Top 5 Serial Killers

Though it is a joyous occasion, Mettel Ray’s big birthday bash starts off the Top 5 week with a rather bloody topic – serial killers! Then again, I’m a big fan of them, in movies and shows not in real life, and therefore it seemed fitting to dedicate a post to some of the most memorable ones I’ve encountered over the years. Let the Top 5 week here on Mettel Ray begin!

Bonus: I did neglect to mention Patrick Bateman from American Psycho in my list because he has always been too over the top for me. I prefer my serial killers subtle, creepy and silently horrific.

5. George Foyet from Criminal Minds

It was ages ago when I last saw George Foyet on screen, and it has been almost a year since I last saw an episode of Criminal Minds. That being said, Foyet remains one of my favorite serial killers for one reason and for one reason only, he was his own victim. The fact that he managed to go unnoticed due to the fact that he was he was supposedly a victim who survived, was a mesmerizing element to Foyet and his twisted mind.

4. Arthur Mitchell from Dexter

Out of all the seasons, out of all the serial killers from Dexter, and including Dexter himself, Arthur Mitchell takes the prize for the most thrilling one in the series. The scene where he sits in a bath with that girl is lodged deep into my subconscious and I’ve only seen that scene once! That’s how powerful the imagery was, though not as consistently in my mind as the following serial killers, Mitchell remains one of the creepiest among my favorites.

3. Paul Spector from The Fall

This one does not come as a surprise and I can’t really muster anything new to say about this killer. One of my favorite pieces I’ve written is about Paul Spector and the reason why it is so beloved among all my other posts is because I felt a deep and a passionate connection to the character. I know it sounds twisted and obscene in a way but the way Spector was portrayed just gave me all kinds of emotions.

2. Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of The Lambs, Hannibal, Red Dragon, Hannibal Rising and Hannibal

When it comes to the amount of exposure, Hannibal Lecter certainly has had the most opportunities to become fascinating for me and he has succeeded in every possible way. Granted, my favorite in a way has always been Red Dragon (probably because of Edward Norton) but I do also recall remembering the chills I got during Hannibal Rising as well. Needless to say, Hannibal is probably the most well known serial killer who also happens to have a taste for the human flesh – and that’s cool and creepy at the same time!

1. Zodiac Killer from Zodiac

Hands down my favorite from all of the above, despite the fact that he is the only serial killer in this list that, in a way, was never actually revealed nor captured. Sure, he could have been Arthur Leigh Allen, or he could have been not. The mystery of the Zodiac killer, based on real life, is absolutely stunning in its awfulness as shown by Fincher and there’s nothing more to add.