Top 20 Horror Movies Inspired by True Events
#20: “The Girl Next Door” (2007)
Top 10 Horror Movies Inspired By True Events
Based on Jack Ketchum's 1989 novel, this horror drama is such a harrowing watch, it will make you ache to learn that its "based on true events" message wasn’t only a marketing ploy. Unfortunately, this tale about a child who’s tormented under the watchful eye of a supposed guardian is based on the 1965 case of Sylvia Likens. Although a few things are changed from the real story, "The Girl Next Door" puts a lot of this crime's cruelty on full display. Stephen King described it as quote “a long look into hell, suburban style”.
#19: “Them” [aka “Ils”] (2006)
Another Top 10 Horror Movies Inspired By True Events
This French-Romanian horror film was allegedly inspired by the story of an Austrian couple that was killed while on traveling in the Czech Republic. The movie follows a French woman, Clementine, who’s moved into a house just outside of Bucharest, Romania. When strangers invade her home, Clementine and her boyfriend Lucas run out into the woods. Yeah, that’s not going to end well ... No evidence has surfaced to support this film’s claim that it was based in reality, but the fact that it might have been makes it all the more scary, playing on our fear of random, senseless crimes.
#18: “Primeval” (2007)
Man-eating animals are always terrifying, but none more so than “Gustave,” a one ton, 25-foot-long Nile Crocodile in Burundi. In real life, it’s alleged that this terrifying creature has killed upwards of 300 people, though an exact number is hard to determine. Either way, his reputation has reached legendary proportions. “Primeval” follows a group of American journalists who seek to study the monstrous croc - at their peril. Needless to say, their field trip does not go as planned. Maybe just leave the man-eating animal alone next time, guys? Gustave https://youtu.be/57wyRdd1gj0?t=367 Burundi https://forvo.com/word/burundi/#en
#17: “The Strangers” (2008)
Top 30 Horror Movies Inspired by True Events
Director/screenwriter Bryan Bertino drew on the crimes of the Manson Family, as well as personal experience, for this home invasion horror film. Bertino stated he remembers a group of people knocking on the doors in his neighborhood asking if a made-up person was home. If no one answered the door, they would rob the house. His movie takes a much more sinister approach, focusing instead on a group that wants to kill innocent people in their homes for no reason. As with “Them”, it’s the randomness and senselessness of their acts that leaves you shivering.
#16: “An American Haunting” (2005)
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Much like “The Blair Witch Project,” this movie draws inspiration from the Bell Witch legend of Adams, Tennessee. According to lore, the family of John Bell – a farmer in the 1800s – was targeted by a dead witch known as Kate Batts. Batts’ poltergeist apparently harassed the family by physically abusing them, making them hear sounds, and displacing objects in their house. She mainly targeted the family’s youngest, Betsy, but poisoned John Bell. Switching between the 19th and 21st-centuries, “An American Haunting” brings this terrifying tale into the present day.
#15: “Compliance” (2012)
The most chilling thing about this story has to be the cruelty that some are willing to afflict on the innocent. Starting in the early-‘90s, various fast food restaurants in the United States began to complain about prank calls to their stores, in which a supposed police officer would accuse an employee of a crime. The officer would then ask the manager to interrogate and harass the employee in various ways. “Compliance” focuses on an eerily similar 2004 incident that happened in Mount Washington, Kentucky.
#14: “The Haunting in Connecticut” (2009)
Top 10 Paranormal Movies Inspired By True Stories
In this supernatural horror flick, the Snedeker family moves to Connecticut to be closer to their cancer-stricken son’s doctor. But they discover that their new home used to be a funeral parlor. Even worse, those who ran the mortuary had … questionable practices, including necromancy. The movie is supposedly based on a true story, fuelled by Carmen Snedeker's claim that she was haunted by a quote “evil entity”. The house was examined by Ed and Lorraine Warren, and exorcised in 1988. However, many researchers believe that the story was a hoax, with Ed allegedly telling author Ray Garton to quote “Just make it up and make it scary”. Snedeker https://youtu.be/nxMtNTQOIXw?t=35
#13: “Ravenous” (1999)
Starvation and desperation can make people do strange things. The Western horror film "Ravenous" is not based on one specific historical incident but it does take inspiration from different sources, primarily the life of Alferd Packer and the Donner Party. Along with some nods to these real incidents of humans eating their dead, "Ravenous" presents the idea that once someone tries it, nothing else will ever satisfy them again. Atmospheric, unsurprisingly gory, weirdly comedic, and featuring a mesmerizing performance by Robert Carlyle, "Ravenous" uses history and myth to craft a strange but captivating horror film.
#12: “Wolf Creek” (2005)
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Rather than being based on one set of circumstances, this film is an amalgamation of various real-life events. These include the crimes of two Australian killers, Ivan Milat and Bradley John Murdoch. Both preyed on tourists, Milat in the late 80s and early 90s, and Murdoch in 2001, when he attacked British traveler Peter Falconio and his girlfriend, Joanne Lees. Paralleling the events of the movie, the couple was driving through the Australian outback, when their car was flagged down by a stranded motorist. Lees managed to escape but heard gunshots; Falconio was never seen again and his body hasn’t been recovered. Ivan Milat https://youtu.be/RIqfBk6GglI?t=87 Peter Falconio & Joanne Lees https://youtu.be/28eb8c6FYEM?t=91
#11: “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” (2005)
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This film is based on the life of German woman Anneliese Michel, who experienced seizures and was diagnosed with epileptic psychosis. Due to her aversion to religious objects, her parents contacted the Catholic Church to request an exorcism. Two priests answered the call, and performed a total of 67 exorcisms. The results were disastrous, with Michel dying from malnutrition and dehydration. This movie expands on that story by following the exorcist as he’s tried for homicide. The incident also inspired two other films, 2006’s “Requiem” and 2011’s “Anneliese: The Exorcist Tapes”.
#10: “Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer” (1986)
Henry Lee Lucas seems like the stuff of nightmares, but unfortunately, he’s based on a real life figure. Active between the years of 1960-83, Lucas claimed to have committed hundreds of murders. Initially, the police accepted his claims. It turned out, most of his confessions were false. However, he was convicted of 11 homicides, three of which were confirmed. The film states that it was inspired by his life and fantasies more than his actual murders; but it did get many details right, including his childhood abuse by his prostitute mother and his partnership with Ottis Toole.
#9: “Scream” (1996)
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Underneath "Scream's" satirical tone and marketable slasher villain lies a story about a small town driven to chaos by a string of violent murders. The script behind Wes Craven's '90s horror flick was sparked into existence by the Gainesville murders committed by Daniel Rolling in 1990. While there are a couple of similarities, "Scream's" screenwriter was primarily inspired by the widespread fear caused by the killings. It’s the idea that there could be a faceless psychopath standing outside the window, waiting for the opportunity to strike. Daniel Rolling https://forvo.com/word/rolling/#en (not rawling)
#8: “Poltergeist” (1982)
Poltergeists are malicious spirits said to be fond of scaring the bejeezus out of people through abrupt noises and movements, and they are hardly a modern concept. The 1982 movie had plenty of tales and myths to fall back on, and one particularly influential disturbance involved the prolonged haunting of the Herrmann family residence in 1958. Over about a month, the family was subjected to loud popping noises and unexplainable phenomena, incidents that left police and scientists stumped. "Poltergeist" naturally adds a bit of cinematic flair, special effects, skeletons, and televisions to proceedings.
#7: “The Conjuring” (2013)
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The premise of this film, at least, is true. In 1971, paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren really were asked to investigate the Perron family home, which was reportedly being haunted by the less than hospitable Bathsheba. A masterfully directed horror film with a strong cast, "The Conjuring" brought renewed interest to this sensational case and undoubtedly inspired its fair share of nightmares along the way. The movie does change a few things to tell a more cinematic story, including an ending that sees the Warrens successfully exorcise the house of its unwanted guests. Perron https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/e2da739b-114f-4a84-b7b6-ac99909d96b2 Bathsheba https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/993cc2d3-fac7-4f8d-9ebd-a098d176fe7d
#6: “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984)
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It’s hard to believe there’s even a grain of truth to this fantastical blockbuster’s story; but truth is stranger than fiction. Wes Craven loosely based his franchise on a series of articles he read in the Los Angeles Times in the 70s. They were about a group of SouthEast Asian refugees who experienced horrific nightmares, which led to insomnia and sleep deprivation. Worse yet, a few died suddenly in their sleep despite having no other medical problems. And that’s how the nightmare figure of Freddy Krueger was born.
#5: “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (1974)
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The notorious murderer Ed Gein has served as a loose inspiration for plenty of horror films, with "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" being one of the most famous. The similarities mostly come down to Leatherface's mask, as Gein also fashioned such keepsakes, although not in order to hide a physical deformity like the movie's killer. The film's disturbing house also bears some resemblance to Ed Gein's grotesque flesh-themed home. "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is far from an Ed Gein biopic, but the film's grisly aesthetic reflects the depraved nature of the murderer's crimes.
#4: “The Exorcist” (1973)
Top 10 Teen Movies Based on True Stories
Regarded as one of the greatest horror movies ever, "The Exorcist" depicts two priests’ struggle to liberate a girl possessed by the demon Pazuzu. While exorcisms have been around for centuries, an 1949 incident in St. Louis was the primary inspiration behind "The Exorcist." The exorcism of Roland Doe lasted for weeks and saw the boy act in similar ways to Regan in "The Exorcist," sans some of the film's more head-turning scenes. "The Exorcist" doesn’t need a link to reality to be terrifying, but this background adds a new dimension to the classic film.
#3: “The Amityville Horror” (1979)
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One of the most controversial horror movies inspired by true events, "The Amityville Horror" chronicles the Lutz family's stay in a house that had recently seen a gruesome tragedy. With pig creatures, walls spouting blood, and ancient burial grounds, "The Amityville Horror" presumably takes a few liberties with a story that has plenty of skeptics, but the grim murders that started everything undoubtedly happened. Taken on its own, "The Amityville Horror" is a quintessential haunted house movie, a tale about a fractured family driven to the point of insanity by mind-breaking phenomena.
#2: “Jaws” (1975)
Steven Spielberg's legendary horror film has been striking fear into the hearts of viewers for decades. Although a fictional story, "Jaws" is partially inspired by the Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916, which saw four victims fall prey to sharks in under two weeks. Along with any direct influence it might have had on the movie, this tragedy also impacted the public perception of sharks, arguably adding legitimacy to "Jaws'" premise. A masterclass of suspense that demonstrates how less is sometimes more, "Jaws" taps into a legitimate fear through its clever direction and tight script. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Borderland” (2007) Based on Adolfo Constanzo’s Narcosatanists Cult Adolfo https://forvo.com/word/adolfo/#es Constanzo https://youtu.be/EG2JNPiCZL4?t=1667 Narcosatanists = Narco satanists “The Mothman Prophecies” (2002) Plenty of Point Pleasant Residents Claimed to Have Seen a Mothman in the Late 60s Mothman https://forvo.com/word/mothman/#en “Black Water” (2007) A Crocodile Claimed One Victim & Stalked Two Others in 2003
#1: “Psycho” (1960)
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The "Psycho" novel and Hitchcock’s adaptation were released only a few years following the capture and trial of Ed Gein. Norman Bates is a socially awkward but seemingly harmless outcast defined by his unhealthy relationship with his fanatical and harsh mother, traits reminiscent of the real-life murderer. Although Gein influenced the presentation of Norman Bates in various ways, the character's crimes were wholly the invention of Robert Bloch, the book's author. A landmark release in the slasher genre, "Psycho" holds up as a stylish and frightful exploration of violence and madness. Hitchcock’s “The Birds” is also based on a real incident, when birds around California’s Monterey Bay suddenly started to dive into people’s homes.
