The Frozen Ground stars Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Radha Mitchell, Vanessa Hudgens, Dean Norris, and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. Cusack plays real-life serial killer Robert Hansen, and Cage portrays the man hot on his trail, Glenn Flothe (called Sgt. Jack Halcombe in the film). The movie is a thriller that tells the story of a killer that stalked the streets of Anchorage for 13 years, claiming between 17 to 21 victims.
There have been plenty of films ‘based on a true story,’ but for this list we stuck with the ones that were based directly on actual people. So sit back, relax and take a walk down memory lane with us as we look back at the…
Charlize Theron – Aileen Wournos – Monster
One of the most mainstream entries on this list is Charlize Theron’s portrayal of Aileen Wournos. It became such a notable role because of the physical transformation Theron went through to play the role. She was nearly unrecognizable when she stepped onto the set to play Wournos, and her performance was unforgettable. Wournos would go on to be convicted for six murders (although she was suspected of seven) and executed via lethal injection. Theron’s performance would go on to receive a staggering amount of awards. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress (just the fifth time in the history of the Academy Awards in which a film’s lead actress was its sole nominee and won), Golden Globe for Best Actress and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Lead Actress.
Mark Harmon – Ted Bundy – The Deliberate Stranger
Mark Harmon is probably best known now for his role on “NCIS”, but he was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor for his 1986 portrayal of infamous serial killer Ted Bundy. Adapted by the book by Richard W. Larsen, The Deliberate Stranger was a two-part television movie that aired on NBC. The film has been heralded as being incredibly accurate, and Harmon’s performance of Ted Bundy, one of the most intriguing serial killers in American history, has been said to be spot on. Polly Nelson, a member of Bundy’s final defense team, would describe Bundy as “…the very definition of heartless evil.” Bundy would go on to be executed via electric chair in 1989, and Mark Harmon would go on to continue an illustrious career including starring in series like “Reasonable Doubts”, “Chicago Hope” and finally “NCIS”.
Brian Dennehy – John Wayne Gacy – To Catch A Killer
To Catch A Killer was a 1992 two-part made-for-television movie directed by Eric Till. Dennehy stars as John Wayne Gacy, continuously outfoxing the police department. Other standout actors appearing in the film were Michael Riley, Margot Kidder and Meg Foster. Dennehy would go on to be nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Special. Gacy would be executed via lethal injection in 1994, convicted on 33 counts of murder and sentenced to death for 12 of them.
Michael Badalucco – David Berkowitz – Summer of Sam
One of Spike Lee’s more unique films is Summer of Sam, the story of not only the crimes of David Berkowitz, but how they affected New York City at the time. The crimes of the .44 Caliber Killer were more of a backdrop to the crime-drama/thriller. Aside from Badalucco as Berkowitz, the film also starred John Leguizamo, Adrien Brody, Mira Sorvino and Jennifer Esposito. The movie itself was quite polarizing and received mixed reviews with extreme opinions both positive and negative. As for David Berkowitz, his final tally of victims was six dead and seven wounded. He was arrested in 1977 and is currently serving six consecutive life sentences for his crimes. In 1996 Berkowitz changed his confession, saying he was part of a Satanic cult that orchestrated the killings. An investigation was launched into the claims, but it was suspended indefinitely after inconclusive findings.
Ian Holm – Sir William Gall (Jack the Ripper?) – From Hell
Although we’ll never really know who Jack the Ripper actually was, there are as many theories trying to answer the question as there are explaining the Zapruder Film. Starring Johnny Depp and Heather Graham, From Hell certainly featured its share of beautiful people, but the focus of the film was terribly ugly. Ian Holm played Sir William Gall, Jack the Ripper according to this graphic retelling of the tale. From Hell was released in 2001 and brought in nearly $75 million at the box office, more than doubling its $35 million budget. And although this film (and the graphic novel it’s based on) point to Gall as the killer, history has basically dismissed this possibility which also involved the royal family and Freemasons.
Michael Rooker – Henry Lee Lucas – Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
Perhaps the most beloved horror film on this list, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer launched the career of Michael Rooker, who played the title character. Rooker was brilliantly cast in the role as he even had a passing resemblance to Henry Lee Lucas. But equally impressive was the casting of Tom Towles as Otis (who represented Lucas’ real-life confidant Ottis Toole) as the resemblance there was remarkable. Henry was directly inspired by Lucas, although the events of the film are fictionalized. The actual number of murders committed by Lucas is hard to say as he changed his story so many times. He was scheduled to be executed in Texas but had his sentence commuted to life in prison by George W. Bush. (Death penalty commuted in Texas? Really?!) Both Lucas and Toole would die in prison of natural causes.
Jeremy Renner – Jeffrey Dahmer – Dahmer
Long before he was racking up awards and nominations for films like The Hurt Locker and The Town, Renner put on an impressive performance as Jeffrey Dahmer, one of the most infamous serial killers in American history. Although he would win nothing for his role in Dahmer, it was said by director/producer of The Hurt Locker Kathryn Bigelow that she cast Renner in the lead role of her film because of his performance in Dahmer. As for the Milwaukee Cannibal, he pretty much did it all. Dahmer’s tale is one that involves murder, rape, necrophilia, dismemberment and permanent preservation of body parts. He was convicted on 16 counts of murder and was serving 16 terms of life imprisonment when he was beaten to death by his fellow inmates at the Columbia Correctional Institution in 1994. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy!
Steve Railsback – Charles Manson – Helter Skelter
We save what has to be considered the greatest performance of a serial killer for last as we cover Steve Railsback’s portrayal of Charles Manson in Helter Skelter. (Incidentally, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre star Marilyn Burns also appeared in the film playing Manson girl turned key prosecution witness Linda Kasabian.) Railsback’s performance was so good he seemed to become Manson. Railsback also played real life baddie Ed Gein in Ed Gein, but nothing could touch his work playing Manson. The made-for-TV movie aired over two nights and was nominated for three Emmy Awards. Check out the awesome courtroom speech in the video below. As for Charlie, he was arrested in 1969 and was sentenced to be executed. However, California eliminated the death penalty in 1972, and Mason’s sentence was immediately commuted to life in prison. Incidentally, California reinstated the death penalty five years later in 1977, but Manson’s sentence remained life in prison, which he is still serving today, having been denied parole 12 times, most recently in 2012.