Top 10 Creepiest Horror Movie Scenes Taken From Real-Life
#10: The Plane Crash
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“Final Destination” (2000) People have been telling stories about “cheating death” dating back to Ancient Greece. The “Final Destination” films take this concept and use it as fertile ground for teen horror. The screenwriter behind the first film, Jeffrey Reddick, has said that his inspiration for the plane scene came from an article he read. In it, a woman explained how she was to fly back from her vacation when she received a phone call from her mother. Her mother had a bad feeling about the woman’s booked flight, and told her not to take it and to reschedule instead. The woman heeded her mother’s warning, and rebooked. The plane ultimately crashed, and so she effectively cheated death with her mother’s help.
#9: Crocodile Attack
“Black Water” (2007) There are a number of crocodile encounters on record in Australia, and sadly they don’t all go as well as Crocodile Dundee would have you believe. The film “Black Water” was inspired by the story of three friends who encountered an aggressive croc in Australia’s Northern Territory. The crocodile killed one of the party, and the two survivors climbed a tree in an effort to escape the beast. They hoped that the croc would eventually lose interest and swim off, but they wound up trapped in the tree for 22 hours, while the crocodile circled below. Adding to the terror of the situation, it did so while clutching the remains of their friend. The tragic incident certainly had all the makings of a horror movie.
#8: The Outback Murders
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“Wolf Creek” (2005) Ah, again we find ourselves in the Outback, which according to horror films, is a dangerous place to visit. Meet Mick Taylor, a terrifying character living in and defending the dreaded “bush” from unruly tourists—as well as those who have committed no offense whatsoever. The attacks on tourists depicted in this film are primarily based on real-life offender Ivan Milat, who killed a total of seven tourists between 1989 and 1993 in New South Wales. Much like the fictional Taylor, Milat would arrive in the guise of a helpful local, picking up backpackers on the highways and giving them rides to local attractions. “Wolf Creek” is not an easy watch, and the viewing is only made harder knowing the inspiration behind the film.
#7: The Dybbuk Box
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“The Possession” (2012) The Dybbuk Box is a relic of Jewish lore, in which evil spirits are trapped. The film “The Possession” borrowed from said lore, particularly in its opening scene. A woman attempts to destroy the box, only to suffer a stroke. Hard though it might be to believe, this is inspired by a true story. Kevin Mannis acquired a seemingly innocent vintage wooden wine box at an estate sale, and gifted it to his mother for her birthday. The day she received it, she suffered a stroke in her living room. Stories of the Dybbuk Box almost always involve ill luck and sickness. It has passed between owners a few times, with one owner keeping it in a special crate buried on his property.
#6: Deadly Pet
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“Eaten Alive!” (1976) Again with the deadly reptiles! This film is loosely based on 1930s serial killer Joe Ball. Ball owned a bar, where he also kept and displayed his pet alligators. Ball killed up to 20 women, and is rumored to have fed their remains to his gators. In “Eaten Alive!”, a seedy motel owner, Judd, has a pet crocodile residing in the swamp adjacent to his business. Judd commits some murders himself, but, unlike Ball, he sometimes allows the crocodile to perform the deed. The true story of Joe Ball is complicated by many possible rumors and inaccuracies, but superficial discrepancies aside, he served as the central inspiration for the film.
#5: The Ouija Board Curse
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“Verónica” (2017) The Spanish-language film is largely based on 1991’s Vallecas Case. The character of Veronica is based on Estefania Gutierrez Lazaro, who held a seance at school one day to try to contact her friend’s deceased boyfriend, who had died in a motorbike accident. The trio were discovered by a teacher, who broke the Ouija board before the session ended, and it is said that Estefania “inhaled” a sort of smoke that came out of the broken board. She subsequently suffered seizures, hallucinations and insomnia, only to eventually die a sudden and mysterious death.
#4: Stranded in the Ocean
“Open Water” (2003) This one is just...horrifying. And unfortunately, the concept of being stranded in the open ocean is all too real a possibility. In 1998, Tom and Eileen Lonergan went on a diving trip off Australia’s northeast coast. The boat that had taken them to the location, along with a number of other divers, accidentally left without them. The two were never seen again, and their equipment slowly washed up on shore over the next couple of months, including a distress message. The film “Open Water” depicts what may have happened to the lost couple. The dehydration and hunger, as well as the inevitable panic, is all portrayed extremely effectively in the film.
#3: Ritualistic Killings
“Borderland” (2007) This 2007 Mexican-American horror film is based on the actual cult leader, serial killer and drug dealer Adolfo Constanzo. The wrong kind of triple threat, he sacrificed animals and humans in voodoo rituals to bring luck for his customers, which included members of Mexico’s cartels. His cult, the NarcoSatanists, were responsible for over a dozen sacrificial murders in the 1980s. The film follows three American tourists, one of whom is abducted outside a nightclub. This mirrors the real-life abduction and murder of American pre-med student Mark Kilroy. Constanzo claimed to have sacrificed Kilroy due to the need for a “superior” brain for one of his rituals.
#2: The Captured Teen
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“The Girl Next Door” (2007) When inspired by true events, horror films typically embellish the facts for shock value. “The Girl Next Door”, however, actually had to omit some of the horrendous acts that occurred in real life. The true story behind the film is extremely difficult and upsetting to hear. In 1965, Indiana teen Sylvia Likens was subject to unspeakable abuse at the hands of her caregiver Gertrude Baniszewski, which culminated in the 16 year old’s death. The scene in the film in which Meg Loughlin is held captive and abused in the basement by Ruth and the neighborhood children is based on actual events.
#1: The Mask
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“The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” (1974) If there’s one real life man who inspired much of the late 20th century horror film canon, it’s Ed Gein. Gein was a notorious serial killer and body snatcher, but it’s the specifics of his crimes that haunt us. When Gein’s home was searched by police, the list of things they found is the true stuff of nightmares. Gein had used the body parts of his victims to make clothing and furniture. The horrifying apparel included masks made of skin; he had intended to create an entire skin suit. This is what inspired the character of “Leatherface”, who wears a skin mask in the influential film franchise.
