My Top 5 Movies
About Serial Killers
(that influenced Letters
to the Purple Satin Killer)
Joshua Chaplinsky is the author of ‘Letters to the Purple Satin Killer’, ‘The Paradox Twins’, ‘Whispers in the Ear of A Dreaming Ape’, and ‘Kanye West—Reanimator.’ His short fiction has been published by Vice, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Thuglit, Severed Press, PMMP, Expat Press, and Broken River Books. He was the Managing Editor of LitReactor.com (2011-2023). Follow him on Instagram, Twitter, & TikTok at @jaceycockrobin. More info at joshuachaplinsky.com.
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My
new book, Letters to the Purple Satin Killer, comes out August 6th
from CLASH Books. It is a
dark, epistolary novel that explores the aftermath of a serial killer’s crimes
via the letters he receives while on death row. Movies influenced this one just as
much as books did, so you know I had to make a list! Here are some of my
favorites.
The Ugly, directed by
Scott Reynolds (1998)
A psychological
game of cat and mouse between a serial killer in a mental institution and the
new doctor that thinks she can “reach him.” This Kiwi meta-slasher flew under
the radar when it came out but has long been a favorite of mine. Hyperstylized,
hyperviolent, with more than a healthy dose of Lynchian weirdness, it’s never
far from the conversation when the subject of serial killer movies comes up.
Man Bites Dog, directed by Rémy
Belvaux, André Bonzel, & Benoît Poelvoorde (1992)
The now-classic
mockumentary about a small film crew chronicling the daily life of a
charismatic psychopath. Once the cameras start rolling it doesn’t take long
before lines are blurred, and impartiality and culpability collide head-on. A
heady mix of true crime horror and media critique make this a must-see for
anyone even thinking about attempting a similar form of satire.
The Poughkeepsie
Tapes,
directed by John Erick Dowdle (2007)
A mockumentary/found
footage horror film about an unearthed cache of VHS tapes that document the
extracurricular activities of a local serial killer. This is another one that
deals with true crime consumption and our fascination with the worst humanity
has to offer. It also inspired specific details regarding the relationship
between perpetrators and victims in Letters to the Purple Satin
Killer.
Zodiac, directed by
David Fincher (2007)
A masterpiece of
suspense despite ostensibly being a movie about an obsessed nerd doing hardcore
research. I aspire to make exposition half as riveting as Fincher makes Jake
Gyllenhaal scouring the microfiche, or Morgan Freeman’s Detective Somerset
perusing the library in Seven, another all-time serial killer flick by
Fincher.
Natural Born
Killers,
directed by Oliver Stone (1994)
Perhaps the
ultimate treatise on the serial-killer-as-superstar, this manic media satire
still resonates today. Killers follows celebrity psychos Micky and
Mallory as they embark on a cross-country murder spree for the ages. Oliver
Stone ratchets this one up to 11, pushing the boundaries of taste as well as
our endurance for transgression as entertainment.
Jonas Williker is considered one of the most sadistic serial murderers of the modern era. This epistolary novel explores the aftermath of his arrest and the psychological trauma of those who lived through it.
The Pennsylvania native brutalized his way into the zeitgeist during the early part of the new millennium, leaving a trail of corpses across five states before his eventual arrest. All told, Williker was responsible for the rape and murder of 23 women, and is suspected in the deaths of dozens more. His calling card-a torn piece of fabric found on or inside the bodies of his victims-helped popularize his now ubiquitous nickname.
The Purple Satin Killer.
In the years following his arrest, Jonas Williker received hundreds of letters in prison. Collected here, these letters offer a unique glimpse into a depraved mind through a human lens, including contributions from family, the bereaved, and self-professed “fans.” They represent a chilling portrait of the American psyche, skewering a media obsessed culture where murderers are celebrities to revere. What you learn about the man from these letters will shock you, but not as much as what you learn about yourself.
