Welcome to the Spooky Side!
Some horror movies are so terrifying because they’re actually inspired by true events. We’ve ranked 25 of the best horror films based on true stories, looking at their chills, cultural impact, and the haunting real-life tales behind them. Ready to freak yourself out? Grab a blanket—you’ll need it.
#25: The Haunting in Connecticut
In this popular horror flick, a family moves into a house that used to be a funeral home and starts experiencing all kinds of terrifying visions and possessions.
This movie is based on the Snedeker family’s real-life claims in the 1980s about their haunted house in Southington, Connecticut. Paranormal legends Ed and Lorraine Warren even investigated and called it a full-on demonic haunting.
#24: Wolf Creek
A group of backpackers gets hunted in the wild Australian outback by a seriously creepy killer.
This nightmare is loosely inspired by Ivan Milat, who killed backpackers in the 1990s, and Bradley John Murdoch, who attacked travelers in the desert. Definitely makes you think twice about road trips down under.
Wolf Creek (2005) Official Trailer #1 - Horror Movie HD, Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers
#23: The Entity
Here, a woman is repeatedly attacked in her home by an invisible force she can’t escape.
The story is based on Doris Bither’s real experiences in 1974 California, where she claimed to be assaulted by unseen spirits. Paranormal researchers even took weird photos during their investigation.
The Entity (1983) - Official Trailer, ScreamFactoryTV
#22: Borderland
Some college friends head to Mexico for a wild trip and stumble into a terrifying human sacrifice cult.
This horror story is inspired by the 1989 crimes of Adolfo Constanzo and his cult, who practiced ritual killings in Matamoros, Mexico. It's a chilling look at real 'narco-satanism'.
Borderland (2007) Official Trailer #1 - Horror Movie, Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers
#21: Open Water
A couple gets left behind by their diving group and has to survive in shark-infested waters.
This ocean nightmare is based on the 1998 disappearance of Tom and Eileen Lonergan, who were left behind during a scuba diving trip off Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. They were never found.
OPEN WATER: The Most Depressing Shark Movie Ever Made?!, Ryan Hollinger
#20: The Strangers
A couple’s cozy getaway turns into a terrifying fight for survival against masked intruders.
This creepy home invasion story was inspired by the Manson family slayings and also by the director’s own experience of strangers knocking on doors in his neighborhood when he was a kid.
The Strangers Official Trailer #1 - Liv Tyler Movie (2008) HD, Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers
#19: The Exorcism of Emily Rose
A young woman dies after an intense exorcism, and a priest ends up on trial for it.
This film is based on the true story of Anneliese Michel, a German woman who went through 67 exorcisms in the 1970s. Her tragic death from malnutrition and dehydration still sparks debate today.
#18: The Girl Next Door
This one is about a young girl who faces horrible mistreatment and torture from her caretaker and neighborhood kids.
It’s based on the real-life slaying of Sylvia Likens in 1965, one of America’s most disturbing true crime stories. The film is brutal because it stays close to the heartbreaking reality.
The Girl Next Door (1998) Full Movie I Tracey Gold I Sharon Gless I Michael Dorn, Films 4 You
#17: Primeval
A news crew heads to Africa to track down a giant man-eating crocodile.
This thriller is based on 'Gustave,' a huge Nile crocodile in Burundi rumored to have killed over 300 people. While the movie exaggerates some parts, Gustave is totally real and terrifying.
Primeval 2007 Official Trailer, World Trailers
#16: Eaten Alive
A Texas hotel owner decides to feed unlucky guests to his pet crocodile.
The story is loosely inspired by Joe Ball, a 1930s Texas bar owner who was rumored to have fed victims to alligators behind his bar. The urban legend still creeps people out today.
#15: The Possession
A young girl buys an old wooden box at a yard sale and ends up possessed by an evil spirit.
The movie is inspired by the legend of the 'Dybbuk Box,' a wine cabinet supposedly haunted by a malicious spirit from Jewish folklore. Many owners claimed to have had terrifying experiences.
The Possession (2012) - Official Trailer #1, Lionsgate Movies
#14: Deliver Us from Evil
A New York cop gets caught up in a series of bizarre, demonic crimes across the city.
This story is based on the real-life experiences of Ralph Sarchie, an NYPD sergeant who also worked as a demonologist. He claimed to have witnessed tons of spooky cases firsthand.
Deliver Us From Evil - Official Trailer 2 [HD], Sony Pictures Entertainment
#13: The Sacrament
A news crew checks out a remote religious commune that spirals into total horror and chaos.
This film is heavily inspired by the Jonestown massacre in 1978, where over 900 people in Jim Jones’s Peoples Temple died in a carefully orchestrated mass slaying. It's as chilling as it gets.
The Sacrament (2013) | Official Trailer | Found Footage Horror Thriller Film (1080 HD), MENONTON ID
#12: The Conjuring 2
Ghost hunters Ed and Lorraine Warren try to help a family dealing with a terrifying poltergeist in London.
This one is based on the 1977 Enfield poltergeist case, where a single mom and her kids claimed they were haunted. The Warrens investigated and said it was one of their most intense cases.
The Conjuring 2 - Main Trailer [HD], Warner Bros.
#11: Winchester
A widow keeps building endless rooms in her massive mansion to keep ghosts at bay.
This eerie story is based on Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester rifle fortune. She believed the spirits of those killed by the rifles haunted her and kept building her house to confuse them.
WINCHESTER - Official Trailer - HD (Helen Mirren, Jason Clarke), CBS Films
#10: The Amityville Horror
A family moves into a new house and quickly realizes it’s seriously haunted and dangerous.
This film is based on the Lutz family’s 1975 claims after moving into a house in Amityville, New York, where a gruesome family slaying had happened the year before. It’s one of the most famous haunted house stories ever.
Amityville : The Possession | HORROR | Full Movie in English, Boxoffice | NEW Full Movies in English
#9: Annabelle
A creepy doll becomes the center of terrifying paranormal chaos for a young couple.
This film is inspired by the real Annabelle doll, investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren. The actual doll is locked in a glass case at their occult museum to this day.
Annabelle - Official Main Trailer [HD], Warner Bros.
#8: The Conjuring
A family moves into a farmhouse and quickly finds themselves facing a dark, evil force.
The movie is based on the Perron family haunting from the early 1970s. The Warrens called it one of their scariest cases and claimed the house was cursed by a witch named Bathsheba.
The Conjuring - Official Main Trailer [HD], Warner Bros.
#7: Fire in the Sky
A logger goes missing for days and returns claiming he was abducted by aliens.
This wild ride is based on Travis Walton’s 1975 disappearance in Arizona. He showed up five days later saying he had been taken by extraterrestrials. It’s still one of the most famous alien abduction stories ever.
Fire In The Sky (1993) - Official Trailer, ScreamFactoryTV
#6: The Exorcist
A young girl starts acting disturbingly possessed and freaks out everyone around her.
The film is loosely based on the 1949 exorcism of a boy called 'Roland Doe.' The case involved priests, mysterious marks, and all the terrifying stuff that inspired one of the scariest movies ever made.
The Exorcist | 4K Ultra HD Official Trailer | Warner Bros. Entertainment, Warner Bros. Entertainment
#5: Texas Chainsaw Massacre
A group of friends stumbles onto a terrifying family of cannibals, led by a chainsaw-loving maniac.
This gruesome tale is loosely inspired by Ed Gein, a Wisconsin murderer known for making furniture and clothes from human skin. His crimes inspired lots of horror characters, including Leatherface.
TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE | Official Trailer | Netflix, Netflix
#4: Psycho
A young woman checks into a quiet motel and meets the shy but deeply disturbed owner.
Norman Bates was also inspired by Ed Gein. The idea of a man with an unhealthy relationship with his mother and secret murderous tendencies was pulled straight from Gein’s creepy life story.
Psycho Official Trailer 1960 HD, Damontager
#3: The Girl Next Door
A young girl endures unthinkable mistreatment in the supposed safety of a suburban home.
The story is based on the real slaying of Sylvia Likens. It’s extra chilling because it stays close to the horrifying true events and shows how regular people can do monstrous things.
JACK KETCHUM'S THE GIRL NEXT DOOR (2007) TRAILER HD, Modernciné
#2: Zodiac
A cartoonist gets obsessed with tracking down a serial killer who terrorizes San Francisco.
The film is based on the real Zodiac killer, who sent cryptic letters to newspapers in the late 1960s and was never caught. His identity is still one of the biggest true crime mysteries out there.
Zodiac (2007): Best Suspect Scenes, Binge Society
#1: Silence of the Lambs
An FBI trainee works with a genius cannibal to catch another terrifying serial killer.
This thriller is inspired by several real-life killers, including Ed Gein and Ted Bundy. Hannibal Lecter’s character also draws on real-life criminals and twisted doctors, which makes it all the more creepy.
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991) | Official Trailer | MGM, Amazon MGM Studios
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