10 Horror Movies That Are Based On A True Story | ScreenRant – Screen Rant

Ever watch a scary movie and wonder if the terrifying events on screen are real? Well...in somecases they are.

RELATED: 10 Low Budget Horror Movies That Are Better Than Blockbusters (& Where To Stream Them)

Of course, it's Hollywood, and Hollywood tends to over-exaggerate when it comes to their cinematography but some of the spooky stories below actually happened in real life. From hauntings, exorcisms, and possessed dolls, yes that's right possessed dolls, there's something creepy in store for everyone. Whether the movies are play-by-play accounts or contain tidbits inspired by real-life horrific events, there's no denying that they will send chills down spines. Here are 10 horror movies that are based on true stories.

Starring Jeremy Renner before he became a part of Marvel Universe's Avengers. This time he didn't play a superhero but quite the opposite of one: a cannibalistic serial killer.

This fictional biopic follows the horrid story of one of America's most disturbed citizens, Jeffrey Dahmer. Though Dahmer claimed the lives of many victimsduring his killing spree, this film follows his pursuit of a man named Rodney, known to be one of Dahmer's last victims in the movie. In real life, however, Dahmer killed as many as 17 young boys and men in extremely painful and sick ways.

This movie follows the story of the infamous 1970s serial killer Ted Bundy who terrorized, raped, and murdered young women across America. Starring Zac Efron as Ted Bundy it retells the killer's story and killing spree across seven states including Seattle, Oregon, and Utah.

Though the film itself is not as gruesome as the real events that transpired, it is not for the faint of heart and will give anyone who watches it the creeps. More importantly, it proves just how extremely wicked, shockingly evil, and vile Ted Bundy really was.

The Exorcistwas the biggest horror movie of its time back in 1973. It scared thousands of movie-goers across America, but what many people don't realize, is that the movie is based on a novel written by Peter Blatty which is based on a true story. When a 14-year-old boy from Maryland became possessed in 1949,thus began a month-long exorcism performed by a none other than a Jesuit priest.

RELATED: 10 Insane VHS Covers From 1980s Horror Movies

The boy and his family never released his real name, so he is known to horror fanatics as Roland Doe who was believed to be possessed by ten demons. Though his head never spun around 360 degrees nor did he vomit a putrid green substance, Roland was said to have suffered from seizures, violent screaming, bloody scratches on his body, and many other disturbing things.

Demons killing people in their sleep has not been proven (phew!) but A Nightmare On Elm Street was inspired by somethingtruly terrifying. Famed film director, Wes Craven came up with the idea for A Nightmare On Elm Street after reading an article in the LA Times about a family who survived The Cambodia Killing Fields.

Though the family escaped to America, their youngest boy had recurring nightmares about something chasing him. Because of this, he would try to stay awake for days at a time. When he fell asleep, he screamed throughout the night but by the time his family came to his aid, he was dead.This terrible incident became the premise for the movie.

There are hauntings, there are possessions, and then there are aliens: a whole other level of horror. Fire In The Skyis about a man who is abductedby aliens. And guess what? It's based on a true story.

Though the legitimacy of his story is questioned to this day, A man named Travis Walton claims he was abducted by aliens in 1978. According to Travis, he was zapped by an alien space ship. He woke up to strange creatures surrounding him and some even looked like humans. Missing for five days, Travis appeared out of the blue and lived to tell his story even though it was met with disbelief by many.

The Possession is loosely based on a true story and is about a haunted wine cabinet, otherwise known as a dybbuk box. In the movie, a young girl is drawn to an antique wooden box she finds at a yard sale but in real life, this wooden box was actually sold on EBay. In both versions, fictional and real, strange and spooky things begin happening to the new owners of the box.

RELATED: 10 Best Horror Films About Demonic Possession

What's even more chilling, is that the cast and crew also experienced supernatural events while filming. This included exploding lightbulbs, chilly drafts on set, and a mysterious fire with no source that destroyed the film's props.

This film terrorized viewers with its extremely unsettling nature. Everyone fears being home alone and everyone fears experiencing a home invasion by strangers. This movie happens to bring those fears to the surface in the worst bloody kind of way.

What makes it interesting is that it was inspired by true events lived by the director, Bryan Bertino. When he was a little boy he lived in a secluded neighborhood with very few surrounding houses. When he and his little sister were home alone, strangers knocked on the door looking for someone who didn't live at the residence. Bryan's family later found out these strangers were breaking into people's houses if they were not home.

The Shiningis inspired by hauntings in Colorado's infamous Stanley Hotel. In 1974, Stephen King and his wife stayed in the isolated and empty hotel which ultimately gave him both an eerie feeling and the idea for his horror novel turned film, The Shining. During his stay, he slept in a room with a haunted history and reported seeing figures, hearing unexplained noises, and had some of his belongings stolen and broken.

When a hoteljanitor, Jack Torrance, is ruled by an evil force called "The Shining," itgives him the ability to see into the hotel's evil past and supernatural present. The force is so strong it causes Jack to wreak havoc on his family.

The Winchester Mystery House is real and it's Hollywood adaptation is based on a true story. Known as one of the most haunted mansions in the world, this house is seven stories tall and was once home to Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester Repeating Arms fortune. According to Sarah, the house was haunted byspirits who were killed by Winchester rifles. Throughout hertime living in the house, it is said that construction never stopped because Sarah wanted to appease the spirits killed by the company's firearms.

RELATED: 10 Horror Movies That Were Snubbed At The Academy Awards

Now the house is a creepy tourist attraction. Its odd floorplan includes a stairway that doesn't lead anywhere, a doorway that opens out into nothing, and the number thirteen written into the home's strange decor.

While many believe this movie to be fiction, The Exorcism Of Emily Rose is based on a true story about a girl named Anneliese Michel. Shocking right?

When Anneliese was in her teenage years, she found herself blacking out into a trance-like state. This trance-like state slowly evolved into things nightmares are made of including, convulsions, wetting the bed, and scary growling. According to Annelise, she was possessed by five demons who would fight amongst one another to have power over her body. The movie might be scary, but the true story is truly terrifying.

NEXT: 10 Great Horror Movies That Are Surprisingly Uplifting

Next Harry Potter: 5 Ways Hagrid Was Actually The Best Father Figure in Harrys Life (& 5 It Was Sirius)

Gabriela is a writer for Screen Rant. She is a Communications graduate with a double minor in English and Publishing who is currently working in the field of marketing. Before writing for Screen Rant, Gabriela wrote for Screen Rants sister site, The Things and local blogs. Her topics of choice focused on art, culture, and fun things to do. Not only does Gabriela have a passion for art and culture, but also loves fashion and like many fellow TV and movie addicts, binging series on Netflix. Gabriela is fluent in memes, puns, and sarcasm. She loves witty phrases and cracking dad jokes every now and then and does not apologize for including them in her articles.

See the rest here:
10 Horror Movies That Are Based On A True Story | ScreenRant - Screen Rant