What are the 38 horror movies based on true stories? This question has risen in popularity recently as many are posing this question online. This is one of the genres which is liked by most of the watching population around the globe, and this is one of the genres which also scares most people. As people usually most people are inclined to romantic comedies, comedies, and something chill to enjoy.
Horror movies make everyone wait until the end to find out what is going to happen. It sure does include frightening scenes and unnatural things, but at the same time, it also excites people, as some people love frightening scenes. The joy of watching horror movies has risen recently. Horror movies represent dark and disturbing subject matter, seeking to elicit responses such as fear, terror, shock, and suspense.
As we know, in this world, both good and evil exist, so there are movies that are based on true stories of horror which people have experienced in their lifetime. Sit back and add them to your list and add those you are yet to binge-watch to your watch list. Also, let us know which other movie would have made it to our list of “38 horror movies based on true stories.”
Also read: Adult Horror Movies To Watch this February
The Conjuring (2013)
The Conjuring is based on the lives of real-life paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren, who dies in 2019, and Patrick Wilson portrays her late husband, Ed. They both document the Perron family’s paranormal experiences which they experience at their farmhouse during the 1970s.
Most viewers assumed that the movie was nothing more than the imagination of the director James Wan. However, later on, it was found that the movie was based on a true story. The two most famous cases came under the production of the Conjuring franchise, and the world got to know their story.
Colonia (2015)
Emma Watson is yet back again with another challenging role in Colonia. Colonia is based on a true story. Emma Watson’s character in the movie tracks down her husband, who is taken away by Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.
She eventually finds him secluded settlement of Colonia Dignidad, which is a mysterious cult-like colony. Once she joins the cult, all the twists and turns begin. The story of Emma Watson and her husband is fictionalized, but the story of the cult is real. The colony in the movie is shown as horrifying.
Changeling (2008)
Changeling is based on a true story of the abductions and killings of more than 20 young boys in California in the 1920s. The movie tells a story of a woman whose son is abducted. The police claim to have found him, but they have not brought back the same boy. The story is based on real-life events. The murders which happened in the 1920s are known as the Winneville Chicken Soup murders.
Grimm Love (2006)
Grimm Love is a true story based on Armin Meiwes. The movie focuses on a graduate student who becomes obsessed with the cannibalistic killer whom she is searching for her thesis. She begins to dive into dark urges herself. The subject she chooses for her thesis is the cannibal killer Oliver Hartwin who is played by Thomas Kretschmann.
Oliver dreamed of eating a willing victim. With the help of the internet has just found the perfect victim who has volunteered himself who is a young man named Simon Grombeck. The movie is directed by music-video specialist Martin Weisz and is written by T.S. Faull. The movie contains some gore scenes which give chills to the audience.
Devil’s Knot (2014)
Devil’s knot is based on the true story of West Memphis Three. Devil knot portrays the story of what happens when three young boys are mysteriously murdered in the woods, and then the three teens are arrested for a crime they didn’t commit because everyone labeled them Satanists.
The movie is based on the 2002 true crime book by Mara Leveritt. The teens who were arrested were sentenced to death, and two of them were given life imprisonment before they were released after eighteen years. The movie is directed by Atom Egoyan.
The Watcher (2017)
The Watcher is based on the events detailed in New York Magazine/The Cut article written by Reeves Wiedeman, which was first published in 2018. The movie tells the true story of Derek and Maria Broaddus, who bought a new house in the suburbs of Westfield, but what they never expected was to get tortured by a stalker in 2014.
They got letters from an anonymous stalker who appeared to be watching their every movie right after they shifted into their new luxury house. The identity of the watcher remains undisclosed, and he has not been captured by the police. The story is horrifying, as someone who is keeping watch over your every move can pose so much danger.
The Amityville Horror (2005)
This is the remake of The Amityville Horror, released in 1979, and is based on the true experiences of the Lutz Family. The movies are based on a book written by Jay Anson, which was published in September 1977. In 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr. killed his entire family at their house, which was 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York. He claimed to have murdered them because he was persuaded by the voices he heard in the house.
One year after the incident, a married couple moved into the house, George and Kathy Lutz, along with Kathy’s three children from the previous marriage, Billy, Michael, and Chelsea. The family soon recognizes something paranormal going on in the house. Chelsea claims that she has made a friend named Jodie, which was among the murdered children of DeFeo.
Black Water (2007)
Are you afraid of crocodiles? If yes, then you might want to skip this one. If not, then add it to your list as soon as possible. The story is based on a true story of a crocodile attack in Australia’s northern territory in December 2003. Three explorers, a pregnant woman, along with her husband, and her sister, take a boat tour of mangrove swamps, which were terrorized by crocodiles.
Grace, who doesn’t tell her husband, Adam, about the pregnancy, gets all geared up for the tour. While they go deep into the swamps, the boat starts to topple. All the people in the boat fall into the water, leading to Jim, the guide’s death underwater. Adam has realized that a crocodile has attacked Jim. Grace died in the end due to her injuries. The movie shows horrifying and chills-giving scenes.
Lizzie (2018)
Lizzie is a 2018 American biographical thriller movie directed by Craig William Macneill. The movie is based on the real-life story of Lizzie Borden. Lizzie, who is 32 years old, resides with her father, Andrew, her stepmother, Abby, and her elder sister, Emma. Borden’s family are the prominent members of the community, so Lizzie has to follow all the strict actions designed by her father.
Bridget Maggie Sullivan moves into the Borden family to work as a servant. Lizzie and Bridget immediately hit it off. One morning Bridget gets a letter from Ireland informing her about her mother’s death. Later that night, Lizzie finds Andrew sexually assaulting Bridget in the attic servant’s quarters.
Later on, Lizzie and Bridget get involved romantically with each other, and the father finds them having sex in the fields. Lizzie went on to brutally murder her father and her stepmom and was found guilty.
Escape From Pretoria (2020)
Escape from Pretoria is based on a true story of a real-life prison escape by three political prisoners in South Africa in the year 1979. The movie includes Daniel Radcliffe and Daniel Webber. It is based on the 2003 book called Inside Out: Escape from Pretoria Prison written by Tim Jenkin, who was one of the escapees.
The movie goes back to 1979, when Tim Jenkins, and Stephen Lee, were two white South Africans carrying out the Apartheid missions. Both of them got arrested and were sentenced to twelve and eight years, respectively. Now the two of them plan to escape from the prison and what follows next is horrifying.
Borderland (2007)
The movie is based on the true story of Adolfo de Jesus Constanzo, who is a drug lord and the leader of a religious cult that practiced human sacrifice. And is an American-Mexican horror movie written and directed by Zev Berman.
The drug lord finds it amusing to practice human sacrifices. That must be highly scary for someone to watch. The movie includes three college students who go to Mexico for a good time, but after having a party with two local women, one of the students goes missing. The events coming further are just horrifying and sufferable.
Silent House (2011)
Silent House is based on a true story and is a psychological thriller based on a young woman who gets trapped in a ghostly house. The movie is a remake of the 2010 film La Casa Muda which was based on a true story about real-life incidents which occurred in a small town in Uruguay in the 40s.
The woman got terrorized in her old family vacation house while she was cleaning the property with her father and her uncle. An interesting fact about the movie is that it was shot in one take. No cuts, no retakes, and one single shot.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
This is a remake of the original movie, which was released in 1974, under the same name, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and is based on the actions of real-life murderer Ed Gein. The movie focuses on five young adults who are on their way to a concert after traveling to Mexico to purchase marijuana.
While they were driving, they picked up a traumatized hitchhiker. The murderer likes the fictitious serial killer Leatherface who would mutilate the bodies of his victims and would like to wear their skin on his own.
Zodiac (2007)
Zodiac is a 2007 American mystery thriller movie that tells the story of the manhunt for the Zodiac killer, who is a serial murderer. The identity of the Zodiac killer is unknown, and she is the most wanted killer in the United States.
The killer terrorized everybody in San Francisco during the late 1960s, and early 1970s is still claimed to be roaming the earth. The movie’s star cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr, Anthony Edwards, and John Carroll Lynch.
The Quiet Ones (2014)
The Quiet Ones is a 2014 British supernatural movie which is based on Philip’s experiment, which was a 1972 parapsychology experiment conducted in Toronto. The movie is directed by John Pogue, and Ben Holden is the producer.
The Quiet One is a story of a professor named Joseph Coupland, whose wish is to prove that the supernatural does not exist. He questions the existence of supernatural beings, and the movie revolves around the same subject. The movie contains many supernatural and horrific scenes.
The Haunting In Connecticut (2009)
The Haunting in Connecticut is a true story of Carmen Snedeker, directed by Peter Cornwell and produced by Golden Circle Firms. The movie has faced the controversy of being based on a true story. The story involves Sara Campbell, who is driving her son Matt home from the hospital where he has been undergoing cancer treatments.
The paranormal activities that the Snedeker family experienced have been claimed to be true. Ed and Lorraine Warren, the paranormal experts, said that the house was built on a place that was a former funeral house that was cured by an exorcism.
The Snowtown Murders (2012)
The Snowtown Murders is an Australian biographical crime drama directed by Justin Kurzel, which is his directorial debut. The movie has done very good justice to the story and portrayed it in the best way possible. It is hard to watch this horrific abuse and corruption of a teenager, and the story is based on real facts. The movie received quite positive reviews from critics. The movie is full of horrors, so watch it at your own risk.
Hounds of Love (2017)
Hounds of Love is a horror movie that tells a real story of a teen girl who is held hostage by a couple, and the movie shows her efforts to escape them. The movie is based on a real-life crime committed by David and Catherine Birnie. The movie revolves around Vicki Maloney, who is an intelligent and charismatic young girl who got terrorized in the suburbs of western Australia.
Vicki is trapped in the dark world of John and Evelyn, where she experiences terror, violence, and domination. With no way to escape, Vicki realizes that the owners are planning to murder her. Vicki soon realizes she must find a way to survive. What will Vicki do? Watch the movie to find out.
Things Heard and Seen (2021)
The tale is supernatural and is based on the real-life experiences of Elizabeth Brundage’s daughters, who began talking about children who claimed to be dead at home due to a house fire.
But in the movie, it was Catherine who got involved in supernatural activity and started communicating with the dead. In the novel, it is revealed that Catherine was killed by George, but in the movie, that leads to the climax and is then revealed. Watch this supernatural thriller, and don’t forget to have your popcorn with you.
Open Water (2003)
The story is based on what happened to American tourists. Open Water is a 2003 American horror thriller movie. The story revolves around an American couple who go scuba diving while they are on vacation, but they find themselves stranded miles from shore in shark-filled waters.
The movie is based on the true story of Tom and Eileen Lonergan, who, in the year 1998, went out with a scuba diving group. The couple in the movie goes on this adventurous ride due to their overwork schedule, and they are not able to give time to each other, but destiny has something else in store for them.
Annabelle (2014)
Annabelle, a name that I think everybody has heard of, is a doll that has scared everybody; according to the Warren couple, the doll was given to the student nurse in the year 1971. The doll appeared in the conjuring universe. The student nurse said that the doll behaved strangely and that a psychic medium was used.
The student and her roommate tried to accept and nurture the spirit-possessed doll, but all the horrific things started to happen. The film series includes Annabelle (2014), Annabelle: Creation (2017), and Annabelle Comes Home (2019). The character of Annabelle first appeared in The Conjuring (2013).
The Disappointments Room (2016)
The Disappointments Room is inspired by a true story. There is a haunting true story behind the premise of the disappointments room. The story involves a secret room in the attic of an old house where its dark history is discovered by the residents. A dark history, many twists and turns, many secrets, and a perfect watch for the weekend.
Kate Beckinsale, Mel Raido, and Duncan Joiner play the roles of a family who has just shifted in and discovered the space. They learned that The Disappointments Room is where a child is locked up for being disabled. That’s kind of horrific, right? The premise of the movie is inspired by Rhode Island Woman who also discovered the same room in her house.
The Exorcism Of Emily Rose (2005)
The Exorcism of Emily Rose is adaptive to a true story and is an American Horror Supernatural movie directed by Scott Derrickson. The film is based on the story of Anneliese Michel and follows a self-proclaimed agnostic who acts as defense counsel and is a representative of a parish priest who is accused of performing an exorcism.
The movie’s title is kept because of a girl name Emily Rose who died in an exorcism. It is based on the real case of Anneliese Michel, who died at the age of 23 due to starvation as she had undergone 67 exorcisms. That’s a lot to take it all in for a human body. So think of what horrific and painful this movie is going to be.
The Possession (2012)
The movie follows the story of a young girl who has recently bought a box from a yard sale. Of course, the box is home to a spirit. The story is based on a true story of a haunted wine cabinet box. The first story came out in the 2000s, and its haunting story first came out. It all started with an eBay sale where the box was listed at the price of $1.00.
The contents of the box include locks of hair, a couple of pennies, a wine cup, a slab of granite, and a dried flower. The box ended up selling for almost $300. The original buyer of the box was Kevin Mannis, who purchased the box from a 103-year-old Holocaust survivor. The scenes are horrific and scary to watch, so watch at your own risk.
The Strangers (2008)
The Strangers is a 2008 American psychological thriller movie directed by Bryan Bertino, is his directorial debut. The movie’s premise includes when three killers in masks terrorize the couple living in the suburban home, and the couple is played by Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman.
The story is based on a quadruple homicide that occurred in a cabin in the woods located in rural California, which is known as the Keddie Murders. The masked men, after stabbing the couple, came across two young boys on bicycles, and the boys, later on, discovered the murdered bodies of Kristen, James, and Mike.
The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014)
The movie is a remake of the original movie released in 1976 and revolves around the story of a Texas ranger as he follows a serial killer who is threatening a small town. The movie is based on the Texarkana Moonlight Murders of 1946 when a killer murdered five people in 10 weeks.
The case till now remains unsolved. The movie is directed and produced by Charles B. Pierce, and the writer is Earl E Smith. The film you are about is based on real events, and what you are going to witness is just pure horror.
Veronica (2017)
Veronica is a Spanish supernatural movie directed by Paco Plaza. The story is based on true events from the 1991Vallecas case, who died mysteriously after she used the ouija board. Veronica in the movie is a 15-year-old girl, who is living with her mother, and three younger siblings in an apartment in the district of Madrid.
Their father recently died, and their mother is working long hours in the bar. Veronica, in the apartment, begins to experience paranormal activities, and her friends begin to stay away from her. The police officer also vouches for experiencing paranormal activities in Madrid.
The Afflicted (2011)
The afflicted is an American movie that experienced a limited theatrical release. It is based on the crimes of Theresa Knorr, who was an American woman who murdered her husband in the year 1964. Later in the 1980s, she also tortured and murdered her two children.
The movie star cast includes Leslie Easterbrook, who portrays the role of Maggie, who is a mentally disturbed mother of four who begins to abuse her children and claims to be the interpretations of the Bible. The story is directed and is also written by Jason Stoddard.
The Girl Next Door (2007)
The movie focuses on the unspeakable and horrible torture and abuse of a teenage girl who is fostered under her aunt and the boys who failed to report the crime even after witnessing these horrible acts. The case is of Indianapolis in the year 1965, and the story is of a girl named Sylvia Likens. Gregory Wilson is the director, and Daniel Farrands, Philip Nutman, and Jack Ketchum are the writers.
Nightcrawler (2014)
Nightcrawler is a 2014 American psychological thriller movie starring Jake Gyllenhall, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, and Bill Paxton. Jake Gyllenhaal is a photojournalist in the movie who records violent events late at night in Los Angeles and, later on, sells the footage to the local television news stations.
When he gets the attention of a great director, he begins searching for greater things to earn more money. The director took inspiration from real life when he got introduced to photographer Weege’s photo book. Reaching the crime scenes even before the police and capturing the violence is the premise of the movie.
Above Suspicion (2019)
The movie is based on a true crime story of a real-life story of the first-ever conviction of an F.B.I Agent for murder. The agent’s name is Mark Putnam. After relocating to a mining town in Kentucky on his very first mission and began to have a two-year affair with a local woman named Susan Smith, who happens to be his best informant. Things happen to be horrific and twisting from here, and only suspicions began.
Lost Girls (2020)
The plot of this movie is itself horrifying. It is an American mystery drama movie. Mari Gilbert drives law enforcement in the search for his missing daughter, Shannan, and meanwhile solves the racket of unsolved murders of young female sex workers on the South Shore barrier islands of Long Island; the crime is committed by the Long Island serial killer.
Eden (2012)
The story is about human trafficking and is an American horror movie. The story is about Hyun Jae, who is an 18-year-old Korean American girl who is living in New Mexico in 1994, and her parents are immigrants.
While she was out with her friend one night, she hit it off with a young firefighter at a bar. Jae realizes his badge is fake and attempts to escape immediately but fails and is transported to the trunk of another car. What follows next is just horrifying and spine-chilling.
Lord of Chaos (2018)
Lords of Chaos is a 2018 biographical horror movie directed by Jonas Akerlund. This is a story where it goes back to the 90s when a young guitarist called Euronymous formed a black metal band called Mayhem. This was the first genre in their country of Norway.
They attempted to launch a Norweigan black metal music in Oslo, which led to a series of amazing publicity stunts. This movie is based on the same name The director of the movie called the movie ‘about truth and lies.’
The Photographer of Mauthausen (2018)
The Photographer of Mauthausen is a 2018 Spanish biography historical movie directed by Mar Targarona. The movie tells the story of the photographer Francisco Boix and about his life in the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp complex.
The story is based on the Spanish Civil war veteran Francisco Boix, who is a prisoner at a Nazi German camp. The photographer and the fellow prisoners risk their lives to save the negatives and the evidence.
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
This is a sequel to the Conjuring and was made because of the success of the first movie. Both Farmiga and Wilson repeated their roles in this movie too. The movie focused on the story of the Enfield Poltergeist case in London in 1977.
While the movie also throws light on the events of Amityville Horror. Ed and Lorraine Warren once again make a comeback and solve the supernatural movie. They reach North London to help a young woman who is raising her four children alone and hopes to get rid of the spirit.
Annabelle Creation (2017)
This is the fourth movie in the Conjuring franchise and is inspired by the horror of the doll named Annabelle. In the movie, a dollmaker named Samuel Mullins and his wife Esther is in the grieving stage because they have lost their seven-year-old daughter named, Annabelle, who dies in an accident with a car.
Twelve years after the incident, the couple provided shelter to Sister Charlotte and six girls who were left homeless. What happens next is horrifying.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
The movie is the third installment of the conjuring franchise. Ed and Lorraine Warren once again solves the paranormal case. In 1981, the demonologists recorded the exorcism of an eight-year-old, David Glatzel, and the exorcism was attended by his whole family, his sister, and her boyfriend, Arne Johnson.
During the exorcism, Arne invites the demon to possess his body instead of David’s. Ed witnesses all of this, and Arne suffers from a heart attack and is immediately taken to the hospital. Watch the movie to get to know the whole story and the horror.
If you haven’t watched any of these movies from the list given above, then add them to your list and binge-watch, but be aware of having someone by your side. These movies are hella scary, and I have fun sleeping at night. Plan with your friends a movie-marathon and also make them watch these horrors and make your sleepover memorable. Also, let us know if we missed any of the movies.
