The Scariest Movies Based On True Stories

Original source : http://www.monstermoviereviews.com
Posted : June 2014
Author : monmovad

When it comes to scary movies, we all get extra shivers when we see onscreen that a movie is based on true stories. Can you think of the scariest movies inspired from reality? We made a list of some of the best movies from the horror genre that took their inspiration from real facts, let’s see which one scared you the most:

Jaws

One of the most well-known horror movies, Jaws was based on Peter Benchley’s novel, and the author got his inspiration from the story of a fisherman from Long Island who, in 1964 caught a great white shark. The waters don’t look that safe now, do they?

The Exorcist

There are numerous exorcism movies out there but one has remained in the mind of the viewers as great cult classic, The Exorcist from 1973. The movie is actually based on the true story of boy who was considered to be possessed. Roland Doe, not his real name, just a pseudonym, was brought in to be exorcised by the Catholic Church in 1949. The movie was made from the novel of Peter Blatty and he got his inspiration from Doe’s case. Looks even scarier now, doesn’t it?

Psycho

When you say “horror film” you say Hitchcock but how surprised are you to see the movie about the mysterious and creepy Norman Bates on this list? We all know that the movie is based on Robert Bloch’s novel but where did the author have his inspiration? Rumor has it that he was inspired in writing his book from a Wisconsin serial killer, Ed Gein.

The Silence of the Lambs

Speaking of Ed Gein, he was also an inspiration for Thomas Harris’ Silence of the Lambs, he would skin his victims; the story was also based on the known killer Ted Bundy. His relationship with Robert Keppel, a professor and criminal profiler was the base for Clarice’s relationship with Hannibal Lecter. Isn’t it weird how sometimes life is weirder than fiction?

The Hills Have Eyes

This freaky scary movie is not everyone’s favorite, a story about a flesh-eating family will surely creep you to death, especially since the movie is so graphic. The script was based on the legend of Alexander Sawney Bean, the head of a 48-member clan 16th century from Scotland. The clan gained its fame for mass murdering and cannibalizing. So you see, history has some very dark and twisted skeletons in its closet.

Dead Ringers

One of Jeremy Irons’ best movies, David Cronenberg cult film about identical twins Elliot and Beverly was based on the true story of Stewart and Cyril Marcus, twins and gynecologists, found dead from withdrawal. The twins suffered from barbiturate addiction. David Cronenberg found their story interesting and used parts of it as an inspiration for his famous film. To this day, Dead Ringer is one of the most controversial movies in the history of cinema, considered a masterpiece by many and hard to watch by few.

A Nightmare on Elm Street

The horror story of a generation, A Nightmare on Elm Street is the movie that haunted teenagers from all over the world and it still does, given its multiple reruns, remakes and spin-offs. While the actual story is fictional, the director and writer said that he was slightly inspired by a group of Cambodian immigrants who died due to their nightmares. The story appeared in the LA Times and that’s how Wes Craven got his inspiration for the famous Nightmare on Elm Street.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre

What a weird movie this was, right? Texas Chainsaw massacre will forever remain a cult classic but did you know that the character of Leatherface is somewhat inspired form a real-life person? The plot of the movie is fictional but this character was inspired by a serial killer who, when arrested, was found in possession of human skin masks. Creepy, no? You would not want to think that there are people out there committing these kind of atrocities but as you can see, life always surprises us.

Zodiac

The Zodiac killer is one of the most popular serial killers in history, it was only natural that books, movies and plays were made from his story. The thriller was directed by David Fincher and was based on the non-fiction book with the same name. The Zodiac Killer operated in San Francesco in the 1970s, and his modus operandi was taunt the police with letters mailed to newspapers. His case remains one of the most infamous unsolved murder mysteries in the history of the San Francisco’s police department.

Hard Candy

Hard Candy is a vigilante thriller about a young girl who finds and tortures a suspected sexual predator. The movie is quite graphical and its release was surrounded by controversy from both the audience and critics due to its clear depict of torturing methods and due to the sexual charge of the film. The producer of the independent movie got his inspiration from something he heard in the news about a women from Tokyo who allegedly was luring men into traps promising them sex. The director said that he did not find that particular news again and that his story was merely an idea that raised from that press segment, so in the end, we are not sure how much of a reality is in Hard Candy.

As you can see, life has a tendency to surprise and scare us even more than horror fiction does. Just imagine how many unknown cases are there and how many more scary movies will be inspired from the tales of life.

~Blog Admin~