VIOLENT TRUE CRIME
by o770 | created - 28 Dec 2010 | updated - 12 Jun 2013 | Publicpresenting the most factually accurate movies as researched by this author
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1. In Cold Blood (1967)
R | 134 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Two ex-cons murder a family in a robbery attempt, before going on the run from the authorities. The police try to piece together the details of the murder in an attempt to track down the killers.
Director: Richard Brooks | Stars: Robert Blake, Scott Wilson, John Forsythe, Paul Stewart
Votes: 29,114
2. The Honeymoon Killers (1970)
R | 107 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
An obese, embittered nurse doesn't mind if her toupee-wearing boyfriend romances and fleeces other women, as long as he takes her along on his con jobs.
Directors: Leonard Kastle, Donald Volkman | Stars: Shirley Stoler, Tony Lo Bianco, Mary Jane Higby, Doris Roberts
Votes: 5,823 | Gross: $0.46M
3. 10 Rillington Place (1971)
GP | 111 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
What happened to the women at 10 Rillington Place? The story of British serial killer John Christie, who committed most or all of his crimes in the titular terraced house, and the miscarriage of justice involving Timothy Evans.
Director: Richard Fleischer | Stars: Richard Attenborough, Judy Geeson, John Hurt, Pat Heywood
Votes: 9,767
4. Manson (1973)
R | 83 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
Documentary on Charles Manson and his family. Has a number of insightful interviews with many family members most notably Squeaky and Sandy (Blue and Red). There is also a history of Manson... See full summary »
Directors: Robert Hendrickson, Laurence Merrick | Stars: Bobby Beausoleil, Mary Brunner, Vincent Bugliosi, Bruce Davis
Votes: 1,112
5. Badlands (1973)
PG | 94 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An impressionable teenage girl from a dead-end town, and her older greaser boyfriend, embark on a killing spree in the South Dakota Badlands.
Director: Terrence Malick | Stars: Martin Sheen, Sissy Spacek, Warren Oates, Ramon Bieri
Votes: 78,299
6. Deranged (1974)
R | 84 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
A deranged rural farmer becomes a grave robber and murderer after the death of his possessive mother, whose corpse he keeps, among others, as his companion in a decaying farmhouse.
Directors: Jeff Gillen, Alan Ormsby | Stars: Roberts Blossom, Cosette Lee, Leslie Carlson, Robert Warner
Votes: 5,755 | Gross: $0.05M
7. The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case (1976 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 148 min | Crime, Drama, History
On March 1, 1932, the infant Charles Lindbergh, Jr., the son and namesake of the famed pilot, is kidnapped. After he is later found dead, a German immigrant named Bruno Hauptmann is tried for kidnapping and murder.
Director: Buzz Kulik | Stars: Cliff De Young, Anthony Hopkins, Denise Alexander, Sian Barbara Allen
Votes: 510
8. The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)
Approved | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
The story of a hooded, berserk killer who terrorized the border town of Texarkana, Arkansas in 1946--leaving no fewer than five murder victims in his wake. He was never caught. Based on one of America's most baffling murder cases.
Director: Charles B. Pierce | Stars: Ben Johnson, Andrew Prine, Dawn Wells, Jimmy Clem
Votes: 9,770
9. In the Realm of the Senses (1976)
NC-17 | 109 min | Drama, Romance
A passionate telling of the story of Sada Abe, a woman whose affair with her master led to an obsessive and ultimately destructive sexual relationship.
Director: Nagisa Ôshima | Stars: Tatsuya Fuji, Eiko Matsuda, Aoi Nakajima, Yasuko Matsui
Votes: 22,773
10. The Onion Field (1979)
R | 126 min | Crime, Drama
An LA police officer is murdered in the onion fields outside of Bakersfield. However, legal loopholes could keep his kidnappers from receiving justice, and his partner is haunted by overwhelming survivor's guilt.
Director: Harold Becker | Stars: John Savage, James Woods, Franklyn Seales, Ted Danson
Votes: 5,758 | Gross: $9.89M
11. The Atlanta Child Murders (1985)
245 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The city of Atlanta, Georgia, is terrorized by a rash of child murders occurring in its black community. When a black photographer is arrested for the crimes, controversy erupts over ... See full summary »
Stars: Jason Robards, James Earl Jones, Rip Torn, Morgan Freeman
Votes: 485
12. At Close Range (1986)
R | 111 min | Crime, Drama
Reunited with his career criminal father, tough teen Brad thinks he's found his ticket to an exciting life of crime, only to find out he's wrong.
Director: James Foley | Stars: Sean Penn, Christopher Walken, Mary Stuart Masterson, Chris Penn
Votes: 17,711 | Gross: $2.35M
13. The Deliberate Stranger (1986)
Not Rated | 185 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The story of serial killer, Ted Bundy.
Stars: Mark Harmon, Frederic Forrest, George Grizzard, Ben Masters
Votes: 2,670
14. The Thin Blue Line (1988)
Not Rated | 101 min | Documentary, Crime
A film that successfully argued that a man was wrongly convicted for murder by a corrupt justice system in Dallas County, Texas.
Director: Errol Morris | Stars: Randall Adams, David Harris, Gus Rose, Jackie Johnson
Votes: 25,874 | Gross: $1.21M
15. I Know My First Name Is Steven (1989)
Not Rated | 180 min | Crime, Drama
The harrowing true account of Steven Stayner, who was kidnapped by a perverted pseudo-priest and his lackey during the 1970s. As he gets older, he realizes that he needs to try to make an escape and get back home.
Stars: Cindy Pickett, John Ashton, Corin Nemec, Luke Edwards
Votes: 2,840
16. Manhunt: Search for the Night Stalker (1989 TV Movie)
PG-13 | 95 min | Crime, Drama, History
Based on the true story of Richard "The Night Stalker" Ramirez who terrorized California in 1985 and the two Los Angeles police detectives who try to track him down.
Director: Bruce Seth Green | Stars: Richard Jordan, A Martinez, Julie Carmen, Alan Feinstein
Votes: 485
17. The Case of the Hillside Stranglers (1989 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 120 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The true chilling story of the "two of a kind", killin' cousins Angelo Buono and Kenneth Bianchi, better known as the Hillside Stranglers, is told in this TV drama. The movie concentrates ... See full summary »
Director: Steve Gethers | Stars: Richard Crenna, Dennis Farina, Billy Zane, Tony Plana
Votes: 766
18. Conspiracy of Silence (1991– )
240 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
After a young Canadian Aboriginal girl is murdered in 1971, it takes 20 years of inaction and prejudice before the police finally find the real killers. Meanwhile the killers have to live with their own guilt and fear of being caught.
Stars: Michael Mahonen, Ian Tracey, Jonathan Potts, Diego Chambers
Votes: 236
19. Let Him Have It (1991)
R | 115 min | Crime, Drama, History
This drama reveals the controversial postwar 1950's London murder trial that sent an intellectually challenged young man to the gallows for a murder he did not commit.
Director: Peter Medak | Stars: Tom Courtenay, Christopher Eccleston, Eileen Atkins, Rebecca Eccleston
Votes: 3,798
20. Love, Lies and Murder (1991)
PG-13 | 150 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
When a young housewife is murdered, the cops find her troubled daughter guilty after she confesses to the crime - but was she really the killer?
Stars: Clancy Brown, Sheryl Lee, Moira Kelly, Tom Bower
Votes: 651
21. A Killer Among Friends (1992 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 96 min | Crime, Drama
A grieving mother sets out to find the murderer of her daughter.
Director: Charles Robert Carner | Stars: Patty Duke, Tiffani Thiessen, Margaret Welsh, Angie Rae McKinney
Votes: 1,145
22. Aileen Wuornos: Selling of a Serial Killer (1992)
R | 87 min | Documentary, Crime
1992, Florida, USA. Aileen Wuornos is claimed to be the world's first female serial killer.
Director: Nick Broomfield | Stars: Aileen Wuornos, Nick Broomfield, Arlene Pralle, Steve Glazer
Votes: 3,044
23. Swoon (1992)
Unrated | 93 min | Crime, Drama
The true story of gay lovers, Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold Jr. Who kidnapped and murdered a child in the early 1920s for kicks. The plot covers the months before the crime, the investigation, trial and final fate of the two men.
Director: Tom Kalin | Stars: Daniel Schlachet, Craig Chester, Ron Vawter, Michael Kirby
Votes: 1,919 | Gross: $0.34M
24. To Catch a Killer (1992)
Unrated | 182 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
"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 ... See full summary »
Stars: Brian Dennehy, Michael Riley, Margot Kidder, Meg Foster
Votes: 2,910
25. Murder in the Heartland (1993)
TV-14 | 157 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A wanna-be tough guy and his fourteen-year-old girlfriend go on a murder spree.
Stars: Randy Quaid, Roberts Blossom, Tom Bower, Rondi Reed
Votes: 675
26.
Biography (1987– )
Episode:
Jeffrey Dahmer: The Monster Within
(1996)
TV-14 | 50 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The Life of Cannibal and Serial Killer Jeffrey Dahmer.
Director: Bill Harris | Stars: Jeffrey Dahmer, Phil Walters, Lionel Dahmer, Pamela Bass
Votes: 179
27. The Secret Life: Jeffrey Dahmer (1993)
99 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
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.
Director: David R. Bowen | Stars: Carl Crew, Cassidy Phillips, Donna Stewart Bowen, Jeanne Bascom
Votes: 765
28. Heavenly Creatures (1994)
R | 99 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Two teenage girls share a unique bond; their parents, concerned that the friendship is too intense, separate them, and the girls take revenge.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Melanie Lynskey, Kate Winslet, Sarah Peirse, Diana Kent
Votes: 67,369 | Gross: $3.05M
29. Citizen X (1995 TV Movie)
R | 105 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
During the 1980s, Soviet authorities hunt for a serial killer who picks his victims in railway stations and commuter trains and lures them into the woods.
Director: Chris Gerolmo | Stars: Stephen Rea, Donald Sutherland, Max von Sydow, Jeffrey DeMunn
Votes: 22,279
30. Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996)
Not Rated | 150 min | Documentary, Crime
A horrific triple child murder leads to an indictment and trial of three nonconformist boys based on questionable evidence.
Directors: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky | Stars: Tony Brooks, Diana Davis, Terry Wood, Dick Clay
Votes: 18,119
31.
Case Reopened (1999– )
Episode:
The Zodiac
(1999)
Documentary
Director: P.K. MacCarthy | Stars: Arthur Leigh Allen, Lawrence Block, Michael Butterfield, David Arthur Faraday
Votes: 32
32. Happy Face Murders (1999 TV Movie)
R | 98 min | Crime, Drama
An eccentric older woman (Ann-Margret) implicates her brutal & controlling lover in the murder of a young intellectually disabled girl. Absorbed with "Murder She Wrote" and "Matlock", she ... See full summary »
Director: Brian Trenchard-Smith | Stars: Ann-Margret, Marg Helgenberger, Henry Thomas, Nicholas Campbell
Votes: 397
33. Ed Gein (2000)
Not Rated | 89 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of Ed Gein, who dug up the corpses of over a dozen women and made things out of their remains before finally shooting two people to death and butchering their bodies like beef sides.
Director: Chuck Parello | Stars: Steve Railsback, Carrie Snodgress, Carol Mansell, Sally Champlin
Votes: 5,621 | Gross: $0.01M
34. Perfect Murder, Perfect Town: JonBenét and the City of Boulder (2000)
178 min | Crime, Drama
About the infamous murder of six year old child beauty pageant contestant JonBenét Ramsey and the hysterical media coverage that made the investigation even more difficult.
Stars: Kris Kristofferson, Marg Helgenberger, Ronny Cox, Ken Howard
Votes: 599
35. Scottsboro: An American Tragedy (2000)
84 min | Documentary, History
The history of the "Scottsboro Boys," a group of African American men who were victims of a racist miscarriage of justice that became a national controversy.
Directors: Barak Goodman, Daniel Anker | Stars: Frances McDormand, Stanley Tucci, Andre Braugher, Nesbitt Blaisdell
Votes: 364
36. Who Killed Atlanta's Children? (2000 TV Movie)
105 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
In the early 1980s, there was someone killing the children of Atlanta. Eventually a single man was caught and convicted in one of the largest manhunts in our nation's history. Ever since, ... See full summary »
Director: Charles Robert Carner | Stars: Jim Belushi, Gregory Hines, Sean McCann, Shawn Doyle
Votes: 593
37. Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000 TV Movie)
Unrated | 130 min | Documentary, Crime
The case of the West Memphis Three, its questionable circumstances and the parties involved are followed up years later.
Directors: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky | Stars: Damien Wayne Echols, Melissa Byers, Norris Deajon, Tim Sullivan
Votes: 9,633
38. The Cat's Meow (2001)
PG-13 | 114 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Semi-true story of the Hollywood murder that occurred at a star-studded gathering aboard William Randolph Hearst's yacht in 1924.
Director: Peter Bogdanovich | Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Cary Elwes, Edward Herrmann, Eddie Izzard
Votes: 8,951 | Gross: $3.21M
39. Murder on a Sunday Morning (2001)
Not Rated | 111 min | Documentary, Crime
Oscar-winning documentary that documents a murder trial in which a 15-year-old African-American is wrongfully accused of a 2000 murder in Jacksonville, Florida.
Director: Jean-Xavier de Lestrade | Stars: Ann Finnell, Patrick McGuinness, James Williams, Michael Glover
Votes: 4,515
40. Murder in Greenwich (2002 TV Movie)
R | 89 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The story of Martha Moxley, 15 year old girl murdered in Greenwich in the 1970's, her murder going unsolved for 25 years.
Director: Tom McLoughlin | Stars: Christopher Meloni, Robert Forster, Maggie Grace, Toby Moore
Votes: 1,334
41. Ted Bundy (2002)
R | 99 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of serial killer Ted Bundy.
Director: Matthew Bright | Stars: Michael Reilly Burke, Boti Bliss, Julianna McCarthy, Jennifer Tisdale
Votes: 8,131 | Gross: $0.01M
42. The Interrogation of Michael Crowe (2002 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 100 min | Drama, Thriller
The lives of Escondido, California residents Cheryl and Stephen Crowe change one morning when they find their twelve year old daughter Stephanie Crowe stabbed to death in her bedroom. As ... See full summary »
Director: Don McBrearty | Stars: Ally Sheedy, Mark Rendall, John Bourgeois, Hannah Lochner
Votes: 1,155
43. 44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shoot-Out (2003 TV Movie)
R | 103 min | Action, Crime, Drama
After a failed bank robbery, two heavily armed men hold the Los Angeles Police Department at bay for 44 minutes.
Director: Yves Simoneau | Stars: Michael Madsen, Ron Livingston, Ray Baker, Douglas Spain
Votes: 5,471
44. Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (2003)
R | 93 min | Documentary, Crime
Nick Broomfield's second documentary about serial killer Aileen Wuornos, focusing on her mental state on death row.
Directors: Nick Broomfield, Joan Churchill | Stars: Aileen Wuornos, Nick Broomfield, Terry Humphreys-Slay, Leitha Prather
Votes: 6,944 | Gross: $0.10M
45. Monster (2003)
R | 109 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Based on the life of Aileen Wuornos, a Daytona Beach prostitute who became a serial killer.
Director: Patty Jenkins | Stars: Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern, Lee Tergesen
Votes: 161,643 | Gross: $34.47M
46. Ed Gein: The Ghoul of Plainfield (2004 Video)
24 min | Documentary, Short
Director: Michelle Palmer | Stars: Ed Gein, John K. Russell, Harold Schechter, David J. Skal
Votes: 169
47. H.H. Holmes: America's First Serial Killer (2004)
Unrated | 64 min | Documentary, Crime, History
Torture chambers, acid vats, greased chutes and gassing rooms were just some of the devices of death designed by the Torture Doctor, H.H. Holmes in his castle of horrors. Follows Holmes' entire life as a criminal mastermind.
Director: John Borowski | Stars: Tony Jay, Ed Bertagnoli, Cary Callison, Willy Laszlo
Votes: 1,914
48. The Hillside Strangler (2004)
R | 97 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Kenneth is obsessed with the police, he moves to LA with his cousin, Angelo convinces him to start a prostitution business. Frustrated decide on revenge, feeling a great pleasure with her death. The two cousins become addicted to death.
Director: Chuck Parello | Stars: C. Thomas Howell, Nicholas Turturro, Allison Lange, Marisol Padilla Sánchez
Votes: 1,982 | Gross: $0.00M
49. The Riverman (2004 TV Movie)
R | 91 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
A series of interviews are conducted with convicted serial killer Ted Bundy in hopes of gaining insight into the Green River Killer who is terrorizing Seattle.
Director: Bill Eagles | Stars: Bruce Greenwood, Sam Jaeger, Sarah Manninen, Kathleen Quinlan
Votes: 1,560
50. The Hunt for the BTK Killer (2005 TV Movie)
R | 82 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
After 31 years at-large, detectives in Wichita, Kansas home in on the serial killer known as BTK.
Director: Stephen Kay | Stars: Robert Forster, Michael Michele, Maury Chaykin, Mimi Kuzyk
Votes: 1,574
51. A Little Thing Called Murder (2006 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 90 min | Comedy, Drama
Based on the true story of mother/son tag-team Sante Kimes and her offspring, Kenny, who crisscrossed the country and committed a string of crimes, among them robbery, fraud, arson, slavery, and murders that shocked the world.
Director: Richard Benjamin | Stars: Judy Davis, Jonathan Jackson, Chelcie Ross, Cynthia Stevenson
Votes: 608
52. Heavens Fall (2006)
PG-13 | 105 min | Crime, Drama
Two young women accuse nine black youths of rape in the segregated South.
Director: Terry Green | Stars: Timothy Hutton, David Strathairn, Leelee Sobieski, Anthony Mackie
Votes: 1,461
53. Karla (2006)
R | 99 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Based on real events, Paul Bernardo and his wife, Karla Homolka, kidnap, sexually abuse, and murder three young girls.
Director: Joel Bender | Stars: Laura Prepon, Misha Collins, Patrick Bauchau, Emilie Jacobs
Votes: 6,338
54. Alpha Dog (2006)
R | 122 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Johnny and his pals kidnap Jake's 15-year-old brother Zach, then assign his buddy Frankie to be Zach's minder. They develop a brotherly friendship. Zach parties with his captors as things begin to spin out of control.
Director: Nick Cassavetes | Stars: Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Willis
Votes: 107,920 | Gross: $15.23M
55. An American Crime (2007)
R | 98 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The true story of suburban housewife Gertrude Baniszewski, who kept a teenage girl locked in the basement of her Indiana home during the 1960s.
Director: Tommy O'Haver | Stars: Elliot Page, Hayley McFarland, Nick Searcy, Romy Rosemont
Votes: 36,947
56. Inside the Manson Gang (2007)
85 min | Documentary, Crime
'Inside the MANSON Gang' The incredible behind the scenes, exclusive footage and true story of the most notorious white gang in American history, and the Trial of the 20th Century. Robert ... See full summary »
Director: Robert Hendrickson | Stars: Mary Brunner, Bruce Davis, Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme, Sandra Good
Votes: 152
57. Savage Grace (2007)
Not Rated | 97 min | Drama
A dramatization of the shocking Barbara Daly Baekeland murder case, which happened in a posh London flat on Friday 17 November 1972. The bloody crime caused a stir on both sides of the Atlantic and remains one of the most memorable American Tragedies...
Director: Tom Kalin | Stars: Julianne Moore, Eddie Redmayne, Stephen Dillane, Anne Reid
Votes: 12,054 | Gross: $0.43M
58. The Gray Man (2007)
R | 97 min | Biography, Crime, Thriller
Obsessive manhunt to identify and capture a despicable serial killer.
Director: Scott L. Flynn | Stars: Patrick Bauchau, Jack Conley, John Aylward, Jillian Armenante
Votes: 1,836
59. This Is the Zodiac Speaking (2008 Video)
102 min | Documentary, Crime
Retrospective documentary covering aspects of the Zodiac investigation, including interviews with the original investigators and surviving victims.
Director: David Prior | Stars: Pierre Bidou, Russell T. Butterbach, Les Lundblad, Richard Hoffman
Votes: 348
60. Zodiac (2007)
R | 157 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Between 1968 and 1983, a San Francisco cartoonist becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac Killer, an unidentified individual who terrorizes Northern California with a killing spree.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards
Votes: 597,542 | Gross: $33.08M
61. The Six Degrees of Helter Skelter (2009)
Not Rated | 105 min | Documentary, Crime
"The Six Degrees of Helter Skelter" walks in the footsteps of the Manson Family, visiting over 40 locations related to the infamous Tate/LaBianca murders, and tying together the dozens of ... See full summary »
Director: Mike Dorsey | Stars: Ron Hale, Craig Harvey, Nikki Medlin, Scott Michaels
Votes: 717
62. The Skyjacker That Got Away (2009 TV Movie)
44 min | Documentary
Director: Philip Day | Stars: Jamie Preston, Marc Bossley, Grant Buckerfield, Philip Day
Votes: 54
63. Talhotblond (2009)
R | 83 min | Documentary, Crime, Thriller
This is the true story of a love triangle that takes place entirely online. Lies lead to murder in real life, as a teenage vixen (screen name 'talhotblond') lures men into her web. ... See full summary »
Director: Barbara Schroeder | Stars: Steve Clement, Thomas Montgomery, Ken Case, Rex Julian Beaber
Votes: 2,910
64. All Good Things (2010)
R | 101 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
David Marks, a real estate scion, is suspected of killing his wife Katie, who disappeared in 1982.
Director: Andrew Jarecki | Stars: Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst, Frank Langella, Lily Rabe
Votes: 59,962 | Gross: $0.58M
65. The Gainesville Ripper (2010)
90 min | Horror
Danny Rolling's serial killings of five college students in 1990 forever changes the college-town of Gainseville, FL.
Director: Josh Townsend | Stars: Teresa Arnold-Simmons, Ralph Cahill, Christina Caparoula, Linnda Durre
Votes: 52
66. The Snowtown Murders (2011)
Not Rated | 119 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Based on true events, 16 year-old Jamie falls in with his mother's new boyfriend and his crowd of self-appointed neighborhood watchmen, a relationship that leads to a spree of torture and murder.
Director: Justin Kurzel | Stars: Lucas Pittaway, Daniel Henshall, Louise Harris, Bob Adriaens
Votes: 20,591 | Gross: $0.01M
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