The Top 10 Horror Movies Based on True Events (No, Seriously…)

Its a gag. I get it. But holy shit does it work. There’s something about knowing a movie is “based on true events”, even if we are pretty certain it isn’t that makes the hairs on your neck stand up a little straighter. Sure, the “true” part is often stretched thinner than the reasoning why the group should split up to investigate those noises. That’s half the fun, isn’t it? Today, we’re diving into the terrifying world of horror films theoretically inspired by events at least some people say really happened. Get your cameras ready. Its time to document what your sisters boyfriends best friend told you happened down the street in 1975. Here are 10 Horror Movies Based on True Events.

1. The Exorcist (1973)

Do you feel a chill in the air? That’s probably Pazuzu. This joke doesn’t make sense because theoretically Pazuzu comes from the desert. But its cold as hell in St. Louis or Washington DC. Both theoretical locations of the real exorcism. Best I can tell, this iconic film was based on the exorcism of a young boy known by the pseudonym “Roland Doe.” In the late 1940s, priests allegedly performed an exorcism to rid Roland of demonic possession. The movie amplified this with pea soup,rotating heads, and the worst place to get a splinter, but the original story is just as eerie—if not as messy. For more about demons who refuse to pay rent, check out the excellent How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix. I hear its based on real life events…(its not).

2. The Amityville Horror (1979)

No one took more advantage of the moniker “based on real events” than the pair of grifters known as Ed and Lorraine Warren. While they looked at lots of haunted houses. That house where the walls bled leads the way. Oh, the Amityville house—the fixer-upper from hell. This film is based on the alleged experiences of the Lutz family, who claimed to encounter paranormal activity after moving into a house where a gruesome mass murder had occurred. Was it ghosts or just a bad case of buyer’s remorse? You decide. If you’re into haunted real estate, you can visit a number of the haunted houses the Warren’s investigated.

3. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Leatherface is scary enough to keep you off of other peoples properties in Texas (As if you needed a real reason anyway. This classic slasher was loosely (and by loosely we mean looser than an Ash Williams handshake) inspired by Ed Gein, a Wisconsin man who moonlighted as a grave robber and all-around weirdo. By weirdo we mean lampshades made out of human flesh, and braying at the full moon. He had a lot going on. While Gein never actually wielded a chainsaw, his hobby of crafting furniture from human remains made might make him an Etsy star now but it “inspired” lots of horror films.

4. Psycho (1960)

Speaking of inspired by that weirdo from the upper Midwest. Before Leatherface, there was Norman Bates. Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece, also drew inspiration from Ed Gein’s macabre activities. Gein was like the horror genre’s grim muse—but someone you’d never invite to dinner. Gein had a complicated relationship with his mother (they found bits and pieces of her) when they raided his home. While nothing is known about his bathing proclivities it isn’t too far a stretch to think he had both a shower curtain and a butcher knife.

5. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Freddy Krueger’s origin story might seem like pure fiction, but Wes Craven was inspired by a series of mysterious deaths among Southeast Asian refugees in the 1970s. There have been a number of television episodes based off of the same stories including an excellent if not a bit wonky episode of Friday the 13th the Series. Victims reportedly died in their sleep after experiencing vivid nightmares. Coincidence? Freddy doesn’t think so. However if “based on a real life dream” is the low standard we are meeting, than probably every horror movie is based on true events.

6. The Conjuring (2013)

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren’s the horror world’s MCP’s (most corrupt psychics)—documented countless hauntings that never happened, including the Perron family’s experiences in Rhode Island. This is one of the rare cases where it appears there is some ambiguity regarding the con. The Conjuring brought this case to the big screen, and while skeptics raise their eyebrows higher than Bathsheba’s desire to kill her own children (don’t think too hard about it, it still doesn’t make sense). Actual true event; Lorraine made a cameo in the film.

7. Annabelle (2014)

Look I promise this isn’t just an article shitting on the Warren’s, but like this whole marketing scheme was really pioneered by these two. The Annabelle doll, part of the Warrens’ spooky artifact collection, inspired this spin-off. Unlike the porcelain nightmare in the movies, the real Annabelle is a Raggedy Ann doll. You can view the actual doll in Omaha, Nebraska at The Museum of Shadows. Speaking firsthand, the vibes are not great at this place, especially in the basement. They have holy water down there for a reason. The museum specializes in “real life” artifacts.

8. The Strangers (2008)

This home-invasion horror flick was partly inspired by the Manson Family murders and a series of break-ins from director Bryan Bertino’s childhood neighborhood. The subsequent sequels are based off of the real life success of the first film (so like kind of based off of real life). The sequels are fine but nothing beats that moment where we learn they are murdering because “you were home”. It’s proof that sometimes, the scariest monsters are the ones who ring your doorbell at 2 a.m. Ok the scariest monsters are always the ones ringing the doorbell at 2:00 AM.

9. Veronica (2017)

Spain’s entry into the true-story horror canon is based on the Vallecas case, where a teenage girl reportedly died after dabbling with a Ouija board. Look even if you don’t believe in the supernatural can we all agree chatting with Captain Howdy is not all its cracked up to be. So when teenagers decide to play MASH with Belial bad things happen. Police files even describe paranormal activity witnessed by officers who investigated. Ouija boards: because regular board games just aren’t terrifying enough. No one ever finishes a game of Monopoly or Ouija.

10. The Girl Next Door (2007)

This deeply unsettling film is based on the true story of Sylvia Likens, whose abuse and murder in the 1960s shocked the nation. This is the most recent movie and incident on our list and it could be the best documented and hardest to read about. While the movie takes creative liberties, the true story is almost too horrifying to fathom. It’s a reminder that humans can be scarier than any ghost or ghoul. The book is a masterpiece in extreme horror. Check it out.

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Real-life horror stories don’t just make for great movies—they remind us that the world is a scary place, even without zombies or vampires. Whether you believe in ghosts, demons, or just the power of a well-told story, these films prove that truth is often stranger (and scarier) than fiction.

For more terrifying tales and expert analysis, keep visiting Signal Horizon. Remember next time you hear The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie is based off of a true event, it probably is.