Ok, cheating a bit here, but Naoki Urasawa’s “Monster” (first made as a manga, then an anime) is one of my favorite serial killer stories ever. It hasn’t been made into a movie or live-action TV series yet (despite Guillermo del Toro’s efforts) so I’ll give it only an honorable mention.

Set in 1990s Germany, “Monster” is modeled on “The Fugitive” — Dr. Kenzo Tenma is hunting his former patient Johan Liebert, a child who grew up into a serial killer years after Tenma saved his life. Tenma’s hands have saved many lives, yet when they revived Johan, he unknowingly let evil loose on the world. In order to fulfill his Hippocratic Oath, he believes he must break it just once.

It’s a great premise for a thriller series, with both suspense and high-minded questions baked in. “Monster” is a long, twisty series but never milks its story (a downright miracle for a long-running comic series). If you’re not an anime fan but do like horror-thriller movies like the ones on this list, “Monster” should be up your alley.

“Longlegs” quotes from the Book of Revelation 13:1-4, a famous passage describing the power of Satan:

“And I saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And they worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’”

“Monster” opens with this same passage, promising its viewers a descent into darkness — yet, in the last sentence, there’s also some hope that evil can be overcome.