7 Horror Movies You Won’t Believe Are Based On True Stories

We over here at Let’s Talk Movies enjoy nothing more than curling up on the couch on a Friday night with a bag of popcorn and taking a trip down memory lane as we watch one of the popular horror movies released throughout the year. Seeing a scary movie is enjoyable, but what makes a scary movie even scarier is knowing that it is based on a true story. Being aware of the fact that somebody actually suffered such terror is something that makes it so much more difficult for you to sleep that night.

In this article, we are going to give you a list of 7 horror movies that are actually based on true stories.

7. The Conjuring (2013)

In reality The Conjuring is based on the true story of Ed and Lorraine Warren. After studying the subject on his own, World War 2 veteran Ed Warren became a self-proclaimed demonologist. Lorraine, Ed’s wife, had claimed to be a clairvoyant and medium who could communicate with demons.

Warrens maintain that all of the events depicted in the movies were real, despite the fact that they appear over-dramatized and impossible to believe. Lorraine worked as a consultant on the film after Ed died in 2006 and claims she didn’t let the directors take any more dramatic license than was necessary.

6. Psycho (1960)

Could A ‘Secret Wars’ Movie Be On The Way?

This movie was directed by the great Alfred Hitchcock, for which he received an Academy Award nomination.

Adapted from a true story that caught Bloch’s attention in 1959, the novel was loosely inspired by a true story. According to the author, serial killer Ed Gein inspired Norman Bates. Bloch lived less than fifty miles from Gine in Wisconsin, and the two men had many similarities. Both Gein and Norman committed their crimes in rural areas. Additionally, they had oppressive mothers for whom they built shrines, and they wore women’s clothing.

5. The Amityville Horror (2005)

There’s no denying that the history of Amityville’s notoriety really began with a true horror, whether you believe in ghosts or not. During the early hours of November 13, 1974, a man named Ronald DeFeo Jr killed his mother, father, and four siblings while they slept in 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville, NY. With its residents dead, the property became available, and in December 1975, the Lutz family moved in.

After 28 days in the house, George and Kathy Lutz, along with their three children, left. They claim that they were driven out by terrifying paranormal activity linked to the murders. There were alleged sightings of demons, objects moving on their own, slime pouring from the walls, a fly infestation in the dead of winter, strange demonic voices, and the family was attacked by unseen forces in the house.

4. Child’s Play (1988)

The Seven Greatest Superhero Movies of all Time Ranked!

Chucky is based on a real-life voodoo doll named Robert. The story of Robert is even more terrifying than that of Chucky – he seeks vengeance just like Chucky.

Robert Otto was also reported to possess supernatural abilities by neighbors and friends of the Otto family. According to legend, Robert would blink, laugh, or wander about the house when the Otto family was absent. Eugene’s parents heard bloodcurdling screams often from Eugene’s room, and Robert, Eugene’s faithful doll, was always by his side when they looked after him. Eugene’s aunt, who lived with them, suggested that Robert be locked up in the attic. The aunt passed away that night. Despite the lack of evidence that Robert was responsible for the doll’s disappearance, the Ottos decided to appease the doll by bringing it back to stay in Eugene’s room.

3. A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)

READ NEXT: Who Will Be The Next James Bond?

Even if you thought The Nightmare On Elm Street scared you, wait until you read the terrifying true story that inspired it.

Craven revealed that the idea for A Nightmare on Elm Street came from reading a Los Angeles Times article about survivors of the Cambodian Killing Fields. A young boy in the family arrived in the United States, but he was still plagued by terrible nightmares while he slept. It only gets worse from there. He told his parents he was afraid the thing chasing him would get him if he slept, so he tried to stay awake for days at a time. “When he finally fell asleep, they thought the crisis was over. Suddenly, they heard screams. “By the time they reached him, he was in the middle of a nightmare.”

2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Although Leatherface was fictional, some elements of 1974’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre were inspired by real events.

Tobe Hooper came up with the idea for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in the early 1970s after observing much of the violence in the local news. Serial killers Ed Gein and Elmer Wayne Henley were credited by Hooper as being the inspiration for Leatherface. In addition to wearing women’s clothing and mutilating bodies, Leatherface was also inspired by Gein, who inspired Norman Bates in Psycho. Hooper came up with the idea of using a chainsaw as the primary weapon while stuck in a hardware store.

1. The Exorcist (1973)

READ NEXT: The Seven Greatest Superhero Movies of all Time Ranked!

More than 40 years ago, the cult classic The Exorcist terrified the world, but the story about a 12-year-old girl’s demonic possession held more truth than we realized.

The Exorcist was based on William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel of the same name, which itself was inspired by Roland Doe, a pseudonym given by the Catholic Church to the victim. The diary kept by the priest at the time, Fr. Wilson, contains most of the details surrounding Doe’s alleged possession and exorcisms. These details come from an at the time newspaper report, as well as Raymond Bishop’s book.

Roland’s aunt died and he began hearing strange noises in the basement. In the boy’s grandmother’s room, he saw an image of Jesus twist and move as if someone was hitting the wall behind it. After calling pest control, the family thought it was mice, but what happened next gave them no doubt – it wasn’t rodents. The mattress of Roland moved violently in the middle of the night, there was a bashing sound coming from the basement, a smell of excrement filled the air, and ordinary objects were suspended in the air. An acquaintance was sitting in their house when the boy threw himself from a chair without warning and landed multiple feet away.

Make sure to follow us over on Facebook & Instagram for more movie news and content.