Let’s name all the movies about serial killers we can, especially ones wherein the killer is the main character- and especially especially if we hear a narration by said killer as main character. If it fits the first bill (killer as main) give it a * next to it; if it fits the second, also, **.
Silence of the Lambs
Hannibal *
American Psycho **
Summer of Sam (unsure- haven’t seen it)
Halloween and sequels
Friday the 13th
Unless a slasher film fits one of the two * things, don’t mention it. Only real-ish dramas (okay, so Hannibal isn’t very realistic) about real-ish or based on real people warrant mentioning.
There are 2 versions of M as well. Joseph Losey redid it in 1951 with David Wayne, who is perfect as the fey, quiet little creep. Shot on location in LA’s seedy Bunker Hill district, it’s more or less a shot by shot redo of Fritz Lang’s picture, except most of it takes place in broad daylight!
As it happens, I just watched The Boston Strangler. I’m not sure if it qualifies (the first half is an involving police procedural; only towards the end do we get (speculatively) into the mind of Albert DeSalvo). I just wanted to recommend it as a really good movie, not very well known now. Some of the cinematic techniques were very innovative in 1968, and Tony Curtis gave a great performance – powerful and subtle in scenes where it would have been easy to overact.