They say that fact is stranger than fiction, and many events throughout history are not only stranger, but more horrifying as well. From demonic possessions to man-eating animals and missing persons, the world is truly a terrifying place.
The next time you watch one of the ten movies listed below, remember, they're all inspired by real events that the shook the world. Some are so shocking you might not even believe them yourself!
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (as well as Psycho and Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs) were all inspired by the notorious killer Ed Gein. Gein lived in Wisconson and had a very intense attachment to his mother. After she died, Gien began digging up the bodies of dead women to make a "suit" out of their skin. But soon, the dead weren't good enough, and he began murdering women for their skin. Gein claimed he wanted to make a female suit so he could literally become his mother. He was deemed clinically insane and died in a psychiatric facility in 1984.
The Ghost and the Darkness (1996)
In 1898, a group of construction workers in Africa was building the Kenya-Uganda Railway. One night, a lion crept into the work camp, dragging a man out into the bush. A few nights later, another man vanished...then another, and another. The workers soon discovered that there were actually two lions, now known as the Tsavo Man-Eaters. As the lions got bolder, they began hunting together.
Despite the workers building barbed-wire fences, bonfires, and watchtowers with armed guards, the lions couldn't be stopped. After months of attacks, the lions were finally shot, after claiming over 100 lives. The two lion bodies are now on display at the Field Museum in Chicago.
The Amityville Horror (1979)
In 1975, the Lutz family moved into their new home in Amityville, New York. Almost immediately after moving in, the family began hearing noises, and rotten smells filled the house. Before long, doors would open on their own, and George Lutz started waking up every night at 3:15 am. The family had a priest come to investigate the home, but after walking into one of the upstairs rooms, the priest heard a voice scream "Get out!" After just 28 days, the Lutz family literally ran out of the house and never returned. Afterward, they learned the true history of the house...
Amityville II: The Posession (1982)
Thirteen months before the Lutz family moved into the home, Ronald DeFeo Jr. shot his mother, father, and four siblings, at 3:15 am in the morning with a rifle. When the police investigated the crime scene, they were shocked to find that all the bodies were lying face down in their beds, without any sign of struggle or sedatives in their system. This led the police to believe that there must have been others involved, but when neighbors were questioned, none of them reported seeing cars approach the house or even hearing the sound of gunshots. In court, DeFeo claimed that voices in the house told him to do it.
The Mothman Prophecies (2001)
In November 1966, five cemetery workers reported seeing some kind of winged-man flying above them in the night sky in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. A few days later, four people reported that some kind of winged-man with glowing red eyes chased them in their car while driving on the outskirts of town. Soon, more and more sightings were reported. Before long, strange men in black suits arrived and started asking residents peculiar questions. They would late become known as "The Men in Black." Then, on December 15th, 1967, the final day of the Mothman sighting, the Silver Bridge, which connected Point Pleasant to Ohio, collapsed into the icy river, killing 47 people.
Devil's Pass (2013)
In 1959, a group of hikers died mysteriously while hiking in Russia's Ural Mountains. When a search party found the destroyed campsite, a shocking web of unexplained incidents emerged. The hiker's tents had been cut from the inside. Two bodies were found under a tree, only in their underwear. Others had burnt clothing, some had no shoes, and three had broken bones...but no external wounds. One of the bodies even contained high levels of radioactivity. The film's plot centers around a team who goes to Russia to investigate the mysterious case of what's now called the Dyatlov Pass Incident.
Rogue (2007)
In Australia, they not only have to worry about sharks, but they also have deadly saltwater crocodiles. Rogue centers around one of Australia's most famous crocs, Sweetheart. Sweetheart was a fisherman's worst nightmare, and throughout the 70s was notorious for attacking boats in the Northern Territory.
Sometimes, her push was even strong enough to tip the boat, flinging the fishermen into the murky waters. As Sweetheart's attacks became more and more frequent, the Aussie government knew they needed to put a stop to her. Now, she's stuffed in a museum and is a popular legend in Australian history.
The Fourth Kind (2009)
When The Fourth Kind was released, it was full of controversy. The movie claimed that it was 100% true and that aliens were responsible for numerous missing people in Nome, Alaska. Critics immediately panned the film for its false claims. Alaskans, however, were angry for another reason...
The state actually does have an extremely high amount of people who go missing, and Alaskans were mad that the movie was making a mockery of it. In fact, Alaska has the "Alaskan Triangle" which has seen more people vanish than the Bermuda Triangle. As far as the Nome cases go, at one point, so many people were going missing that the FBI was even called in to investigate.
The Conjuring (2013)
In the 70s, the Perron family moved into an idyllic farmhouse in Rhode Island. Soon, one of their daughters made a mysterious invisible friend, objects started moving on their own, and beds began to levitate off the floor. That's when the Perron family called in the now-famous paranormal duo, Ed and Lorraine Warren.
The Warren's held a séance to rid the house of spirits, and Mrs. Perron began screaming in a strange tongue. Soon after, the Perron moved out and never looked back.
Jaws (1975)
If Jaws wasn't already scary enough...wait till you hear the real story. The film was inspired by the Jersey Man-Eater. On July 1st, 1916, a man swimming in southern New Jersey was tragically killed by a shark. Five days later, another man was killed, this time further up the coast. What happened next would cement humans' fear of sharks forever.
Six days later, in a marshy creek 30 miles inland from the ocean, a shark was spotted by a local. However, the town dismissed his claims. Later that afternoon, a group of boys were attacked in the creek, and another boy, about half-mile away was attacked soon after. From then on, humans feared sharks as ferocious maneaters and swimming was never the same again.