Why We Love Watching Serial Killers
And how serial killer narratives oppose and work within the genre of true crime.
Serial killers are more popular than ever. Over the years, they became the topic of massive Hollywood titles, some of which are even Oscar-winning titles. They became a staple of pop culture, and that doesn’t look like it is changing any time soon. New films and documentaries are produced all the time. Ted Bundy, one of the most notorious killers we know, was the topic of two documentaries and a feature film in the past two years alone. Thirty years after his death in 1989. And that tells us something.
We love watching serial killers, But why?
Whether it’s fiction or a documentary, true crime always tells a compelling story. That’s because it inherently follows one of the foundations of screenwriting, the three-act structure.
The story is divided into three acts. The first act is the setup, it tells us about the world of the story and its rules. And in true crime, the story events happen in our world, a very familiar and relatable place. The first act also includes an inciting incident that pushes the narrative forward. The murder in that case. The plot starts to raise some dramatic questions like who did it? and why?
And that takes us to the second act, confrontation or the point of rising action. The protagonist is now trying to resolve the problem initiated in the first act. In true crime, it depicts the detectives following the trail of evidence in their pursuit to solve the mystery of the crime. The audience is interacting with the story, engaged in a game of armchair detective, trying to follow the evidence and clues themselves. And since we’re dealing with serial murder, there is always a sense of urgency and tension to the plot.
Which finally leads us to the third act, Resolution. The story reaches its climax. The protagonist and the antagonist are face to face at the point of no return. The detective finally solves the crime, and the killer faces the consequences of his or her actions. The story then deescalates. Balance is restored, all the darkness is behind us, and everything is back to normal.
According to Professor Lester Andrist, professor of sociology at the University of Maryland,
“In the typical true crime story, it’s easy to identify the good guys and the bad guys, and most importantly, the crimes are always solved. Mysteries have answers, and the justice system — imperfect though it may be — basically works.”
Somehow, true crime stories can be comforting. Andrist said:
“True crime comforts people by assuring them that their long-held ideas about how the world works are still useful.”
But of course, that’s not the case for every true crime story. Sometimes the serial killer is the protagonist. An experience that gives us a glimpse into the twisted minds of such cruel monsters. A chance to understand what pushes them to conduct such a brutal act in such a violent manner.
Whether a voice told them to do it or was it a way of achieving a sense of power or control? Was it anger, guilt, or just a feeling of sheer pleasure? Serial killers are always different. They target different victims for different reasons. They have different rituals. They have inner struggles and are tormented by their own inner demons. This makes them very interesting characters to watch. They trigger emotions like anger and loathing, or sometimes the exact opposite; empathy, a feeling that separates us from them. However, the most important feeling they evoke is the most basic of human emotions, fear.
In his book “Why We Love Serial Killers.” Scott Bonn said that
“Serial killers are terrifying because their murders seem to be motiveless and they usually target victims who are complete strangers to them.”
“They look like your postman or your grocer, a relative or a business associate — because that is exactly who they are. A serial killer, as rare as they are in the world of murderers, could be living right next door to you.”
In his research, he also referenced Dr. Nick Maroules, a professor of sociology at Illinois State University:
“People are driven by fear. They’re afraid of it [serial murder]. They’re shocked and they want to understand it [because] it seems so out there, so intense. They don’t have any way to explain it . . . I think people are particularly scared when they think “this can happen out of nowhere, anywhere. It can happen to me.”
True crime can also do the exact opposite. It could give us a sense of preparation. It could help us prevent or survive a crime. A study published in 2010 found that women are more drawn than men to true crime books.
(Captured by True Crime: Why Are Women Drawn to Tales of Rape, Murder, and Serial Killers? Amanda M. Vicary, R. Chris Fraley)
Amanda Vicary, the study’s lead author, said that:
“…by learning about murders — who is more likely to be a murderer, how do these crimes happen, who are the victims, etc. — people are also learning about ways to prevent becoming a victim themselves.” (Huffington Post)
In a way watching true crime makes us feel like we have a crucial advantage in a deadly situation.
But serial killers play a bigger role in our society than we might expect.
Emile Durkheim, known as the father of the French school of sociology, believed that deviance and crime, in limited numbers, can serve a function and are even necessary for any society. In his perspective, crime challenges the perception and beliefs of the general population. It clarifies the moral boundaries that define society and how individuals should behave. It helps us understand the difference between humans and monsters.
This could explain why a lot of information about serial murder is available to the public. The police authorities understand the positive effect this information can have on society.
But that comes at a cost. The constant feed of information about such events generates interest; people start to become fascinated by true crime, but maybe the fascination is going too far.
There are now websites dedicated to the sale of murderabilia, collectibles related to murders, and homicides. People visit to buy a piece of clothing once worn by Ted Bundy, a lock of Charles Manson’s hair, or an original oil painting by John Wayne Gacy. A very troubling and concerning phenomenon. The sale of such items is banned in five states as of 2007. However, a total ban is yet to be employed.
Watching true crime helps us disengage from reality. It offers an escape from the responsibilities and problems that we encounter on a daily basis. It makes us feel less critical of our own moral failings. Our wrongdoings fade in comparison to the actions of a serial killer. We feel glad we are neither the killer nor the victim. We feel better about ourselves, and we value our lives more. But as we chase those feelings, are we, unintentionally, feeding the monster?
