The Cinematic Butchers: Every Major 'The Butcher' Movie From 2006 To M. Night Shyamalan's 2024 Thriller

The title "The Butcher Movie" is a chillingly popular one in cinema, not referring to a single film but a collection of horror and thriller features spanning nearly two decades, with the most recent and prominent entries arriving in late 2024. This recurring title, often associated with a brutal serial killer, has recently surged back into the zeitgeist thanks to a major M. Night Shyamalan release and the continuation of a standalone slasher franchise. As of late 2024, the search for "The Butcher Movie" leads to a fascinating, and often bloody, cinematic rabbit hole.

The confusion stems from multiple, unrelated films using variations of the name, each offering a unique, gruesome take on the serial killer trope. From a family of backwoods psychopaths in a Canadian horror series to a high-profile killer caught in a concert venue, here is a definitive guide to the most significant films known as "The Butcher Movie" and the crucial, up-to-the-minute details you need to know.

The 2024 Cinematic Butchers: The Two Major Films

The year 2024 is notable for introducing two major, distinct cinematic figures known as "The Butcher," causing significant buzz and confusion among moviegoers and horror fans alike. These two projects represent the freshest content associated with the keyword, offering a suspenseful thriller and a brutal slasher series.

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1. Cooper: The Butcher in M. Night Shyamalan's Trap (2024)

The most high-profile and recent film to feature a character known as "The Butcher" is M. Night Shyamalan’s 2024 thriller, Trap. This film subverts the typical mystery structure by revealing the killer's identity almost immediately, turning the suspense into a claustrophobic cat-and-mouse game.

• The Character: The serial killer is named Cooper, an ostensibly normal father who takes his daughter, Riley, to a pop concert. He is secretly the notorious killer nicknamed The Butcher.
• The Actor: Cooper is played by Hollywood veteran Josh Hartnett, whose performance was central to the film's marketing and critical reception.
• The Plot Twist: The central premise is that the concert is a meticulously planned police trap, set up by law enforcement to capture The Butcher, who is known to attend these events. The film follows Cooper's desperate attempts to evade capture while maintaining his disguise as a loving father.
• Key Entities: M. Night Shyamalan (Writer/Director/Producer), Josh Hartnett (Cooper/The Butcher), Ariel Donoghue (Riley), Saleka Shyamalan (Lady Raven).

2. The Vicious Killers of the Butchers Slasher Franchise (2020–2024)

While not titled "The Butcher," the *Butchers* series is a direct-to-VOD horror franchise that saw two major installments released in 2024, making it a critical part of the current "Butcher movie" landscape. Directed by Adrian Langley, the series is a throwback to classic backwoods slasher films like *The Texas Chainsaw Massacre* and *Wrong Turn*.

Butchers Book Two: Raghorn (2024)

The second installment continues the grisly tradition established in the 2020 original, which focused on a family of sadistic butchers living in the backwoods who abduct and torture their victims.

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• Plot Focus: This sequel centers on a group of kidnappers whose plans are violently derailed when they cross paths with the titular butchers.
• Key Cast: Michael Swatton (Crusher), Nick Biskupek (Clyde), Corgand Svendsen (Ash).

Butchers Book Three: Bonesaw (2024)

Released in late 2024, *Bonesaw* marks the third entry in the series, introducing a new, terrifying killer while maintaining the franchise's signature brutality.

• New Threat: The film introduces a new, vicious killer known as Bonesaw, who hunts three women and hacks them up in his lair.
• Franchise Theme: The *Butchers* series is not about a single location or a generational family, but rather a collection of loosely connected tales about brutal, meat-cleaver-wielding serial killers.

The History of 'The Butcher' in Film: Older Entries

The concept of a killer named "The Butcher" has been explored in cinema for years, establishing a topical authority that the 2024 films now build upon. These older entries are essential context for understanding the full scope of the keyword.

The Butcher (2009)

This film is a crime thriller that leans more into the organized crime genre than pure slasher horror. It provides a different take on the "butcher" moniker, relating it to the brutal efficiency of a mob enforcer.

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• Director: Jesse V. Johnson.
• Starring: Eric Roberts as Merle "The Butcher" Hench, a mob enforcer who attempts to leave his bloody past behind. The cast also includes Robert Davi and Keith David.
• Genre: Crime Thriller, Action.

The Butcher (2006)

One of the earlier films to use the exact title, this is a straightforward horror/suspense film that fits the traditional slasher template.

• Director: Edward Gorsuch.
• Plot: The story involves a group of friends who find themselves stranded and hunted by a killer in a remote area.
• Key Cast: Catherine Wreford, Tom Nagel, Alan Ritchson.

The Butcher (2019/2020)

Another low-budget horror entry that surfaced around the turn of the decade, this film connects the killer's trade directly to their brutality, a common trope in the genre.

• Plot Focus: A mass-murdering serial killer who also works as a chef in Los Angeles in 1995. This film plays on the urban legend of a killer using human remains in their cooking.
• Alternate Title: Sometimes referred to as *The Butcher: A Horror Story*.

The Butcher's Legacy: True Crime and Cinematic Influence

The enduring popularity of the "Butcher" title is rooted in real-life true crime history, which has influenced countless horror and thriller films. The most famous real-life figure often referred to by a similar moniker is Ed Gein, the infamous "Butcher of Plainfield."

While none of the films mentioned above are direct biographies of Gein, his gruesome acts—including the exhumation of corpses and the creation of household items from human remains—served as the primary inspiration for iconic horror characters, including Norman Bates (*Psycho*), Buffalo Bill (*The Silence of the Lambs*), and Leatherface (*The Texas Chainsaw Massacre*).

The cinematic entity of "The Butcher" is therefore an amalgamation of these dark historical figures, representing a primal fear of a killer who is both methodical and utterly unhinged. The newest entries, especially M. Night Shyamalan’s *Trap*, have successfully revitalized this archetype by placing the killer in a modern, high-stakes public setting, proving that the fear of "The Butcher" remains a potent force in contemporary storytelling.