20 Best Horror Movies Inspired by Real-Life Events

"The Exorcist," renowned as one of the most frightening movies ever created, is rooted in real events. The story is inspired by the 1949 case of a boy named Roland Doe, who was believed to be possessed by the devil following his use of a Ouija board. The situation escalated to the point where a dual-priest exorcism was performed.

Drawing inspiration from these events, director William Friedkin adapted the story for the big screen. The film focuses on Regan (Linda Blair), a young girl who becomes possessed by a malevolent entity known as Pazuzu. Regan's behavior only gets worsen, posing a danger to herself and those around her.

Witnessing her daughter's increasingly violent actions, her mother, Chris (Ellen Burstyn), seeks some help of two priests to save Regan. The priests are met with a force far more formidable than anything they have previously encountered. Despite the overwhelming challenge, they persist in their efforts to free Regan from the entity's grasp. Tragically, the story culminates in Regan's death during the process of liberating her spirit.

In sunny California, the Freeling family lives in a seemingly peaceful and quiet neighborhood. Steven, the dad, is a successful real estate agent, and Diane, the mom, happily looks after their home and kids Dana, Robbie, and little Carol Anne. Everything was normal for them until weird things started happening in their house.

It all began when Carol Anne, their youngest, started talking to voices no one else could hear, coming from a TV showing only static. Soon, scarier stuff began to happen - things moving by themselves and weird glitches with their electronics.

These spooky events kept getting worse, really scaring the Freeling family. Then, out of nowhere, Carol Anne vanished, but they could still hear her voice through the TV. This made the Freelings get help from ghost experts to try and save Carol Anne.

Will they manage to bring her back? You've got to watch Tobe Hooper's chilling movie to see what happens!

In 1977, in a quiet corner of London, the Hodgson family’s life turned upside down when young Janet played with an Ouija board. Soon after, she's tormented by nightmares of an old man, often imagined sitting silently on their sofa.

The house began to witness bizarre events. Janet would startlingly find herself awake in the living room, much to her confusion. Initially, her mother Peggy thought little of these incidents, considering them just childhood fears. But as the unsettling happenings escalated, Peggy and her children had no choice but to abandon their home.

The strange tale of the Hodgsons caught the attention of the British press and eventually reached the ears of Ed and Lorraine Warren, renowned psychic investigators. They were challenged to debunk the family's claims of supernatural occurrences.

Upon their arrival in London, the Warrens teamed up with Maurice Grosse and Anita Gregory. Together, they attempted to contact the spirit of Mr. Wilkins, the house's former owner. It was during this eerie séance that Lorraine uncovered a chilling truth: another, more sinister entity was manipulating Wilkins from beyond, and it was up to her to bring peace back to the Hodgson household.

Liz, Kristy, and Ben are three adventurous backpackers that set off to explore the vast Australian outback. They are eager to see the famed Wolf Creek Crater, a massive meteorite impact site. Their excitement quickly turns to horror when their car unexpectedly breaks down in a desolate area.

Stranded and desperate, their luck seems to change when they encounter Mick Taylor, a seemingly friendly local. Grateful for his offer of help, they follow him to his nearby camp, hopeful for a solution to their car troubles.

Initially, Mick appears to be their much-needed rescuer. However, it doesn't take long for Liz, Kristy, and Ben to discover the horrifying truth. Mick Taylor is a merciless psychopath, preying on unwary travelers.

The situation spirals into terror as Liz and Kristy uncover Mick's sinister motives and desperately try to outwit this ruthless killer. Can they escape his deadly grip?

In the 1890s, two lighthouse keepers, Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe) and Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson), find themselves on a remote New England island. Despite coming from different worlds, they must learn to live together in this isolated place.

Wake, the older and more seasoned of the two, often treats Winslow harshly, burdening him with the toughest tasks. Tension mounts when Wake strictly forbids Winslow from entering the lighthouse's inner chamber. This sparks Winslow's curiosity about its mysterious contents.

As they start to spend time together, sharing drinks, their relationship slowly begins to evolve. However, Wake's unyielding rule only fuels Winslow's suspicion that a significant secret is being guarded within the lighthouse.

The film delves into themes of enigma and psychological strife, set against a breathtaking yet lonely setting. What could be the hidden truth inside the lighthouse that Wake is so desperately protecting?

In the small, usually quiet town of Woodsboro, a group of teenagers faces a scary problem. A mysterious killer, known as 'Ghostface', is on the loose. This killer wears a spooky ghost mask and uses a knife to commit his crimes.

The fear starts with the awful murder of two teenagers, Casey Becker and her girlfriend, right after Casey gets a strange phone call asking about her favorite horror movie. This terrible event quickly scares everyone in town, especially Sidney Prescott, the main character of the movie.

Sidney (Neve Campbell), who is still mourning about her mom being killed a year ago, begins to be scared by 'Ghostface', who seems to know something about her past. Sidney and her friends, including her best friend Tatum and her boyfriend Billy, start trying to find out who the killer is.

Their pursuit is joined by Gale Weathers, a driven journalist, and Deputy Sheriff Dewey Riley. The truth about 'Ghostface' emerges during a chaotic house party, where Sidney's wit and bravery lead her to uncover the killer's motives and come face to face with the murderer.

Back in 1981, Ed and Lorraine Warren, who were experts in ghostly matters, took on a risky job: helping a boy named David Glatzel. David started having some really scary problems after his family moved into a new house – he even got violent with his own parents! Things got even more intense when an exorcism, which the Vatican said was okay to do, went really wrong and put Ed and Lorraine in danger.

In the middle of all this, a young guy named Arne Johnson, who was trying to help with the exorcism, did something super brave. He told the devil to take him instead of David. This heroic act stopped the scary stuff happening to David but started a nightmare for Arne. He began seeing things that weren't there and was scared out of his mind because of the demon.

Meanwhile, Ed Warren had a heart attack while they were trying to help David. When he woke up, he found out Arne was in big trouble. Arne, under the demon's control, had done something awful – he killed a man named Bruno Sauls. Now, Ed and Lorraine had to step in again, this time to help Arne in court. They needed to prove that a demon was making Arne do these things, which was something no one in America had ever tried to prove in court before.

Trying to find proof was tough for Ed and Lorraine. The deeper they looked into it, the more they got caught up in an even creepier mystery. This turned out to be the most hair-raising and bone-chilling case of their lives.

While the story is not entirely based on true events, viewers will still be gripped by the unsettling experiences of the two main characters in this movie. Director Bryan Bertino in "The Strangers" manages to build suspense that continues to rise until the very end.

The story begins with Kristen McKay and James Hoyt spending the night at James' remote family vacation home after attending their best friend's wedding. Despite their initial plans to spend time together, the romantic atmosphere turns tense when Kristen rejects James' marriage proposal.

The night's tension begins when three mysterious masked men begin to harass and terrorize them. A loud knock on the door in the early hours of the morning wakes Kristen and James up, and that's when a series of terrifying events begin to unfold.

For no apparent reason, the three masked men relentlessly harass, intimidate and terrify Kristen and James, turning their vacation home into an arena of fear and despair. Kristen and James realize that they cannot communicate with the outside world. However, they try their best to fight back against the intruders.

The Lutz family moved into a spacious residence in Amityville, New York. However, shortly after settling in, they experienced horrific supernatural events. The residence was previously the site of a brutal murder of the DeFeo family, committed by one of their family members, Ronald DeFeo Jr.

George (Ryan Reynolds) and Kathy Lutz (Melissa George), along with their three children, began to witness unexplained phenomena in the house. George underwent significant behavioral changes, becoming short-tempered and upset for no apparent reason. At the same time, their children faced terror from paranormal occurrences, including strange noises and the appearance of ghosts.

Worried, Kathy investigated the history of the house and discovered that it was built on land previously associated with witches. Rumor has it that the land is cursed, raising their anxiety about an evil entity that seems intent on forcing them out.

The movie is a remake of the 1979 film of the same name, and the story is inspired by the DeFeo family murder case committed by Ronald "Butch" DeFeo Jr.

This movie is a horror, drama, and thriller all rolled into one, and it's sure to give you goosebumps! What makes it even more chilling is that it's inspired by real events that happened to a German girl named Anneliese Michel in the 1970s. The story is told through the character of Emily Rose.

In the movie, Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter) is a college student who starts going through some really scary and unexplainable things after she leaves her home to go to college. She's convinced that these terrifying events are attacks from evil forces.

When doctors can't seem to help her, Emily and her family start to believe that she's being possessed by demons. They call in Pastor Moore, a local priest, to perform an exorcism. But things take a tragic turn – Emily dies under mysterious circumstances after the exorcism.

The movie takes an interesting twist when Father Moore is accused of being careless and causing Emily's death. A lawyer named Erin Bruner takes on his case, even though she's pretty skeptical about all this ghostly stuff. The trial gets intense as they hear different stories and see evidence that tries to explain Emily's experience through both scientific and supernatural views.

"My Friend Dahmer," a 2017 film, is inspired by a graphic novel written by John "Derf" Backderf. It's a look into the teenage years of Jeffrey Dahmer, who would become one of the most infamous serial killers in America. The movie takes us back to Dahmer's high school days in Bath, Ohio, right up to the point where he commits his first murder.

Dahmer was a really odd and lonely teenager. He had a creepy hobby of collecting dead animals and messing around with chemicals. His home life wasn't great either – his parents were always fighting, and his mom struggled with mental health problems.

At school, Dahmer started getting noticed, but not for good reasons. He acted in weird and unpredictable ways, which actually made him kind of popular with a group of students, including Derf Backderf. This group, including Dahmer's only friend Derf, formed the "Dahmer Club," where they actually cheered on Dahmer's strange antics, thinking it was all just fun and games.

But what nobody realized was that underneath all his weird behavior, Dahmer was showing signs of really dangerous thinking. He was obsessed with death and had the mind of a psychopath, which was a scary sign of the terrifying path he was heading down.

Two Mexico City cops, Ulises (Damian Alcazar) and his partner, break into what looks like an empty house and find a creepy scene, animal sacrifices and human remains. Suddenly, they're attacked by people living in the house. Ulises has to watch in horror as his partner is brutally hurt and tortured. To send a message to other cops, Ulises is shot in the leg.

Fast forward a year, and we meet Ed, Henry, and Phil, three friends who just finished college in Texas. They're having a blast at a beach party in Galveston, Texas, and decide to keep the fun going by heading to Mexico for a week of nightclub adventures. They have a wild time, but things take a dark turn when Phil gets kidnapped.

Ed and Henry are frantic when they realize Phil is gone. They team up with Valeria, a girl they just met, and Ulises, to find their friend. As they dig deeper, they discover that Phil's been taken by a cult – the same cult that was involved in the terrifying case Ulises faced a year ago.

The story of "Borderland" is actually based on real-life horror. It's inspired by events from 1989 in Mexico, where a cult led by Adolfo Constanzo and Sara Aldrete committed at least 20 murders as part of their rituals. This detail adds an extra layer of fright to the movie's plot.

Daniel Kintner (Daniel Travis) and Susan Watkins (Blanchard Ryan) are a couple whose busy jobs leave them with little time together. Hoping to fix their relationship, they plan a diving vacation.

Their adventure takes a scary turn on the second day. They dive with a group, but due to a counting mistake, the boat leaves without them. When they surface, they find themselves alone in the middle of the ocean, expecting someone will soon notice and come back for them.

Stranded and scared, Daniel and Susan face the harsh reality: the boat isn't coming back. They deal with arguments, hunger, and mental stress, realizing they might have drifted far from their dive spot. To make matters worse, sharks start lurking around them.

"Open Water," with its straightforward plot and small budget, still delivers a thrilling experience. It leaves us on the edge of our seats, eager to find out the fate of the couple lost at sea.

Meg and Susan Loughlin are sisters who have to move in with their Aunt Ruth after losing their parents in a car accident. Aunt Ruth seems nice at first, but things quickly go downhill. She starts being really mean to Meg, hurting her and saying bad things in front of her own kids and other kids from the neighborhood. This gets worse over time.

Meg tries her best to protect herself and her sister Susan from Aunt Ruth. She looks for help, but it's tough because Ruth has scared everyone into not telling on her. Can Meg and Susan get away from Aunt Ruth's bad treatment?

This story is a movie based on a book by Jack Ketchum. It's inspired by a true story from 1965 about a girl named Sylvia Likens. She went through some really bad stuff with her caregiver and friends. Watch the movie to see what happens to Meg and Susan.

John (Wardd Horton) and Mia Form (Annabelle Wallis) are a happily married couple living in California in 1960s. Mia, who is expecting a baby, is delighted when John gives her a rare, antique doll for her collection. But their joy is short-lived when a satanic cult attacks their home.

One of the attackers died while holding the Annabelle doll. After that, strange and frightening events occurred in John and Mia's home. Mia sensed the presence of evil entities associated with the Annabelle doll, realizing that the doll seemed to be a vessel for evil spirits.

The situation worsened after the birth of their baby, Leah. Faced with an increasing threat, the couple seek help from the church and paranormal experts. A priest revealed that the evil spirit inside the doll was trying to possess an innocent soul to fulfill a satanic ritual.

Now, the couple faces a race against time to save their baby and rid the Annabelle doll of the evil spirit. Can they overcome this nightmare and protect their family?

If you like your detective stories combined with mystical elements, then "From Hell" directed by The Hughes Brothers is a great choice. The movie seamlessly combines both elements in the chase of the infamous criminal Jack The Ripper.

The story revolves around two friends, Mary Kelly (Heather Graham) and Ann Crook (Joana Page), who work as commercial sex workers in London in 1888. Ann, who has accepted a proposal from a wealthy painter, goes missing in a tragic kidnapping case.

Mary seeks help from Inspector Frederick Abberline (Johnny Depp), who eventually discovers that Ann is dead. Intrigued by the circumstances surrounding Ann's murder, Inspector Abberline and Mary continue their investigation, which leads them to the involvement of Doctor Sir William Gull (Ian Holm).

As the investigation progresses, it becomes clear that the murder is linked to an influential Freemason family. Will Inspector Abberline succeed in uncovering the culprit?

Nominated in the Best Horror category at the 2014 Golden Trailer Awards, the movie tells the story of Ralph Sarchie (Eric Bana), a former NYPD cop who investigates a series of strange occurrences in New York. Initially skeptical of the supernatural, Sarchie begins investigating several seemingly unrelated cases.

These cases involve a mother who threw her child into a lion cage at the zoo and a soldier who returned from the Middle East with strange behavior. Sarchie and his partner, Butler, find out the connection between these events and a series of exorcisms performed by a priest named Mendoza.

Reverend Mendoza (Édgar Ramírez) believes that the unusual events are manifestations of a devil. Convincing Sarchie that they are facing a supernatural evil, Mendoza recommends a spiritual approach to fight it. Together, Mendoza and Sarchie collaborate to uncover and confront the evil forces threatening the city.

The Rite is a supernatural horror film from 2011, directed by Mikael Håfström and written by Michael Petroni, inspired by the true experiences of a pastor named Gary Thomas.

The movie's story begins with Michael Kovak (Colin O'Donoghue), a man who is reluctantly forced to participate in a seminar. Initially, he is convinced that possession is related to mental health issues rather than demonic forces. However, the situation leads him to go on an educational trip about exorcism at the Vatican.

Despite his initial hesitation, Michael continues to take lessons with Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins), an experienced exorcist. Father Lucas introduces Michael to a variety of gruesome exorcisms, which deeply changes his perspective on the ritual.

Motivated by his experiences, Michael decides to go deeper into the study of exorcism and eventually becomes a priest dedicated to helping those who struggle with the supernatural.

Dean Russell had a scary dream about a man with burns all over his body and a glove with knives for fingers. In the dream, this man cuts Dean's throat. In real life, Dean accidentally cuts his own throat while with his friends, Kris Fowles and Nancy Holbrook.

After Dean's funeral, Kris starts having the same nightmares about the burnt man. She's so scared she might die like Dean that she tries not to sleep. Her ex-boyfriend, Jesse Braun, stays with her to make sure she's okay while she sleeps.

But Kris keeps seeing the burnt man in her dreams, and in one dream, she dies. Jesse finds himself covered in her blood and panics. He runs to Nancy's house for help. It turns out Nancy is having nightmares about the same man, named Freddy Krueger. The police think Jesse hurt Kris and arrest him.

As her friends keep getting hurt, Nancy starts to wonder why this Freddy Krueger is haunting them. Who is this Freddy Krueger, and why is he targeting these teenagers?

The story starts in 1938 on a ship where a masked man is behind a series of murders. He and his daughter manage to escape after he's caught. Fast forward to today, Anne Caulder (Alice Eve) and her ex-husband, Patrick (Joel Fry), are working on a project on the Queen Mary ship.

Their son, Lukas, comes up with the idea of a virtual tour of the ship, which is famous for being haunted. While exploring, Lukas is attacked by the ghost of the masked man. Luckily, a young girl's spirit saves him by pulling him into a swimming pool.

After Lukas is rescued and brought home, he starts acting weird, like he's possessed by the spirit of the young girl. It seems the spirits on the Queen Mary, including the one in Lukas, want to be free. Anne and Patrick have to dive into the world of ghosts to save their son.

The movie, which is 1 hour and 54 minutes long, was shot on the real Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, known for being a haunted ship.