20 Serial Killer Movies You Must See Before You Die

18. The Bird With The Crystal Plumage (1970)

It would be utterly blasphemous to write a list about the most essential serial killer movies without including at least one giallo film, and the 1970 slasher/horror The Bird with the Crystal Plumage - Dario Argento's debut picture - might be the best of the bunch. Starring Tony Musante and Suzy Kendall as an American writer named Sam and his very attractive model girlfriend, the plot concerns a serial killer in Rome who targets young woman (a standard trope of the giallo genre, if ever there was one). Soon enough, Sam is spurred on to launch his own investigation and so begins a tense and taut thriller. Clearly inspired by the works of Alfred Hitchcock and featuring a brilliant score by the legendary Ennio Morricone, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is also a great gateway film for those interested in the giallo genre and the works of Italian cult icon Dario Argento.