Even though we often watch famous horror movies and feel terrified by many of their frightening scenes, deep down, we try to convince ourselves that it’s just acting and not real. While it’s true that most of these movies stem from the imagination of writers, some of them are inspired by actual events. Therefore, when watching one of these films, trying to convince yourself that it’s just a movie might not be effective this time.
So, what are the most famous movies that Hollywood has based on true stories? Let’s explore five terrifying films that were inspired by real-life events.
The Exorcist
“The Exorcist” is one of the most famous and controversial horror movies ever made. Released in 1973, it tells the story of a teenage girl who becomes possessed by a demonic entity, and the efforts of several priests to save her. The film was based on a real case that was reported in the Washington Post in 1949. The article, written by William Blatty, described a true attempt by clergy to perform an exorcism on a young boy. Blatty later expanded this article into a book, which eventually became the basis for the film. Due to its many disturbing and frightening scenes, the British Board of Film Classification banned the sale of its video tapes in 1988, a ban that was not lifted until 11 years later, as it was deemed less scary by then.
The real story behind the film revolves around a boy referred to under the pseudonym “Roland Doe” to protect his identity. Roland had a close relationship with his aunt Harriet, who often played Ouija board games with him. After Harriet passed away in 1949, Roland’s family started noticing strange occurrences in their home—furniture moving on its own, objects flying through the air, and other unusual behaviors from Roland. They sought help from Pastor Luther Miles Schulze, who witnessed these strange events firsthand and recommended that the family seek a Catholic priest to perform an exorcism. It was believed that the spirit of Aunt Harriet was somehow involved in what was happening.
Father Edward Hughes, an expert in exorcisms from Georgetown University, subjected Roland to several sessions, some of which were violent. During one session, Roland broke free from his restraints and injured Hughes. The boy was then placed under the care of Raymond J. Bishop and William S. Bowdern, who continued the exorcisms. During these sessions, the bed on which Roland was lying would shake violently, and objects would fly around. Roland spoke in a voice different from his own, and any holy object brought near him would provoke a violent reaction.
Despite the initial lack of progress, a turning point was eventually reached when the priests performed a special ritual that left Roland in a coma. Seven minutes later, he awoke and said, “He’s gone.” Roland later recounted that he had seen a saint battling the demon that possessed him and driving it away in a great battle. After this event, Roland never experienced any strange occurrences again and went on to live a normal life, marrying and naming his son after the saint who saved him.
Three Movies Inspired by a Single True Story
Next, we turn to three films that all drew from the same real-life story:
- Psycho
Directed by the legendary Alfred Hitchcock, “Psycho” (1960) tells the story of a secretary who steals $40,000 from her employer and goes on the run. She ends up staying at a secluded motel owned by a strange young man named Norman Bates and his mother. After she mysteriously disappears, her fiancé and sister start looking for her, leading them to the motel. There, they meet Norman, and her sister, Lila, discovers that Norman’s mother is actually long dead and that Norman has been dressing up in her clothes to commit murders, including that of the missing secretary. In the end, Norman is arrested for his crimes.
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
This famous horror film series began in 1974 and tells the story of Sally and Franklin Hardesty, who travel to rural Texas out of concern that their grandfather’s grave might have been desecrated due to a wave of vandalism targeting local cemeteries. Accompanied by three friends, they venture into a seemingly abandoned house, only to find themselves at the mercy of “Leatherface,” a chainsaw-wielding killer who wears a mask made of human skin, and his cannibalistic family.
- Deranged
Released in 1974, “Deranged” is about a man named Ezra Cobb, whose religiously fanatic mother instills in him a deep hatred of women. After her death, Ezra digs up her body and brings it back to his home, starting a series of gruesome murders and robberies. His house becomes filled with corpses, and he wears a mask made of human skin until he is finally arrested.
These three films all share a common source of inspiration: the true story of Ed Gein, born in August 1906. Gein lived in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, with his brother Henry, his religiously fanatic mother Augusta, and his alcoholic father George. The family led a secluded life on a farm, cut off from the outside world, and the boys were punished if they made friends at school. Augusta would often read them passages from the Bible and taught them that alcohol was a sin and that all women, except herself, were evil.
After the deaths of his father and brother, Ed remained with his mother, who suffered a stroke. He devoted much of his time to caring for her until she died in 1945. Ed kept her body in her room while he lived a miserable existence in a small room next to the kitchen. In 1957, following accusations of two murders, the police searched his home and discovered shocking items, including a mask made of human skin and various bones and skulls. During questioning, Ed confessed that he had exhumed the corpses of recently deceased women from local cemeteries, believing they resembled his mother, and had planned to make a “woman suit” to become more like her. He was subsequently committed to a mental institution, where he remained until his death.
The Amityville Horror
“The Amityville Horror,” released in 1979, tells the story of a family who moves into a house in Amityville, New York, only to start experiencing a series of strange events, such as furniture flying and ghostly apparitions. They later discover that a gruesome murder had occurred in the house, with one of the former residents killing his entire family under the belief that demonic forces compelled him to do so.
This terrifying tale is based on the real-life experiences of the Lutz family, who moved into a house in Amityville where Ronald DeFeo Jr. had murdered his entire family in November 1974 while they were all asleep. After being arrested, Ronald claimed that voices in the house had urged him to commit the murders, leading to his conviction and imprisonment. With no surviving family members, the house was put up for sale and was purchased by the Lutz family in 1975. George and Kathy Lutz, along with their three children, soon claimed that their lives and home were plagued by an unseen force that caused cabinets to slam shut, slime to drip from the ceiling, and even demonic faces to appear on the walls.
After experiencing these horrors, the Lutz family called a priest to bless the house, but he was forced to leave after being attacked by an unseen force, developing blisters on his hands. This seemed to confirm Ronald’s story. Paranormal investigators and demon hunters soon arrived to explore the house, and they all agreed that there was a malevolent presence. However, in the end, William Weber, Ronald’s attorney, admitted that he and the Lutz family had fabricated the entire story.
In Conclusion
If you’ve seen any of these films before, how does knowing they were inspired by real events change your perception of them?
