The latest season of “Monster” landed on Netflix, and the completion of the binge-watch means a groundswell of interest in other serial killer stories.
The fourth season of the anthology series followed Lizzie Borden and the axe murders of her parents. The show paints a weaving connection between Borden and other female killers, past and present, and what pushes them to the act. So if you’re looking for more movies about female serial killers, there are plenty, and many of them are great, bordering on classics.
From “Monster” to “Basic Instinct,” these are the serial killer movies to check out after “The Lizzie Borden Story.”
Monster
If your favorite part of the Netflix series was Sarah Paulson as Aileen Wuornos, your first stop should be this early-2000s film that netted Charlize Theron an Oscar. Theron famously transformed into the almost unrecognizable Wuornos. The actress fell so deeply into the role that Roger Ebert famously did not even know it was her. If you want something that hews as close as possible to the series, with a focus much more on the topic itself, then this harrowing flick will be the pick for you.
Lizzie
Another take on the Lizzie Borden case, this 2018 movie starred Chloë Sevigny as the titular character and Kristen Stewart as the maid Bridget Sullivan. If what you were looking for was a slower build to the murders and an expansion on the early connection between Lizzie and the maid who may have become her murderous muse, then this is the film you should be looking to queue up after your binge.
Carrie
A Stephen King adaptation that has been done over and over again – but nothing has topped the original. For those looking for a lighter touch with sci-fi elements, “Carrie” follows a girl who develops telekinetic abilities at the same time she begins going through puberty. With an overbearing, religious mother at home and a group of mean-girl bullies at school, Carrie becomes a ticking time bomb as she is pushed further toward unleashing her new powers on the people who torment her.
Basic Instinct
Sharon Stone puts on an all-time performance as the seductive and cunning crime novelist Catherine Tramell, who finds herself under investigation for murder. To keep things just off-balance enough, Catherine seduces the investigator looking into the murder, all while continuing to evade capture. Stone and Michael Douglas are great playing off each other in a tense erotic thriller that deserves a revisit.
Pearl
The entirety of the Ti West killer trilogy is worth a look, but “Pearl,” which stars the brilliant Mia Goth as the titular character, is the prequel to queue up if you only have time for one. The film stars Pearl, who yearns to live a Hollywood life of glitz and glam but is stuck living the farm life and taking care of her sick father – and on top of all that, she has more than a few violent yearnings. While edging toward her own madness, Pearl makes one last attempt to grab herself some fame.
