There’s a particular subgenre ofhorror moviesthat combines elements of the procedural crime narrative with the thrills and chills associated with horror.Sometimes referred to as detective horror, these films have their roots in literature with the occult detective fiction works of Algernon Blackwood, William Hope Hodgson, and Manly Wade Wellman, among others. The narratives typically follow a detective or someone in another type of investigative profession, who become embroiled in a series of murders that have either supernatural roots or are the works of sadistic human beings who often taunt the main character.
From an early slasher hidden gem to Tim Burton’s gory, gothic take onSleepy Hollowand several other procedural horror andthriller films from the 1990s, these movies provide audiences with all the intriguing mysteries, psychologically disturbing imagery, and bloody kills they can handle.
Fallen
Cast
Fallen (1998) is a supernatural thriller centered on Detective John Hobbes, played by Denzel Washington, who confronts a series of mysterious murders linked to a malevolent, ancient force. As the investigation unfolds, Hobbes realizes the killer possesses the ability to shift from one body to another, leading to a tense and eerie cat-and-mouse chase. Directed by Gregory Hoblit, the film delves into themes of good versus evil and fate.
InFallen,Denzel Washington plays Philadelphia detective John Hobbes, who investigates a string of grisly murders that seem to be the work of a copycat killer.Seems someone has been inspired by recently executed serial killer Edgar Reese (Elias Koteas). However, Hobbes soon discovers the culprit is a body-hopping demon named Azazel who had possessed Reese, and is now trying to pin the murders on Hobbes. Azazel reveals himself by singing The Rolling Stones’ “Time is on My Side.”
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The premise ofFallenis wild, but it’s executed with as much down-to-earth realism as it can. The entire supporting cast — including Embeth Davidtz, John Goodman, Donald Sutherland, and James Gandolfini — are in fine form, as is Washington in an underrated late ‘90s performance. The film also features an absolutely bonkers twist ending that must be seen to be believed.
The Town That Dreaded Sundown
The Town That Dreaded Sundown is a crime thriller set in Texarkana, where local police struggle to catch a mysterious assailant known as “the Phantom Killer” after a brutal attack on young lovers. Released in 1976, the film blends suspense with a narrative exploring a community gripped by fear.
A proto-slasher film loosely based on a true string of killings in Texarkana, Arkansas in the 1940s,The Town That Dreaded Sundownfocuses on the efforts of Captain J.D. Morales (Ben Johnson) to capture a masked killer terrorizing a small town. Morales tries his best to stay ahead of the killer, who shoots, stabs, and even trombones his way through the citizens of Texarkana, but he’s stymied at every turn. Can Morales rally his men and unmask the killer before the next murder occurs?
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Combining entertaining procedural elements with bloody kills,The Town That Dreaded Sundowncontains numerous elements of the slasher movie that would become wildly popular only a few years later. For instance, the killer’s mask — a simple canvas bag with eyeholes cut out — predates the appearance of Jason Voorhees inFriday the 13th Part 2, and the effect is just as creepy here.
Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow is a supernatural horror thriller by director Tim Burton and Starring Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci. Based on the original tale by Washington Irving, Sleepy Hollow follows constable Ichabod Crane as he is sent to the titular northern New York town to investigate a series of beheadings. However, the scholarly Crane’s foe is a supernatural being that cannot be explained - The Headless Horseman.
A gory horror movie reimagining of Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,”Sleepy Hollowfollows Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp), here recast as a New York City police constable who is an early proponent of police forensic procedures, albeit one who is squeamish at the sight of blood.Crane is sent to investigate a series of beheadings in the small town of Sleepy Hollow, where the citizens believe the crimes to be the work of a supernatural Headless Horseman.
Featuring gorgeous production design and cinematography from Emmanuel Lubezki,Sleepy Hollowis a terrific homage to Hammer horror films from the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s, and it’s easily one ofTim Burton’s best films. Its central mystery is engaging and leaves audiences guessing until the end whether the Headless Horseman is indeed a supernatural entity or simply a sadistic human being.
God Told Me To
God Told Me To is a 1976 science fiction horror film directed by Larry Cohen. It follows a New York detective investigating a string of murders where the perpetrators claim divine instruction.
Filmed on the gritty streets of 1970s New York City, Larry Cohen’s low-budget but effectiveGod Told Me tocenters on Detective Peter Nicholas, who keeps encountering cases where people commit heinous murders, claiming to do so under God’s orders. Has the lord really begun speaking to the people of Earth, instructing them to kill, or is something even stranger going on? That’s the question Peter must answer, though his investigation may lead him down a path he’s not ready to travel.
The turns inGod Told Me toare wild and unpredictable. When audiences think they know where the plot is going, Cohen hurtles them down a new path, and seems to take joy in the audience’s whiplash. The film is Cohen at his most inventive and stands as a fine follow-up to his monster baby movie,It’s Alive. It’s also notable for featuring the first screen appearance of comedian Andy Kaufman in a small but pivotal role.
Angel Heart
Private detective Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke) is contracted by Louis Cyphre (Robert De Niro) to track down legendary singer Johnny Favorite. Angel quickly finds that everyone he contacts about the singer winds up dead, as the PD discovers he dabbled in the Occult. As Favorite’s true identity becomes clear, Angel learns about the truth of his dark mission.
Starring Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, and Lisa Bonet,Angel Heartis equal parts horror film and neo-noir detective thriller.Private investigator Harry Angel (Rourke) gets hired by the mysterious Louis Cyphre (De Niro) to track down a singer named Johnny Favorite. The investigation takes Angel to New Orleans, where things take a turn toward the deadly, and possibly the supernatural.
Aided by Michael Seresin’s cinematography and Trevor Jones’s saxophone-driven score,Angel Heartdirector Alan Parker crafts a moody atmosphere thatfans of film noirfrom the ‘40s and ‘50s will adore. Likewise, horror fans will revel in the engrossing and increasingly bloody mystery that unravels toward a shocker of an ending. De Niro’s part is relatively small, but he does a lot with his limited screen time, including biting into a hard-boiled egg in a way that is effectively sinister.
Se7en
David Fincher’s crime thriller Se7en follows the seasoned Detective William Somerset after he is assigned a new partner, the young and idealistic David Mills (Brad Pitt). The two find themselves investigating a deranged killer staging murders inspired by each of the seven deadly sins. On the hunt for the twisted John Doe (Kevin Spacey) before he can kill again, the two detectives soon discover that they’re much deeper into the case than they realized.
One of the preeminent ‘90s thrillers to combine horror with the detective thriller, writer Andrew Kevin Walker and director David Fincher’sSe7enis as dark as they come. The plot involvesDetectives Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and Mills (Brad Pitt) hunting a serial killer who bases his crimes on the seven deadly sins. Each crime scene left by the killer grows more and more sadistic, like individual houses of horrors designed to psychologically torment all those who see them.
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Boasting one of the most shocking and bleak twist endings in cinema history,Se7enwas critically acclaimed at the time of its release, and its popularity has only increased in the proceeding years. The film spawned a wave of similarly gritty serial killer crime thrillers, many of them good, though none of them quite compare to the dark atmosphere and unforgettableending ofSe7en.
Noroi: The Curse
Noroi: The Curse is a Japanese found footage horror film directed by Kōji Shiraishi. The story revolves around paranormal researcher Masafumi Kobayashi, who investigates unexplained phenomena linked to an ancient curse. The investigation unveils a series of disturbing events, leading to a chilling conclusion. The film utilizes documentary-style storytelling to create an atmosphere of creeping dread and suspense.
Kobayashi (Jin Muraki), an investigative journalist and paranormal researcher, beginsa documentary about strange events around the city that at first seem unrelated, but Kobayashi soon discovers they are interconnected. He begins to suspect an ancient demon named Kagutaba might be to blame. As the mystery unfolds, people begin to disappear or die, and it’s up to Kobayashi to figure out a solution before it’s too late.
Noroi: The Curseisn’t just a great procedural horror film, it’s one of thebest found footage horror moviesever produced. The film is a masterclass in slow-burning storytelling and mounting tension, with each piece of evidence Kobayashi collects creepier than the last. With incredibly haunting images and unnerving audio,Noroi: The Curseeffectively gets under the viewer’s skin and lingers in the mind.
The Autopsy of Jane Doe
The Autopsy of Jane Doe is a chilling horror film that follows father-and-son coroners who encounter a highly unusual and disturbing autopsy. As they delve deeper into the examination of an unidentified woman’s body found at a crime scene, they uncover increasingly bizarre clues that reveal a dark and terrifying secret. The film masterfully combines supernatural elements with a claustrophobic setting to create a tense and gripping mystery.
Small town father and son coroners Tommy (Brian Cox) and Austin (Emile Hirsch)receive a mysterious Jane Doe’s corpse (Olwen Kelly) late one night, with a directive from the sheriff to find a cause of death by morning. As they work into the night, the pair discover strange things about the corpse: her tongue has been cut out, and the inside of her skin has been marked with strange symbols, among other oddities. Moreover, there are medical signs that suggest Jane Doe is still alive, even though she is obviously dead.
Employing flickering lights and strange sounds,The Autopsy of Jane Doepays homage to oldhaunted house tropesin unique and genuinely creepy ways. Cox and Hirsch are great in their respective roles, but the real star is Kelly as Jane Doe, who actually does quite a lot of serious acting as a lifeless-yet-living corpse. Her ability to stay frozen while under examination for long stretches of screen time is impressive. And while her stare is blank, viewers can distinctly feel her eyes watching them, watching nothing and everything all at once, which adds to the film’s overall eerie atmosphere.
Cure
Cure is a psychological thriller directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Set in Tokyo, the film follows Detective Takabe, played by Kōji Yakusho, as he investigates a series of bizarre murders where each culprit has no memory of committing the crime. The investigation leads him to a mysterious drifter whose influence over people appears to be linked to the killings.
Police detective Kenichi Takabe (Kōji Yakusho)investigates a series of murders in which the seemingly unrelated perpetrators all carve large Xs in their victims throats and chests. The killers remember their crimes, but can offer no reason why they did it, often appearing dazed or in a trance-like state following the killings. Takabe soon discovers a common link between the killers, a mystery man named Mamiya (Masato Hagiwara), who seems to have amnesia and answers all questions with more questions. Is Mamiya somehow hypnotically inducing people to kill?
Like with so many great detective horror stories, Takabe’s investigation takes him down a dark path of the soul. Unraveling the mystery forces Takabe to also face his personal demons, something he is not altogether prepared to do. Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa imbues Takabe’s journey with a looming sense of dread, largely achieved by lulling his audience just as the characters are mesmerized by Mamiya, then jolting viewers with a shock. In this way,Cureis horror filmmaking at its finest.
The Silence of the Lambs
The Silence of the Lambs follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling, portrayed by Jodie Foster, as she seeks the help of imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins, to solve a series of gruesome murders. Directed by Jonathan Demme, this 1991 psychological thriller delves into the dark world of criminal profiling and the complex relationship between a young investigator and a brilliant, but dangerous, psychopath.
The granddaddy of ‘90s serial killer horror films,The Silence of the Lambsfeatures one of the most iconic investigative characters in all cinema, FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster). The clues laid out for her by Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) not only test Clarice’s mettle as an investigator, they act as gateways for the ever-conniving Lecter to plumb Clarice’s mind. She must put her own emotional well-being aside, however, if she is to stop Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine) from taking his next victim, making Clarice a heroine willing to make personal sacrifices if it means saving a life.
Based on Thomas Harris’ novel of the same name,The Silence of the Lambswas not the first film to introduce audiences to Hannibal Lecter — that honor went toManhunter— but it did turn the character into one of the most unforgettable horror movie villains of all time. It’s one of only a handful ofhorror movies nominated for Best Pictureat the Oscars, a prestigious award the film also won — an amazing feat considering the Academy normally snubs thehorrorgenre entirely.
