What makes a horror story even more terrifying? If it might have been true. From old folklore to witness testimonies to real killers that were never caught, many a horror film has been inspired by events that seem to have seeped from myths into the actual history of a house, a family, or whole town.
In this list we will explore different kinds of horror films from different eras, but with one thing binding them: they all were inspired by (supposedly) real events. We leave the conclusions to you…
The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)
This film by Charles B. Pierce came out in 1976, exactly 30 years after the events it is based upon: the notorious Texarkana Moonlight Murders. The movie was really bashed by critics, but if there ever was a film that defined the early years of slasher, this was it. Through the years this campy slasher has attained a cult following.
The title is catchy enough, but the tagline is even better: “In 1946 this man killed five people… Today he still lurks the streets of Texarkana.” The film presents a semi-fictionalised version of the events of 1946, when a still unidentified serial killer known as the “Phantom Killer” attacked eight people and murdered five of them.
The Sacrament (2014)
This found-footage horror film by Ti West is based upon the real life tragic events that occurred at the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, better known as the Jonestown cult; the cult became infamous for what has been called “The Jonestown Massacre”.
According to a CNN article “909 Americans were led to their death by the Rev. Jim Jones in a mass murder-suicide pact […]. Of the nearly 1,000 church members […]only 33 survived to see the next day.” In the film, VICE reporters record their colleague's (Kentucker Audley) effort to find his sister (Amy Seimetz) after she enters a withdrawn spiritual community.
Open Water (2004)
This survival horror film is a fictionalised account of the events that could have occurred after the accidental stranding of couple Thomas and Eileen Lonergan in the Coral Sea off Australia's northeast shoreline in 1998, during a scuba diving excursion. In the film couple Daniel and Susan go on a diving vacation, but bad luck strikes when they are accidentally left behind by their boat at dangerous shark infested waters. The film was highly successful financially, grossing 55 million dollars on a budget of barely half a million. The famous critic Roger Ebert highly praised it: “It gets under your defences and sidesteps the "it's only a movie" reflex and creates a visceral feeling that might as well be real.”
The Girl Next Door (2007)
This film is an adaptation of Jack Ketchum’s 1989 novel of the same name that was based on the real events relating to the torture and murder of Sylvia Likens by her caregiver Gertrude Baniszewski in the summer of 1965 in Indianapolis. People in Indiana still consider this the worst, most gruesome crime in the history of their state. The film starts in 2007 when a car collision makes David Moran reflect on his experiences from 1958 when he was a friend of two girls, Meg and Susan, who were ruthlessly abused and tortured by their aunt and guardian Ruth and her sons.
Dahmer (2002)
As you have probably guessed from the title, this biographical true-crime horror film is based on the life of notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. The plot unveils in two separate but connected timelines: the current events of the film occur in regular linear order over the period of a few days; the recollections are in inverted order, and Dahmer is shown as gradually younger until the movie reaches his original killing and what followed.
The film delves in detail into Dahmer’s personal life and possible reasons that contributed to his creation, including his pious father’s rejection of his homosexuality.
Dead Ringers (1988)
This psychological horror film by David Cronenberg (famous for films such as The Fly, A History Of Violence, and Eastern Promises) stars Jeremy Irons as twin gynecologists Elliot and Beverly Mantle. They are extremely co-dependent and often switch positions in order to trick women they have relationships with.
The film has some very strong disturbing moments when we witness the torments of these twins as they struggle to separate their selves from this unified dual self they have fabricated. The screenplay was based on the lives of Stewart and Cyril Marcus, twin gynecologists found dead under mysterious circumstances.
Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer (1986)
This psychological horror thriller directed by John McNaughton (Mad Dog and Glory, Speaking of Sex) tells the story of Henry, a serial killer who lives a nomadic life and murders randomly without any apparent motif, except this: he will kill someone anywhere he stops. He does not present the typical characteristics of a serial killer in that his victims share no common ground, but that on his part is intentional. When he decides to stay with his old jail-buddy Otis, his evil influence starts seeping out to him in unprecedented ways and the two go on a brutal spree. The characters of Henry and Otis are inspired by condemned real-life serial killers Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole.
Hounds Of Love (2017)
This movie is based on the crimes of Australia’s most infamous serial killers: couple David and Catherine Birnie. They were convicted for having “abducted, raped, and killed four young women in a five-week period in 1986.” In the film Vicki Maloney, an adolescent privately stressed by her parents’ recent divorce, spends the weekend at her mother's place in the isolated suburbs. After an intense dispute, Vicki secretly leaves to go to a party and is enticed into the car of an outwardly honest couple, John and Evelyn White. She quickly finds herself a hostage of John and Evelyn, trapped inside a dark world of brutality and control.
The Conjuring (2013)
This film that spawned the infamous franchise that now includes Annabelle and The Nun needs no introduction. It tells the story of one of the cases of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (whose reports were also related to The Amityville Horror book).
We follow the Perron family (Roger, Carolyn, and their children) who move into a new house in Rhode Island and begin experiencing strange occurrences, uncanny visions, and the presence of malevolent spirits. Because of this they call the Warrens. With an 85% Certified Fresh status on Rotten Tomatoes, the film was highly praised: “Well-crafted and gleefully creepy, The Conjuring ratchets up dread through a series of effective old-school scares.”
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
This courtroom drama/psychological horror film starts with the pending trial of Father Moore for the negligent homicide of Emily Rose, a girl who died from malnourishment and self-inflicted injuries that occurred during what her family considered demonic possession. The story of Emily, her condition, and subsequent exorcism is told in flashbacks through testimonies and discussions between Moore and his attorney Erin Bruner.
The film is based on the story of German girl Anneliese Michel who died after having gone through multiple exorcisms. The real recordings of Annelise being used as a vessel for demons to speak through still survive to this day and they truly are one of the most disturbing things one could listen to.