10 Horror Movies That Are Also Great Procedurals (original) (raw)
Image via Paramount Pictures
Published May 30, 2025, 8:58 PM EDT
Brad LaCour is a Senior List Writer for Collider. Based out of Los Angeles, California, Brad lives close enough to the stars but is too busy to find out where exactly they live. Brad is fairly certain he's seen Paul Stanley twice in a grocery store, but was too afraid to ask.
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Horror movies and procedurals share many of the same traits. With many of the best slashers, there is a murder mystery at play where the hero is trying to find out the identity of an unknown killer at large. So it should come as no surprise that some of the most successful horror movies also work as procedurals.
From police officers on the hunt for supernatural threats they weren’t trained for, to journalists seeking an explanation for the impossible, a variety of great horror movies follow the classic procedural formula and are all the better for it. The following horror movies incorporate enough of a procedural plot structure to be excellent examples of two genres at one time. These aren’t ranked in any particular order, but each is a fantastic way to spend an evening for fans of crime and horror.
10 'Angel Heart' (1987)
Directed by Alan Parker
Promo image for Angel Heart featuring Robert De Niro and Mikey Rourke looking at the camera.
Image via Lionsgate
Private detective Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke) is hired by the sinister Louis Cyphre (Robert De Niro) to track down a singer in Angel Heart. Set in 1955, the story takes Harry from New York to New Orleans in his quest to find the mysterious singer Johnny Favorite, who was lost sometime after his service in World War II. Harry quickly finds himself in over his head as the people he interviews die after speaking with him, making him the number one murder suspect for his troubles.
Although the ending has the potential to be apparent to the viewer before the detective pieces together the mystery, Angel Heart doesn’t speed through Harry’s search for the mysterious Johnny Favorite. Moments of unease are created through Harry’s vague visions, but_Angel Heart_ follows the beats of a traditional detective story with red herrings and characters who are not what they seem.
9 'The Wailing' (2016)
Directed by Na Hong-jin
A demon crouching in the forest in The Wailing.
Image via 20th Century Studios
Brutal murders in a small village might be connected to a strange outsider in the South Korean horror film The Wailing. The violent and shocking murder of a family in the small village of Gokseong perplexes the police, who are inexperienced with such crimes, including officer Jong-goo (Kwak Do-wan). Superstitious rumors point to a Japanese man who lives on the outskirts of town, but Jong-goo is quick to dismiss them. However, when Jong-goo’s daughter falls ill with similar symptoms to those of other victims, he will find himself thrown between multiple people and spirits who pull him in different directions.
In the two-hour and thirty-six-minute runtime, The Wailing has time to be a few different movies, and it begins as a police procedural, taking its time setting the stage for what’s to come. Then, The Wailing transitions into a film with more traditional horror elements, and those moments are more impactful because the audience has had time to sit with the crimes and hope the same horrors don’t fall on Jong-goo and his family.
The Wailing
Release Date
June 3, 2016
Runtime
2h 36m
Cast
Jun Kunimura, Hwang Jung-min, Kwak Do-won
8 'The Ring' (2002)
Directed by Gore Verbinski
Naomi Watts as Rachel Keller looking directly at the camera in The Ring (2002).
Image via DreamWorks
A tape that kills the viewer one week after they watch it gets in the hands of a journalist determined to learn its secrets in The Ring. After the death of two teens, the aunt of one of the deceased, a journalist named Rachel (Naomi Watts), begins to investigate rumors about a mysterious videotape that factored into the tragedy. When Rachel watches the tape for herself, she’ll need to discover the truth before the end of the seven days.
Highly moody and atmospheric, The Ring is as much of a mystery as it is a horror movie, with Rachel building her investigation from scratch. The dread mounts as Rachel begins working leads and using her skills as a journalist to make connections that build to new, eerie revelations. The Ring is one of the rare PG-13 horror movies that proves to be scary while offering a compelling story that rests on the strong performance from Naomi Watts.
7 'The Autopsy of Jane Doe' (2016)
Directed by André Øvredal
Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch by a microscope in The Autopsy of Jane Doe.
Image via IFC Midnight
An unusually well-preserved corpse found at a crime scene introduces a father-and-son coroner team to a night of hellish nightmares in The Autopsy of Jane Doe. Tommy (Brian Cox) and his son Austin (Emile Hirsch) are about to close up shop at their coroner’s lab when a last-minute body requires their immediate attention. While the autopsy starts off as a typical examination of a corpse, the supernatural things that begin to happen around them are anything but routine.
The Autopsy of Jane Doe manages to meld a procedural, a mystery, and a horror movie into one story, while not leaving the location of the coroner’s office. As the title suggests, the autopsy is the central focus of the plot, and the things the audience learns come from the methodical approach the two men take to studying the body with a keen forensic eye. All the while, the horror elements slowly build around them before the movie becomes a fight for survival against a silent enemy.
6 'The Exorcist III' (1990)
Directed by William Peter Blatty
A demon crawls on the ceiling above Lt. Kinderman (George C. Scott) in Exorcist III.
Image via Warner Bros.
A series of brutal murders leads Lieutenant William F. Kinderman (George C. Scott) down a path that will intersect with a colleague thought dead in The Exorcist III. While investigating murders that follow the same modus operandi that involve decapitation, Kinderman discovers a man in a psychiatric ward who appears to be Damien Karras (Jason Miller). Kinderman learns that Karras is possessed by the notorious Gemini Killer (Brad Dourif), a serial killer who was executed years earlier.
The Exorcist III is an interesting movie that takes big swings in visuals that include NBA star Patrick Ewing as an angel, comedic moments that are surprisingly effective, and one of the most referenced jump scares in horror. Layer all of that on top of a puzzling murder mystery, and you’re left with one of the bestExorcist movies in the series. The odd tone of The Exorcist III makes every scene feel slightly dreamlike, making for an experience that sticks with the viewer.
5 'Longlegs' (2024)
Directed by Osgood Perkins
Longlegs stands at a bus stop in the snow in Longlegs.
Image via Neon
The capture of a killer who somehow murders entire families at a time without being present is the driving force of Longlegs. New FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) may present herself as socially withdrawn, but she has an innate ability to see things other agents can’t. When she’s assigned to the Longlegs case, Harker’s investigation will lead her to discover things about herself that will upend her world as she knows it.
For the majority of its runtime, Longlegs is a tense thriller between Agent Harker and the deranged killer Longlegs (Nicolas Cage), following behind the agent’s shoulder as she connects clues. Because Longlegs takes the viewer on a primarily grounded journey to solve a puzzling crime, the shift into more overt supernatural elements later in the movie proves too jarring for some. However, the ever-present feeling of unease is hard to capture, and Longlegs does it brilliantly from beginning to end.
4 'Sleepy Hollow' (1999)
Directed by Tim Burton
The Headless Horseman in front of the tree of the dead in Sleepy Hollow.
Image via Paramount Pictures
Directed by Tim Burton, the gorgeous Sleepy Hollow follows eccentric New York City police constable Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp), who is sent to the small town of Sleepy Hollow to investigate the beheadings of its residents. Although the townspeople think the killer is a vengeful spirit, Ichabod is a man of science who dismisses the claims as uneducated ghost stories. However, Ichabod’s faith will be tested when he comes face to face with the murderous headless horsemen.
Moments of graphic gore splatter red against the gothic beauty of Emmanuel Lubezki’s visuals to give the squeamish Ichabod a proper challenge as he works to free the village from their curse. The forensic elements of Ichabod’s investigation add a modern twist to a classic story, unexpectedly adding a procedural flair. Burton doesn’t have many R-rated movies in his filmography, but Sleepy Hollow was a great example of what the director could do with fewer restrictions on his storytelling.
3 'Se7en' (1995)
Directed by David Fincher
Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) standing by power lines and looking solemn in Se7en.
Image via New Line Cinema
A soon-to-be-retiring detective works with his replacement while a serial killer creates his masterwork in Se7en. Detective William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) is glad to put a life of death behind him, but a serial killer inspired by the seven deadly sins becomes his final, unforgettable case. The case is officially assigned to Somerset’s replacement, David Mills (Brad Pitt), but the two men will soon create an unlikely bond while chasing the deranged madman.
Se7en is one of the greatest thrillers of all time, with each murder an exercise in grotesque creativity. Although it’s not technically a horror movie, Se7en has more potent scares than a large chunk of movies designed specifically to horrify its audience. The unpredictable plot developments make solving the case seem so close yet out of reach for the detectives, but by the end of the story, it’s guaranteed that no one wants the murders solved in such a grim way.
Se7en
Release Date
September 22, 1995
Cast
Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, John Cassini, Peter Crombie, Reg E. Cathey, R. Lee Ermey, Daniel Zacapa, Andrew Kevin Walker, George Christy, Endre Hules, Hawthorne James, William Davidson, Bob Collins, Richard Roundtree, Dominique Jennings, Allan Kolman, Gene Borkan, Julie Araskog, Mario Di Donato, Alfonso Freeman, John C. McGinley, Harrison White, Bob Stephenson, Michael Reid MacKay
Runtime
127 minutes
Writers
Andrew Kevin Walker
2 'The Wicker Man' (1973)
Directed by Robin Hardy
Lord Summerisle prays in front of the eponymous Wicker Man in The Wicker Man.
Image via British Lion Films
The Wicker Man follows Sergeant Neil Howie (Edward Woodward) as he searches for a missing girl on an island of Pagans led by the sinister Lord Summerisle (Sir Christopher Lee). A devout Christian, Neil is appalled by the practices he sees on the island, including an openness about sex and using toads to cure sore throats. Although he’s steadfast in the belief that the missing girl will be used in nefarious plans, Neil will soon learn his arrival on the island was expected, and counted on, by the villagers.
Widely considered one of the best folk horror movies, The Wicker Man also has elements of a procedural following the Sergeant's investigation into the missing girl and the village itself. The police procedural aspects give way to the more sinister plot developments, but the motivation for the police officer remains the safety of the young girl over all else, no matter his aversion to the things he witnesses.
The Wicker Man
Release Date
December 6, 1973
Cast
Diane Cilento, Britt Ekland, Edward Woodward, Ingrid Pitt, Christopher Lee
Runtime
88 minutes
Writers
Anthony Shaffer
1 'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991)
Directed by Jonathan Demme
Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) listens to music after killing his guards in The Silence of the Lambs.
Image via Orion Pictures
In The Silence of the Lambs, a rising star in the FBI academy, Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), is tasked with interviewing notorious cannibalistic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). As a former forensic psychiatrist, Lecter’s insight is needed on a hunt to find a serial killer dubbed Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine). With time running out before Buffalo Bill strikes again, Clarice will have to leave herself vulnerable to Lecter’s analysis if she hopes to crack the case.
Based on the book of the same name by Thomas Harris, The Silence of the Lambs works as both a horror movie and an intriguing thriller. The moments of horror, such as Lecter’s escape using the flayed skin of his victims as a disguise, show how devoid of humanity the psychiatrist is. Those scenes of violence, paired with Clarice’s steady and clinical pursuit of Buffalo Bill, make The Silence of the Lambs one of the best movies of its generation.
The Silence of the Lambs
Release Date
February 14, 1991
Cast
Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Anthony Heald, Brooke Smith, Diane Baker, Kasi Lemmons, Frankie Faison, Tracey Walter, Charles Napier, Danny Darst, Alex Coleman, Dan Butler, Paul Lazar, Ron Vawter, Roger Corman, Lawrence A. Bonney, Lawrence T. Wrentz, Don Brockett, Frank Seals Jr., Stuart Rudin, Maria Skorobogatov, Jeffrie Lane, Leib Lensky
Runtime
119 minutes
Writers
Ted Tally, Thomas Harris