Top 20 Supernatural Serial Killers In Movies

Top-20-Supernatural-Serial-Killers-in-Movies

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the scariest movie serial killers with supernatural traits.

#20: The Shadyside Killers

“The Fear Street Trilogy” (2021)

In the summer of 2021, Netflix did a very interesting thing by releasing a trilogy of films on a week-to-week basis. Known as “The Fear Street Trilogy,” it spans three distinct time periods. Stretching across this expanse of time are the Shadyside Killers. Centuries ago, a man named Solomon Goode made a pact with the Devil, obtaining power and influence in exchange for human sacrifices. Goode’s descendants have continued this tradition ever since, having residents of Shadyside possessed and turned into serial killers. It’s a fun twist on the age-old formula, portraying villains that aren’t in control of their own faculties, a unique twist for a unique series of films.

#19: The Creeper

“Jeepers Creepers” (2001)

And speaking of monsters who stretch across time, let’s discuss The Creeper! “Jeepers Creepers” begins rather realistically, with brother and sister Darry and Trish being chased by a violent man in an old truck. But the movie eventually delves into deep supernatural territory, portraying the driver as a monstrous entity who feeds on humans every 23 years. By eating their body parts, he regenerates the corresponding limb or organ on his own body, ensuring complete immortality. Not only is this idea terrifying, but the Creeper has an awesome physical design that makes him stand out from the pack. With his trench coat, hat, and scaly skin, the Creeper certainly makes an impression.

#18: The Tall Man

“Phantasm” (1979)

A cult classic of the 1970s, “Phantasm” was made by a team of amateurs on a shoestring budget. Despite this, the movie has endured throughout the years thanks to its surreal imagery and fantastic antagonist. He is The Tall Man, some kind of supernatural being who is taking on the appearance of, well, a tall man. He hopes to both steal the corpses and kill the residents of Morningside and turn them all into zombies. His motive is bizarre, and the 6’4’’ Angus Scrimm plays him to eerie perfection. Plus, how creepy is that floating ball thing? It’s undoubtedly one of the all-time great horror movie weapons.

#17: Kayako & Toshio

“Ju-On: The Grudge” (2002)

The first “Ju-On” film to be released theatrically, “The Grudge” is now considered a classic of the J-horror genre and helped launch the craze around the world. The film became popular for a number of reasons, including its spooky haunted house atmosphere and the iconic characters of Kayako and Toshio. Both are classic villains in their own right, with Toshio being the young boy who meows and Kayako being the long-haired woman who hides under bed sheets and crawls down the stairs. Both are terrifying, and both are incredibly vengeful, killing any and all who enter their former home.

#16: Jennifer Check

“Jennifer’s Body” (2009)

Following the enormous success of “Juno,” writer Diablo Cody and producer Jason Reitman teamed up again to make “Jennifer’s Body,” a modern cult classic starring Megan Fox as the titular Jennifer. She may appear human, but make no mistake, she is not. Well, she was, but she was subjected to a Satanic ritual which opened her up to possession. Now an immortal demon, she must kill and eat teenage boys in order to sustain her immortality. Jennifer kills four boys throughout the course of the film, and we even see her devour a victim. It is not a pretty sight, to say the least, and it ensures that we will never forget Miss Jennifer Check.

#15: Death

“Final Destination” franchise (2000-)

Many horror movies are about death, but “Final Destination” is actually about Death. As in, it is portrayed as an omniscient and unstoppable character who comes for all. Throughout this franchise, Death is personified as an unavoidable absolute. If you evade your demise (say, by getting off an airplane that is destined to explode), then capital-D Death will come for you another way, and it will certainly not be pretty. The “Final Destination” films have been praised for their creativity, with Death killing its victims in complex and ridiculously elaborate accidents. The Rube Goldberg nature of these scenes are endlessly entertaining, and we cringe thinking of how Death will strike the final blow.

#14: The Headless Horseman

“Sleepy Hollow” (1999)

A masterpiece of atmosphere, “Sleepy Hollow” is an annual Halloween favorite for many. Loosely adapted from Washington Irving’s famous short story, it concerns Ichabod Crane, a New York constable sent upstate to investigate some grisly murders in the sleepy village of Sleepy Hollow. Of course, these killings are perpetrated by the famous Headless Horseman, who is the resurrected spirit of a dead mercenary, controlled and ordered to kill by the puppetmaster Lady Van Tassel. The design is beautiful, the killings brutal, and the origin delightfully supernatural - what’s not to love?

#13: Rose the Hat

“Doctor Sleep” (2019)

Thirty-six years after publishing “The Shining,” Stephen King released a surprise follow-up titled “Doctor Sleep.” It was then adapted into an excellent film directed by Mike Flanagan. The story follows a now-grown Danny Torrance, who does battle with Rose the Hat and her cult The True Knot. The cult is composed entirely of vampires, and they feed on young psychic victims like Danny to maintain their immortality. Rose the Hat is a brilliant character, being both absolutely psychotic and, let’s admit it, stunningly dressed. She is also wonderfully portrayed by Rebecca Ferguson, who gives a career-best performance as the malicious soul eater. She was born to play this villain.

#12: Pinhead

“Hellraiser” franchise (1987-)

There have been a number of great Pinheads throughout the years, including Jamie Clayton in the 2022 reboot, but when people think of this classic villain, they probably think of Doug Bradley. With his powerful presence and commanding voice, Bradley won over a legion of horror aficionados and turned Pinhead into an icon of the genre. Of course, the stunning makeup work also goes a long way, with Pinhead sporting, well, a number of pins throughout his head. It’s the type of physical design that instantly attracts and averts eyeballs (depending on your tolerance for violence, of course). Being the leader of the sadistic Cenobites, Pinhead is one of all-time great supernatural serial killers.

#11: Sadako Yamamura

“Ringu” franchise (1998-)

It doesn’t get much more supernatural than vengeful ghosts that take revenge on the living because they’ve been been wronged, and they don’t get much more methodical than Sadako from the “Ringu” series. In this psychological horror franchise, young Sadako was thrown into a well and left to die, and now racks up the victims by tricking them into watching a videotape featuring bizarre and surreal images. This mischievous spirit gains additional sadistic pleasure from calling her victims and letting them know how long they have to live. With absolutely no remorse, Sadako seems to kill her victims with one look, since they are always found literally scared to death.

#10: Art the Clown

“Terrifier” franchise (2016-)

We have a new slasher icon, and his name is Art the Clown. While the first “Terrifier” movie was well received by horror fans, it was the second that attracted widespread attention, with reports of disgusted viewers fainting and vomiting in the theater. Such are the malevolent doings of Art the Clown, some kind of evil entity that takes immense joy in killing people. While we don’t really know what he is, Art inhabits many supernatural traits, including interdimensional travel, clairvoyance, and regenerative healing. Whatever he is, he is now one of the most famous evil clowns in film, and we can’t wait to see what he does next.

#9: Candyman

“Candyman” franchise (1992-)

A terrifying urban legend, the Candyman and his supernatural power continues to be felt today. As the story goes, this monstrous killer was the son of a slave who was mutilated, covered in honey, stung by bees and then burned for having a child with a white woman. Today, Candyman can be summoned by saying his name five times into a mirror; he will then appear covered in bees and with a hook for a hand in order to claim more victims. After bringing his seductive power into her world, graduate student Helen learns the hard way not to mess with urban legends, when people around her start dropping like flies. Or bees, we guess.

#8: The Mirror

“Oculus” (2013)

Can an inanimate object intentionally kill? Apparently, the answer is yes. While other villains will stalk, chase, and kill their victims, the supernatural power of this mirror is completely imperceptible. It hangs innocently on the wall of the Russell family home, but it’s anything but innocent: this mirror caused the family’s downfall, leaving the parents dead and the son institutionalized. While the origin of the mirror’s demonic presence is never fully explained, its true power is slowly revealed through flashbacks. It causes hallucinations, violent, erratic behavior, and even the disappearance of pets, but the true horrific magnitude of this supernatural monster is only truly discovered when we see its large number of trapped victims.

#7: Pennywise

“It” (2017) & “It Chapter Two” (2019)

Stephen King is a dark writer, and he clearly has a thing for targeting young victims. “It” is another classic from the prolific writer, and it was brilliantly adapted to film in the late 2010s by Andy Muschietti. Bill Skarsgård had enormous clown shoes to fill, (xref) as Tim Curry’s Pennywise is a defining icon of the 1990s. But most people agree that he did a bang-up job, with his sinister voice and wandering eyes proving particularly creepy. Pennywise is about as mean as it gets - an alien creature who disguises itself as a clown in order to lure, kill, and eat his young victims. They all float down there, and frankly, we don’t want to think about it.

#6: Michael Myers

“Halloween” franchise (1978-)

In a time when slasher films were relatively rare, “Halloween” gave rise to the ever-popular stalk-n-slash genre, and audiences became obsessed with their first masked killer. Michael started off killing at a young age, murdering his sister in cold blood, but escaped custody 15 years later and went on a multi-film rampage. Although this larger-than-life monstrosity mysteriously walks faster than you can run, Michael began as a very human, babysitter-obsessed serial killer. Even so, John Carpenter himself called him an “almost a supernatural force.” Michael Myers’ status as a supernatural killer has grown over the years, as demonstrated by the fact that no amount of stabs, gunshots, acid injections, or being thrown out of buildings seems to stop him.

#5: The Entity

“It Follows” (2014)

“It Follows” prompts the question: can we really be afraid of a killer that we never even see? The answer is a resounding yes, since “It Follows” is a movie with such brilliant atmosphere, acting, and dread, that we do not need to see this killer to understand the terror these people face. In fact, we know almost nothing of the entity’s origin or existence, apart from the fact that it could take the shape of other people, and chooses its victims when it’s transferred to them like a disease. It may not have as many victims as some of our other entries, but its mystery and relentless pursuit of its victims have left an unshakable impression on modern audiences.

#4: Dracula

“Dracula” franchise (1931-)

By far the oldest entry on our list, Count Dracula of Transylvania has a long, blood-soaked, and complicated history that began with the 15th century’s Vlad the Impaler and continued with Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel. However, his cinematic legacy was cemented with Bela Lugosi’s legendary portrayal in the 1931 Universal Monsters horror film “Dracula.” The Vampire King, Count Dracula has been portrayed on the silver screen dozens of times, and with every portrayal he’s as bloodthirsty as ever. Originally only lusting after the lovely Mina and slowly killing his way to her, this undead bloodsucker has since collected a ridiculous number of victims.

#3: Chucky

“Child’s Play” franchise (1988-)

The killer doll movie to end all killer doll movies, “Child’s Play” is one of those films where its main character has overshadowed the movie itself. In fact, Chuck’s even become beloved, despite the disgusting and sadistic things he’s done. Charles Lee Ray is a serial killer we meet only briefly, but thanks to some voodoo magic, he’s able to transfer his soul to a doll before he’s caught. Unfortunately, that Good Guy Doll ends up in a toy store, and you can guess what happens next. Watching a kid’s toy commit an insane amount of murders with a gleeful grin is what keeps us coming back to this morbidly dark and entertaining series.

#2: Jason Voorhees

“Friday the 13th” franchise (1980-)

For better or worse, we’ve come to associate Friday the 13th with knife-wielding maniacs thanks to this long-running horror franchise. A tale still whispered about around summer campfires, Jason Voorhees’ legend is the sad tale of a deformed child neglected by his horny teenage counselors and left to drown at his summer camp. The original film was a straight-up revenge movie, but the supernatural angle kicks in with “Part 2,” when Jason rises from the grave. Much like Michael Myers, he appears to survive attempts on his life in movie after movie, lending credence to the idea that he’s a supernatural being. However, in Part VI he is actually resurrected and definitively acquires superhuman abilities.

#1: Freddy Krueger

“A Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise (1984-)

This is one of the most terrifying murderers ever to grace the silver screen: the incomparable Freddy Krueger. Many of the serial killers on this list cannot seem to stay dead, implying their supernatural powers. But Freddy has the advantage of also being able to find you in your sleep. There truly is nowhere to hide: Krueger can invade your dreams, turn them into nightmares, and if he kills you in your sleep, it’s lights out for good. Although many kids have tried to fight back, Krueger and his razor-sharp hand keep on coming – decade after decade.


Which of these killers scared you the most? Let us know in the comments below!