I'm not sure when America's fascination with serial killers really took hold, but by the time of Manhunter (and presumably the underlying novel), the notion was already well-placed for subversion. Which isn't to say this is an update of To Catch a Thief, but the regular 'get that serial killer' is heightened by the mental transformation of the hunter himself (William Petersen). The film's portrayal of serial killers (the 'Tooth Fairy' and Lecktor) humanizes them a bit, both in Lecktor's strange casual cell version of a psychiatrist's office, and the Tooth Fairy's romantic misadventures. As unsettling as this is, the suggested role reversion is handled subtly, and there's plenty of pretty images to look at if you want to focus on that instead.

Suggested double-feature pairing: A Zed and Two Naughts.