Horror movies based on chilling real-life events
'The Pope's Exorcist' (2023) -
Gabriele Amorth, on whose life this supernatural horror film is partly based, was a co-founder of the International Association of Exorcists.
'The Conjuring' (2013) -
'The Conjuring' is based on a true story of the Perrons, a family of seven terrorized in their own home by evil spirits.
'Psycho' (1960) -
The late 1950s real-life killings of Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gain provided Alfred Hitchcock with inspiration for his influential suspense thriller 'Psycho.'
'The Lighthouse' (2019) -
The fact that it's shot in black and white adds an authentic aura to 'The Lighthouse,' a psychological thriller partly inspired by the Smalls Lighthouse Tragedy of 1801.
'The Rite' (2011) -
'The Rite' mirrors the actual experiences of Father Gary Thomas, a California priest who was assigned by his bishop to study exorcism at the Vatican.
'Winchester' (2018) -
'Winchester' is named for American heiress Sarah Winchester, who was said to be haunted by spirits inside her San Jose mansion in 1906.
'Silent House' (2011)- 'Silent House' is a remake of the 2010 Uruguayan film 'La Casa Muda,' which was based on a true story about actual paranormal incidents that occurred in a small town in Uruguay.
'The Possession' (2012) -
'The Possession' is not so much based on a true story as an actual, allegedly "cursed" box called the dybbuk.
'The Strangers' (2008) -
The gruesome 1981 Keddie Cabin Murders, in which four people were killed by three masked assailants in a California resort town, provided part-inspiration for 'The Strangers.'
'The Crucifixion' (2017) -
The Tanacu exorcism that took place in Vaslui County, Romania, in 2005, during which a nun died, provided the inspiration for 'The Crucifixion.'