Snuff film: History and Key Facts

A snuff film, snuff movie, or snuff video is a type of film, oftentimes defined as being produced for profit or financial gain, that shows scenes of actual homicide committed or orchestrated by the filmmakers.

The concept of snuff films became known to the general public during the 1970s, when an urban legend alleged that a clandestine industry was producing such films for profit. The rumor was amplified in 1976 by the release of a film called Snuff, which capitalized on the legend through a disingenuous marketing campaign. However, that film, like others on the topic, relied on special effects to simulate murder. The existence of a snuff movie industry has never been proven: horror film magazine Fangoria later described the very concept as a "myth" and "a scare tactic, dreamt up by the media to terrify the public."

In 2025, Vice published an article documenting what they described as the first actual snuff video, known as The Vietnamese Butcher, depicting the killing of a willing participant. Video clips and images from this murder have been sold since February 2025 on the dark web and through Telegram channels.

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