There are nights when all we want to do is curl up in bed and watch a horror movie. We all love doing that, but what makes a scary movie scarier is knowing that it is based on a true story. Knowing that somebody actually went through that terror in reality is something that does not let one sleep easily.
Here are 25 horror movies based on true incidents that you absolutely need to see:
#25. The Exorcist (1973)
The Exorcist is based on a book which is based on real life of a boy named Roland Doe who was possessed by demons in 1949. The exorcism was so scary that there have been books written on people who witnessed it. This story will give you goosebumps, all for real reasons.
#24. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
This movie is loosely based on America’s famous serial killer Ed Gein who had nine human skin masks in his possession at the time of his arrest. Spooky, isn’t it?
#23. A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)
Love blood, gore and knife-fingered ghosts? This is it then. The makers of this movie were inspired by a group of Laotian refugees who had died in throes of a nightmare. The medical reports said there was nothing wrong with them physically.
#22. Child’s Play (1988)
The script was based on a nurse who allegedly put a voodoo curse on author Robert Eugene Otto which transformed one of his childhood dolls into a night-time menace. We all have seen scary movies with possessed dolls but knowing that the doll really existed is spooky!
#21. The Amityville Horror (2005)
The movie is based on the events that took place in 1975 at 112, Ocean Avenue, the new house of the Lutz family in Amityville. This has been a very discussed case among paranormal researchers. There have been reports that the story is fake but horror still stays when you hear about Amityville.
#20. Psycho (1960)
This thriller-horror movie is loosely inspired by Ed Gein’s crimes and Wisconsin murders. There have been various follow-ups of this movie. It is an absolute must watch.
#19. The Girl Next Door (2007)
This movie is loosely based on what is said to be the most terrible crime of Indiana state. Sylvia Likens was tortured and eventually killed by Gertrude Baniszewski in 1965 and the movie is inspired by it.
#18. The Conjuring (2013)
Ed and Lorraine Warren are real life paranormal investigators who claim that this case was exceptionally hard for them to deal with. Fan of possessed dolls? We have it here for you.
#17. Deranged (1974)
Ever loved someone so much that you kept their body even after their death? This 1974 movie is exactly about that. It is inspired by the life of America’s most notorious serial killer, Ed Gein.
#16. Ravenous (1999)
We all enjoy a good meal but what if you had to eat human meat for your next meal? Yes, this is one of the most underrated movies on cannibalism which will spook you like nothing else can. Because you are what you eat, quite literally.
#15. The Rite (2011)
Like stories on exorcism and the devil? Based on the life of one of the most famous exorcists of America, Father Gary Thomas, this movie will scare the hell out of you. One piece of advice: Don’t try this alone.
#14. The Haunting In Connecticut (2009)
The plot of this movie is not new. You buy a new place to live and you are not happily received by the ghosts. What is scary is that we know this really happened to Al and Carmen Snedeker who had their house over a funeral parlor.
#13. Borderland (2007)
Based on a real cult leader Adolfo de Jesús Constanzo, this movie has gory details of how human sacrifice was practiced by the cult. Spoiler: Toes. fingers and even brain were cut out by him, and you can watch all of that in this movie.
#12. The Strangers (2008)
This movie has psychopaths and murders. The director of this movie drew inspiration from the murders by serial killer Charles Mansion and a series of events that took place near his childhood home. Love gripping movies that scare till the very end? If yes, then this is it.
#11. The Entity (1982)
In 1974, paranormal investigators Kerry Gaynor and Barry Taff worked at a place where they saw moving objects. This movie is based on the same incident where the ghost abuses sexually.
#10. The Exorcism Of Emily Rose (2005)
This is based on the life of Anneliese Michel who was possessed by demons so strong that her exorcism took nearly an year to accomplish. It is one of the most famous exorcism movies and it is all real!
#9. The Possession (2012)
This movie is based on the real haunted dybukk box story. Whoever bought that box faced its consequences. Numerous owners of the box reported strange things happening to them on Ebay. So are you looking for a box to keep your wine bottles safe?
#8. Deliver Us From Evil (2014)
Like exorcism movies with twisted old tricks? This is what will save you. It is based on a book called Beware The Night which is based on non-fictional events. Book yourself in for this.
#7. Eaten Alive (1980)
Want some alligator related horror flick? Keep this up on your list. This is based on Joe Ball, a man who killed around 20 women and watched the alligators feed on them. It’s so gory but it’s worth it because it did happen for real!
#6. Fire In The Sky (1993)
Can you guess how it’d feel to be captured by aliens and lie in a cocoon next to corpses of other people from earth? Travis Walton alleges that aliens captured him in 1975 and this movie revolves around what happens to him. It’s a scary science fiction you just can’t miss!
#5. Curse Of The Zodiac (2007)
Based on a serial killer called the “Zodiac”, this horror movie has a lot of cryptic messages and codes to decode. But at your own risk!
#4. Silent House (2011)
It is an independent American horror movie based on a real incident in Uruguay. If you like “real time” footage in your horror movies then this is it.
#3. Annabelle (2014)
The opening scene of this movie is just like that of The Conjuring. And the story continues with the most scary possessed doll there has ever been. It is also true that people who taunted the doll in the museum faced near death or fatal accidents. Spooked? So are we.
#2. The Dentist (1966)
One thing we know for sure is that after seeing this movie, your next visit to the dentist will be really hard. It is based on a dentist who turned out to be a serial killer.
#1. Wolf Creek (2005)
What did your mom say about not talking to strangers? This movie is loosely based on two men, Ivan Milat and Bradley John Murdoch and their crimes. This movie will send shivers down your spine!
