Storytelling has evolved so much that it is hard to place some stories into one specific box to what genre they belong. Romance can become a heartbreaking drama, andcomedy can have dark thrills. However, some genres have specific characteristics that blend very well, making it hard to distinguish between them sometimes. One of the best examples is crime andhorror.
Crime dramas and horror have various similar elements, and even the ones that are particular to each of them separately, once mixed enhance each other. So much so that there are movies that start going more heavily in one genre, and as the story progresses they become the other. This creates unpredictable stories that stay with the viewer for a long time, breaking genre expectations and clichés. Here are some of the best crime dramas that become horror movies before the credits roll.
Updated on October 6th, 2023 by Darren Gigool:This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.
13Nightcrawler (2014)
Nightcrawleroffers viewers a gloomy cinematic tableau where horror and crime drama disturbingly merge. Dan Gilroy meticulously unravels a cinematic masterpiece brimming with peril and unpredictable darkness. Set against the backdrop of crime journalism, the film exposes an underbelly of lurking horror, crafting not only a tense atmosphere but also a visual canvas that is subtly and insidiously terrifying.
Enigmatic Louis Bloom, portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal, teeters precariously on insanity’s edge. This character undergoes a mesmerizing transformation, morphing from a desperate job seeker into a monstrous, success-obsessed predator.Gyllenhaal’s portrayal electrifies, offering a glimpse into the psyche of a man whose moral compass has frighteningly gone awry. The film explores the chasm that frighteningly opens up when unbridled ambition blinds ethical vision. The unrelenting pursuit of success by Bloom mutates into a gruesome dance of exploitation and annihilation, embodying a psychological horror that’s deeply human and haunting as it exposes the real evil that may be hidden within all of us.
12Memories of Murder (2003)
Memories of Murderweaves a narrative that’s more than a crime drama—it’s a chilling tapestry subtly imbued with horror strands, meticulously crafted by director Bong Joon-ho. Based on true events of serial killings in South Korea, the movie navigates its course with deliberate precision and an unsettling elegance that entraps viewers within its cold grasp.
Each sequence unfolds, sending chills cascading down the spine as horror, although underplayed, intertwines flawlessly with the investigative process, culminating in a piece that is as thrilling as it is a contemplative exploration of evil.
11Shutter Island (2010)
This movie encapsulates a tale meticulouslycrafted by the renowned Martin Scorsese. His skilled direction blurs sanity and insanity subtly, taking viewers through a maze-like storyline that captivates and unnerves in equal measure.
AsShutter Islandunfolds, it introduces elements of psychological thrill with painstaking care, building an ambiance drenched in apprehension and impending doom. Here, what begins as a straightforward crime drama metamorphoses into an intense spectacle of horror, driving the narrative towards territories darker and more ominous than initially anticipated.
10Nocturnal Animals (2016)
This movie weaves a multilayered narrative, expertly spinning tales of love, vengeance, and palpable suspense. The film adopts a dual-story format, showcasing the unsettling clash between a cold, polished reality and a savage, sun-scorched fictional novel where the horror elements take center stage.
This haunting segment, not only acts as a pivotal storytelling element but also morphsNocturnal Animalsinto a chilling journey through the human psyche and its inner demons. Thanks to its distinct storytelling method, combined with Tom Ford’s precise direction and a host of stellar performances, the film solidifies its position among the distinguished movies that span crime, drama, and horror domains.
9Gone Girl (2014)
This tantalizing movie unveils a convoluted tale surrounding Amy Dunne’s (Rosamund Pike) mysterious vanishing. While the media frenzy amplifies and the suspicion hones in on husband Nick (Ben Affleck), viewers are ensnared in a maze of lies, cunning, and startling revelations with each story twist. David Fincher’s keen eye for detail and a masterful grasp of suspense turn a household drama into a nerve-wracking horror saga, constructing an ambiance where fear is tangible and surprises are omnipresent.
Delving into media deception and humanity’s shadowy corners,Gone Girlpenetrates therealm of psychological horror. The movie brilliantly magnifies the terrors associated with love and commitment, unraveling a horror narrative that’s mental, emotional, and undeniably gripping.
The 20 Greatest Serial Killer Movies Ever Made
Some of these stories are fictional, while others are based on real-life figures. But they’re all essential movies re: serial killers.
8The Vanishing (1988)
The Vanishingis a Dutch crime thrillerthat waits until almost the last scene to become a horror movie, but it does. The amount of suffering the main character, Rex (Gene Bervoets), goes through trying to understand what happened the afternoon his girlfriend Saskia (Johanna Ter Steege) was kidnapped all boils down to one of the most impactful endings done in thriller movies.
Another element that brings fear is the story also follows the psychopath Raymon (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu) and how he evolved his techniques as a kidnapper and killer. And once it is revealed what happened to Saskia, the horror elements become quite clear.
7The Pale Blue Eye (2022)
The new Christian Bale movie,The Pale Blue Eye, tricks the audience into thinking this narrative will only be a historical crime drama. However, from the hidden motivations of the main characters to an actual human sacrifice ritual – it does surprise its viewer.
Since it is a story heavily influenced by the Gothic period (the movie is set in 1830), and features one of the most important horror writers who ever lived inthe character of Edgar Allan Poe, viewers of the period crime drama should’ve been warned of the horror elements. The sense of dread only gets higher as Poe and Bale’s character investigate the death of a cadet in the United States Military Academy at West Point.
6Copycat (1995)
InCopycat, Sigourney Weaver is a criminal profiler and psychologist who had a traumatic experience while working and suffers greatly from agoraphobia — she can’t leave her house. However, she has to work with two detectives (Holly Hunter and Dermot Mulroney) to solve a case.
They are tracking a copycat (someone that copies other killers' Modus Operandi) killing multiple people. However, while working on the case, she has the impression that there is someone inside her house, her only safe haven. Is she right, or is it her trauma talking?
5Prisoners (2013)
How far is too far to go when trying to protect the people you love? That’s the overall question imposed by Denis Villeneuve’s crime thrillerPrisoners,which takes a chilling turn when the fathers of the missing girls, played by Hugh Jackman and Terrence Howard, think they know who kidnapped them.
There are very few things these parents won’t do to get their little girls back, including multiple forms of torture once they perceive that the police are not doing enough. The ending is as cruel as the actions the duo is ready to take to get their family back together.
4American Psycho (2000)
American Psychois a cult classic that is hard to categorize. With Christian Bale in the lead aspsychopathic serial killerPatrick Bateman being investigated by a quirky cop, it is not merely a slasher horror movie. It has elements of satirical comedy while still being a great crime thriller.
The audience gets to see a detective in action, played by none other than William Dafoe. This is not for the faint of heart or for the ones who don’t enjoy any level of gore.American Psychohas become a reference point when talking about social commentary in genre cinema, and the film flirts between its strange crime story and all-out satirical horror.
10 Best Horror Movies Where People Are Hunted
Movies such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Ready or Not are incredible horror movies that revolve around actual people being hunted.
