20 Serial Killer Movies You Must See Before You Die

4. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

"Who will survive and what will be left of them?" And with that classic tagline begins The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, one of cinema's greatest horror movies - and an essential work in the serial killer sub-genre that has succeeded in scaring the wits out of everyone who has laid eyes upon it. Directed by Tobe Hooper, the film depicts an ill-fated trip into the American outback where a group of twentysomethings stumble upon a serial killer based on real life murderer Ed Gein. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is carried from start to finish by way of truly grim and intoxicating atmosphere, as our naive heroes find themselves at the mercy of a group of freaks led by the terrifying Leatherface, the chainsaw-wielding maniac of the film's title. Hooper's picture set the stage for countless imitators, but this is the original and best; it's a film that feels as greasy and soured as the depraved serial killer at its core.