The terrifying true stories that inspired your favorite horror movies

Gabbi ShawOct 12, 2024, 20:56 IST

"The Conjuring.”Warner Bros.

Horror films have produced some of the most iconic figures in pop culture.
But not all scary movies are completely fictional; some are actually based on real life.

Horror movies are reliably successful at the box office. They often have relatively low budgets, produce large returns at the box office, and can produce IP that will lead to sequels and spin-offs for years to come. Plus, when Halloween rolls around, costumes and masks provide another bump to a studio's bottom line.

But creating a completely original, compelling, and terrifying horror story can be challenging. That's why some of the most iconic and successful scary movies are based on things that actually happened in the real world.

For example, "The Conjuring" franchise is based on the case files of real paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren. In total, the films have made almost $2.4 billion at the box office.

These are the real stories and crimes that influenced some of the most classic horror films of all time, including "The Exorcist," "Nightmare on Elm Street," and "Jaws."

"The Conjuring" is about the Perron family and the traumatic experiences they're having in their new Rhode Island home.

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren.Warner Bros.

"The Conjuring 2" is about a girl being possessed by a demon in London.

Vera Farmiga reprised her role as Lorraine Warren for the sequel.New Line Cinema

The third film is "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It," which is about the real trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson.

"The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It."Warner Bros.

"Annabelle," "Annabelle: Creation," and "Annabelle Comes Home" tell the story of an evil doll that terrorizes her owner.

The theatrical version of Annabelle.New Line Cinema

"The Amityville Horror" connects the murders of the DeFeo family with a demonic presence in the house.

The real "Amityville Horror" home on Long Island.Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images

"The Haunting in Connecticut" is about a family who move into a former funeral home, which turns out to be haunted.

The film was released in 2009.Lionsgate

"Veronica" is about a Spanish teenager who used an Ouija board to contact a dead loved one with disastrous consequences.

The film was released on Netflix.Sony Pictures

"The Strangers" is a terrifying look into the mindset of monsters who commit crimes just because they can.

A sequel was released in March 2018.Rogue Pictures

"The Exorcist," one of the most beloved horror films of all time, is about a preteen girl who becomes possessed by a demon.

"The Exorcist."Warner Bros.

"The Exorcism of Emily Rose" is also about a girl possessed by a demon.

"The Exorcism of Emily Rose."Sony Pictures Releasing

"The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" is about a group of hitchhikers who pick the wrong family to catch a ride from — they end up being cannibals.

Leatherface.Bryanston Distributing

"Poltergeist" tells the story of a family who buys a haunted house built on top of a Native American burial ground.

The terrifying clown doll from "Poltergeist."MGM/UA Entertainment Company

"When a Stranger Calls" is about a babysitter who's being terrorized by a mysterious caller inside the house with her.

Camila Belle in "When a Stranger Calls."Screen Gems

"Dead Ringers" explores the mysterious deaths of a pair of co-dependent twin brothers.

Jeremy Irons played both twins.Twentieth Century Fox

"Jaws" is the story of a small beachside town that's being terrorized by a vengeful shark.

They needed a bigger boat.Jaws/IMDB

"The Girl Next Door" is about a boy who tries to save his neighbor from her twisted adopted family.

"The Girl Next Door."Modern Distributors

"The Possession" is the tale of a family being tortured by a demon inside a dybbuk box.

Before killing zombies on "The Walking Dead," Jeffrey Dean Morgan starred in this horror flick.Lionsgate

"The Rite" is based upon the life of a real priest, Father Gary Thomas, and his time at the Vatican while training to become an exorcist.

Anthony Hopkins in "The Rite."Warner Bros.

Similarly, the 2023 film "The Pope's Exorcist" is based on the life of real-life priest Father Gabriele Amorth.

Russell Crowe as Father Gabriele Amorth in "The Pope's Exorcist."Jonathan Hession/Sony Pictures via AP

"Wolf Creek" is about three backpackers in the Australian Outback who unknowingly hitch a ride from a sadistic murderer.

"Wolf Creek" is an Australian film.Dimension Films

"Eaten Alive" is about the owner of a Texas hotel who feeds people to his pet crocodile.

"Eaten Alive" had the same director as "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre."Motion Picture Marketing (MPM)

"Open Water" tells the harrowing tale of a couple fighting to stay alive after their boat leaves them behind in the middle of the ocean.

A bit more realistic than the shark from "Jaws."Lions Gate Films

"A Nightmare On Elm Street" is best known for bringing Freddy Krueger, a serial killer who murders people in their dreams, into the mainstream.

No, Freddy's not the real part.New Line Cinema

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