows how their experiences may have influenced them, it does not excuse their actions. Rather, their actions and themselves should be represented as repulsive, leaving the viewer with a disgusting impression rather than a satisfactory appeal.
Lastly, movies on serial killers can show how deranged they are from a normal perspective. Although disturbing, these documentaries/movies keep people aware and wary. The Huffington Post argues that by learning about the murderers, how these crimes happen and who the victims are, people are better equipped to avoid situations where they may end up in similar scenarios.
Serial killer movies are truly just another genre in pop culture, albeit more off-putting of a theme. Although these movies are made mostly for profit, they can also have the added aspect of warning people of certain dangers, memorializing past victims and even playing a role in shaping public morals on unforgivable acts of evil.
