13 Bone-Chilling Movies Based On True Stories

There’s just something about horror movies that we cannot seem to get enough of. The genre holds up a mirror and reveals what we as a collective fear most. Here are 13 movies based on just that, the true stories of real people facing down real-life nightmares.

August 11, 2021

By: Maggie Miller

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Jaws, 1975

A killer score and stellar acting have made Jaws a cult classic. While the rampaging shark (nicknamed “Bruce” by the film crew) is truly unnatural, the plot is not a complete fabrication. The author of Jaws, the novel on which the film was based, Peter Benchley, told People Magazine "...in 1964, I read an item in a newspaper about a fisherman who harpooned a 4,500-pound great white shark off Long Island. I remember thinking at the time, Lord! What would happen if one of those monsters came into a resort community and wouldn't go away?” The film also references the Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916, a slew of encounters between July 1 and 12 that claimed the lives of 4 people.

Fire in the Sky, 1993

This extra disturbing extraterrestrial film is based on events that took place in Snowflake, Arizona in 1975. While working with a timber crew, Travis Walton and six other men encountered an unidentified flying object. Afterward, crew members gave matching accounts to police, asserting that Walton had been abducted by the craft. The ensuing searches turned up no sign of the man, yet five days later Walton reappeared unexplainably. Based on Walton’s memoir, Fire in the Sky reconstructs one of the most infamous accounts of alien abduction.

Veronica, 2017

Set in Madrid, Netflix’s moody possession feature opens with the assertion that the events depicted are based on authentic police reports. They’re not exaggerating, scans of the documents are available online. In 1990, a young woman living in Vallecas, Estefania Lazaro, conducted a séance at her school and died shortly after. Following her death, the Lazaro family experienced demonic activity, ultimately contacting the Vallecas police a year later. The report made note of unexplainable noises, armoire doors opening of their own accord, and a crucifix splitting in two for no reason. Their conclusion? It was a "situation of mystery and rarity."

Backcountry, 2014

A far cry from Smokey the Bear, the villain of this Canadian survival film highlights the brutality of nature. A couple gets lost in the woods, inadvertently entering a bear’s territory with devastating consequences. The film is based on the true story of a couple that was attacked in the Missinaibi Lake Provincial Park in 2005.

The Mothman Prophecies, 2002

Richard Gere and Laura Linney question their way through this dark thriller, investigating the paranormal encounters plaguing a small town. In reality, multiple residents of Point Pleasant, West Virginia reported seeing a massive, winged figure with glowing red eyes throughout 1966. The sightings ultimately became associated with the collapse of the Silver Bridge, a tragedy that claimed 46 lives.

For more on this elusive creature, stream The Mothman Sightings now on discovery+.

An American Haunting, 2006

Sissy Spacek steals the show in this film based on the lore of the Bell Witch, one of the few reported cases of a haunting resulting in death. The documented haunting of the Bell family on their Tennessee farm took place throughout 1817. A poltergeist terrorized the Bells, focusing its ire on the daughter and father, ultimately resulting in the death of John Bell.

Poltergeist, 1982

The iconic film is based on Lucille Hermann’s actual encounters with a poltergeist in 1958. Her family gained notoriety after Life magazine reported the unexplained activity taking place in their house on Long Island. Hermann told HuffPost Weird News, “All of a sudden, you’d hear this loud noise, like a popping bottle sound, and you’d look around and find a bottle that was 12 feet away from where it was supposed to be and all the contents were missing and the bottle was hot to the touch.” The family eventually moved out.

A Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984

The lurid story of Freddie Krueger seems far too outlandish to have any basis in reality. However, director Wes Craven said he was inspired by a report in the L.A. Times about a young Cambodian refugee. The child would try to keep himself awake, convinced that whatever haunted his dreams would eventually result in his death. Craven told Vulture, “When he finally fell asleep, his parents thought this crisis was over. Then they heard screams in the middle of the night. By the time they got to him, he was dead. He died in the middle of a nightmare.”

The Disappointments Room, 2016

While the film offers plenty of paranormal scares, the true horror of The Disappointments Room is its basis in reality. Laurie and Jeffery Dumas found a small, secret room in the attic of their West Warwick home while renovating. Upon further investigation, Laurie discovered it was a real-life “Disappointment Room”, an abysmal practice in which influential members of society would lock away children with mental and physical disabilities.

The Haunting in Connecticut, 2009

This psychological thriller is based on the experiences of the Snedeker family. In 1986, the Snedekers rented a home that they soon realized had a previous life as a funeral parlor. The family began experiencing escalating supernatural activity, which eventually led them to contact paranormal investigators and demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren.

The Shining, 1980

Based on the namesake Stephen King novel, The Shining takes its inspiration from an actual hotel. The Stanley Hotel has a reputation among the residents of Estes Park, Colorado for hosting a myriad of spirits, ranging from people to pets. King’s experience in the infamous room 217 at the end of the busy season provided the impetus for what eventually became Kubrick’s masterpiece.

In Season 4, The GA crew got locked down in the inspiration for the film. Stream this episode of Ghost Adventures now on discovery+.

The Silence of the Lambs, 1991

While Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal makes a chilling character, the real-life muses behind the film’s secondary villain are downright nightmarish. According to FBI Special Agent John Douglas, James Gumb, or “Buffalo Bill”, is a fusion of several notorious serial killers. In the style of Ted Bundy, he lures his victims by wearing a cast, and like Ed Gein, he uses his targets’ skins for personal crafting projects. Oh, and let's not forget his homemade prison cell, a basement pit a la Gary Heidnik.

Winchester, 2018

With seven stories, approximately 90 rooms, a preoccupation with the number 13, and a door to nowhere, the Winchester House depicted in the movie is all too real. So is Sarah Winchester. According to the official Winchester House historian, Sara “was Bill Gates-rich from this famous family, so people watched her, talked about her, and speculated.” And while there is no concrete evidence explaining her motives for the uncanny floor plan, visitors to the home continue to insist that it is haunted.

Zak Bagans and Aaron Goodwin reopen their investigation of the Winchester Mystery House. Stream this episode of Ghost Adventures now on discovery+.

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13 Bone-Chilling Movies Based On True Stories

Related To:

Shop This Look

Jaws, 1975

Fire in the Sky, 1993

Veronica, 2017

Backcountry, 2014

The Mothman Prophecies, 2002

An American Haunting, 2006

Poltergeist, 1982

A Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984

The Disappointments Room, 2016

The Haunting in Connecticut, 2009

The Shining, 1980

The Silence of the Lambs, 1991

Winchester, 2018