Serial killers are undoubtably fascinating, in fiction and in real life. Watching them in a movie lets the audience experience the thrill of encountering them in safety, when you know that you can’t possibly become their victim. Meeting them in real life, like Christopher Berry-Dee has done, must be scary and disturbing. How can someone do such things? Where do they get their ideas and fixations? The author explores those motivations, comparing them with their counterparts on the silver screen. Many times, reality is even worse than fiction. As a horror fan, I’ve read and watched many works of fiction about serial killers and I’ve never been squeamish, but this book really got to me. The atrocities here are real, so it takes a certain detachment to read about them. The author knows his movies, and his point of view is more knowledgeable than a casual fan. He has met the real people so his analysis of the characters on film is very complete. Fans of true crime will also find a wealth of material that Berry-Dee references. Movie lovers will want to re-watch some of the films discussed, even if it may be more disturbing.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/ Ad Lib Publishers!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Serial Killers at the Movies.

I'm a fan of thrillers featuring fictionalized serial killers but this title intrigued me so I was excited when my request was approved. An ideal read for October!

I'm not a fan of true crime though you have to be living on Mars under a rock not to recognize all of the famous serial killers the author mentions in his book.

What I did appreciate in Serial Killers at the Movies is how the author gives you a brief recap of the killer's crime, a brief origin story and how the movies have interpreted it.

Not surprisingly, the author finds movies exploiting the victims and barely based on facts as schlock and not worthy of viewing.

He understands movies are (for the most part) for entertainment purposes but points out there's nothing wrong with devoting part of a movie budget to research and hiring professionals with experience in forensics and law enforcement as consultants.

I do have to point out a mistake in Mr. Berry-Dee's recap of The Shawshank Redemption: he incorrectly names Heywood as the evil prison guard. Heywood was a fellow con (well acted by William Sadler), but the lead prison guard was played by Clancy Brown (well cast here, too).

Serial Killers at the Movies is not a lighthearted read and it isn't for everyone.

But, if you enjoy thrilling movies and/or books featuring serial killers or consider yourself an armchair detective, definitely give Serial Killers at the Movies a read. I guarantee you'll learn something!

In this book Christopher Berry-Dee tells stories of the murderers who inspired some of the scariest and shocking films. I love scary movies and found it really interesting to read about the inspiration behind some films and in some ways the real life murders are scariest of all... because they really happened! A brilliant read if you are interested in horror films or indeed in real life crime and murderers and want to know how the killers depicted movies you have watched are inspired by real and evil people. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

I received an advance copy of, Serial Killers at the Movies by, Christopher Berry-Dee. This is a great book, especially for Halloween. The author interviewed serial killers. It a really interesting book, though gruesome and dark.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. This book delves into the serial killers that were in movies we liked so much such as psycho and silence of the lives. The book gave insight into the real serial killers who were depicted in the movies.