The Scariest Serial Killer Movie Ever Made is Now Streaming Free: Bring a Barf Bag
There are a lot of great serial killer movies streaming out there. The slasher subgenre as a whole might reasonably be conceptualized as the serial killer genre. Even the purest examples of the subgenre, including Halloween and Friday the 13th, endeavor to pathologize their killers. It all goes back to Anthony Perkins in Psycho and that film’s infamous, psychobabble conclusion.
Some serial killer flicks are fun. I Saw the Devil, for all its disturbing content, is as kinetic and refreshing as the best action movies. Other serial killer flicks are grim, including The Treatment, arguably the most disturbing, unpleasant movie ever made. And some defy even those categorizations. Some movies are just plain evil. And I mean that endearingly, of course. The granddaddy of them all is no doubt John McNaughton’s Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Not only is it the greatest serial killer movie ever made, it’s one of the most disturbing, truly vile (affectionate) movies of all time. Now it’s streaming free on both Peacock and Tubi. Learn more below:
Per Tubi: When Henry, a convicted serial killer, moves into Chicago with a fellow ex-con acquaintance, the duo embarks on a random killing spree.
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer attracted plenty of controversy when the film first ran the festival circuit in 1986. Loosely adapted from the real-life killings committed by Henry Lee Lucas and Otis Toole, McNaughton’s feature was a hard sell. Distribution was hard to come by, the film was slapped with an X rating, and even the original poster art done by Joe Coleman (pictured below) needed to be replaced. Despite the controversy, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer was a critical darling even then. Famed critic Roger Ebert wrote a sensationally positive review, and star Michael Rooker was regularly praised for his chilling performance.
Now, is Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer a fun watch? No, not in the slightest. But it is a necessary one. Even with the best of intentions, most serial killer flicks concede to romanticizing their killers, framing them as objects of curiosity, specimens to be observed and studied. That invites sympathy in however small a measure. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is ugly. Intentionally so. There is nothing but disgust and horror dripping from every frame, and it’s why the classic has endured for 40 years. Carve out some time this weekend to check it out on either Peacock or Tubi (but don’t blame me when it ruins your night).
To keep the violence streaming, why not rent Dread’s shocking new true-crime-inspired release Ed Kemper? It’s not for the faint of heart though, so watch with caution. Check out the trailer here:
What do you think? Are you a fan of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer? Any plans to check it out again? Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins.
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