Top 10 Supernatural Serial Killers In Movies

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.

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.

This won’t be the only inanimate object on this list, but it’s definitely the most mysterious. While other entries 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.

Tim Curry’s portrayal of Pennywise the clown may have become an iconic pop cultural image, but true fans of the miniseries and Stephen King book know that It is much more than a scary clown. The monster known simply as “It” is an otherworldly being with an insatiable hunger for murder and mayhem, that’s able to transform into the embodiment of your worst fears. Its forms? Clowns, giant spiders, and even dead relatives. It’s ideal playground? Derry, Maine. Its ideal targets? Innocent children. Told in two parts, the made-for-TV film follows a group of kids who were terrorized by Pennywise in their youth, and grow up to finally face their fears and get rid of him once and for all.

In a time when slasher films were relatively unknown, “Halloween” gave rise to the ever-popular stalk-n-slash genre, and audiences became obsessed with their first masked killer. Michael started off as a child killer, 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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

Before we reveal our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Pinhead

“Hellraiser” franchise (1987-)


- Headless Horseman

“Sleepy Hollow” (1999)


- Death

“Final Destination” franchise (2000-)

Topping our list is the most terrifying child killer 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.


Do you agree with our list? What other supernatural killers haunt your dreams? For more shocking top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.