6 Horror Movies That Are Based On Real-Life Events

As the 2016 Presidential Election campaign has demonstrated, there are few things scarier than real life. Every year sees the release of new horror films, with each trying to out-match those that have gone before, with more jump-scares, more creepiness, and even more frightening villains. But, there is a certain comfort to be found in the fact that these films are a work of fiction – and we can stop the horror at any time with the flick of a switch. But, not all horror movies are conceived that way. Many take their inspiration from real-life events – and that is what makes these films truly terrifying. Because, while we’re watching these disturbing events unfold – played out by professional actors, with special effects and screenwriters – there is always the knowledge that there are people in the world to whom this very thing happened and sometimes, that’s the scariest thing of all. Here, we revisit six horror films that are based on real-life stories. We've got serial killers, demonic possessions, blood-thirsty reptiles, spooky creatures and even zombies. Most of all, though, we've got lots and lots of chilling tales. Henry Portrait Of A Serial Killer (1986) Directed and co-written by John McNaughton, working with screenwriter Richard Fire, Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer is loosely based on the crimes of Henry Lee Lucas, who became famous after confessing to no fewer than 360 murders. In the film: Michael Rooker stars as Henry – a prolific serial killer with no specific victim ‘type.’ He kills men, women and children at random as he travels around America. He goes to stay with Otis (Tom Towles), who is a friend from a past period spent in prison, and Otis introduces Henry to his sister, Becky (Tracy Arnold). Their past influences are revealed as the trio get to know each other, with violent consequences. In reality: Henry Lee Lucas was born in Virginia in 1936, and was apprehended in Texas in 1983 with a possible 157 murders connected to him. The truth proved hard to determine, as Lucas was revealed to possess the uncanny ability to derive case facts from photographic evidence shown to him – allowing him to ‘confess’ to hundreds of previously unsolved killings and disappearances. Lucas had already spent a great deal of time in jail during his life. He was imprisoned for burglary from 1954-1959 (and escaped for three days in 1957), then murdered his mother in 1960 and served 10 years of a longer sentence. He was released in 1970, apparently due to prison overcrowding. He was then jailed for five years in 1971 for trying to kidnap three schoolgirls and, upon that release, settled in Florida with his friend Ottis Toole, for a time. Lucas reportedly became romantically involved with Toole’s teenage niece, and the two travelled – but in 1983, Lucas was convicted of killing an elderly woman and Toole’s niece. He began confessing to other murders as a way of improving his treatment in jail. After a further 28 murders were positively confirmed as his crimes, a Task Force was assembled to investigate the rest of his claims. Controversy surrounded the methods used by police in dealing with Lucas – with accusations made claiming that Lucas was being used as a way of clearing cold cases from the system. In the end, a conviction of 11 murders brought him a death sentence, which was eventually commuted to life in prison. The Rite (2011) This tale of demonic possession is based on The Rite: The Making Of A Modern Exorcist, written by Matt Baglio. The source material was adapted by Michael Petroni, and the film is directed by Mikael Hafstrom. In the film: A mortician named Michael (Colin O'Donoghue) seeks a career change, so he joins a seminary with a view to renouncing his vows upon completion of his studies, to essentially gain a college degree free of charge. While in the process of resigning, however, a freak accident injures a passing cyclist, and he is called upon to administer absolution. This experience leads Michael to study with Father Xavier (Ciaran Hinds) in the Vatican in Rome, with a view to becoming an exorcist. Father Xavier connects Michael with his colleague, Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins), who exposes Michael to some very real exorcisms. In reality: Author Matt Baglio, a sceptic, attended an exorcism seminar in Rome, held by Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, and met Father Gary Thomas - a parish priest from California. In spite of his scepticism, Baglio became an apprentice to the exorcist while developing his own skills. He eventually witnessed more than 20 exorcisms, performed by Father Thomas. The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1977) With a script by Earl E. White, and with Charles B. Pierce in the director’s chair, The Town That Dreaded Sundown centres on a spate of murders that rocked Texarkana, Arkansas over the course of three months, in 1946. The film remains warmly embraced by the town of Texarkana, and it's closed the town’s annual ‘Movies In The Park’ event - held in Spring Lake Park – every year since 2003. A loose remake of the film was later released in 2015, directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon. In the film: A young couple is attacked while parked on a secluded ‘lover’s lane.’ Both survive, but bear injuries, including evidence of them being ‘chewed.’ Some days later, another ‘parked’ couple are attacked. This time, the young man is found shot to death, and the young woman is found tied to a tree, dead. A passing police officer identifies the assailant as a hooded man, and a renowned Texas Ranger – Captain J.D Morales (Ben Johnson) – is enlisted to help investigate the crimes, which are quickly attributed to this ‘Phantom Killer.’ Law enforcement theorize the killer attacks every 21 days, and they lay traps for him on the night of the high school prom. Despite their best efforts, however, he manages to kill another young couple and flees. Next, he stalks a woman back to her home, where he shoots her husband through the window and tries to kill her by shooting her in the face. She miraculously escapes, however, and police chase the killer – shooting him in the leg. In spite of his injuries, he escapes near a railway line and is never seen again. In reality: Eight people were attacked in 10 weeks in Texarkana, in 1946, with five of the victims dying from their injuries. The victims were all couples, with the last one being attacked in their home. As depicted in the film, the husband was shot dead and the wife was shot twice in the face, but survived. The truth departs from the film there, however, as the injured woman raised the alarm with a neighbour, but the police never gave chase to the suspect. The spate of killings became known as the Moonlight Murders, due to their evening timings, although some in the press referred to the murderer himself as the Phantom Killer. This period in 1946 is especially famous for the way in which the small town descended into panic and paranoia – with residents fortifying their homes and stockpiling weapons to defend against this mysterious serial killer. As it was, after attacking the last couple in their home, the Phantom Killer simply disappeared and never struck again – at least, not in Texarkana, anyway. Primeval (2007) Primeval is fairly unusual in the horror genre, in that the serial killer is a giant crocodile named Gustave. The film is directed by Michael Katleman, is written by John Brancato and Michael Ferris, and uses the concept of Gustave – who is very real – to weave a tale that incorporates brutal civil war and the vain attempt of mankind to exert power in the face of nature. In the film: A British forensic anthropologist is working with the U.N. to examine corpses found in a mass grave in Burundi, when she's attacked by a large creature that drags her into the river and partially devours her. The creature is identified as being a giant crocodile, known locally as Gustave. In response to this breaking story, a disgraced television journalist (Dominic Purcell) is assigned to investigate, along with a reporter specializing in animal stories (Brooke Langton), a cameraman (Orlando Jones), and a herpetologist (Gideon Emery). The group is warned about a dangerous warlord operating in the area, who calls himself ‘Little Gustave.’ The journalists investigate the crocodile, while becoming entangled with Little Gustave and the violence caused by the civil war. They discover that crocodiles can continue to grow according to the level of food supply available to them, and Gustave has grown so big and so accustomed to the taste of human flesh because he feeds upon the victims of the civil war. In reality: Gustave is indeed a legendary crocodile living in Burundi, and is credited with killing up to 300 humans. He is said to hunt along the banks of Lake Tanganyika and the River Ruzizi, and has never been caught. His existence is well-documented, however, and he is particularly known for having three recognizable, healed bullet wounds along his body, as well as a deep scar on his right shoulder – although it is not clear how these scars were acquired. He is estimated to be between 6 and 8 metres long, weighing over 900kg, and being between 60 and 100 years old. The Mothman Prophecies (2002) Based on the 1975 book by parapsychologist and Fortean author, John Keel, The Mothman Prophecies is written by Richard Hatem and directed by Mark Pellington. It explores the Mothman legend, which surrounds sightings of a mysterious winged creature in the area of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, between 1966 and 1967. In the film: John Klein (Richard Gere) is a newspaper columnist who's involved in a car accident with his wife, Mary (Debra Messing). It's caused when she swerves to avoid a large winged creature and ends up with her hospitalized for her injuries. When she then dies of an unrelated brain tumour, John discovers that she'd been drawing pictures of the winged creature for some time before the crash. Two years later, John arrives in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, having got inexplicably lost on his way to a different destination. As he drives through the night, his car breaks down and he knocks on the door of Gordon Smallwood (Will Patton) for help. John is greeted with a gun by an agitated Gordon, who summons local police officer Connie Mills (Laura Linney) and complains that John has knocked on his door three nights in a row. This makes no sense to John, so he begins to investigate. It transpires that many strange things have been happening in the area, including lots of reports of a large winged creature with red eyes. People also report being spoken to by voices, and receiving messages about impending catastrophes. Gordon names the source of these messages as Indrid Cold, but is then found dead. John is warned off further investigation, but then finds himself in the midst of a prophesied tragedy with the unexplained collapse of the local bridge. In reality: Sightings of the Mothman were reported in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, from November 1966 to December 1967, with local and national news covering the story. It is said to have first been seen by five gravediggers working in a cemetery near Clendenin, West Virgina. Many claimed that people in the area experienced precognitions about events – including the collapse of the Silver Bridge in the town (which was officially attributed to a specific structural failure), and some reported other phenomena, such as visits from men in black. The town is now home to The Mothman Museum And Research Center, and holds an annual Mothman Festival every September. The Serpent And The Rainbow (1988) This tale explores the mysteries of the traditional medicines developed within the Voodoo religion – specifically a potion that turns people into zombies – living, though apparently dead. It also incorporates the sense of distrust regarding ‘Big Pharma.’ It's loosely based on the book of the same name by ethnobotanist Wade Davis, and features Wes Craven directing from a script written by Richard Maxwell and Adam Rodman. In the film: The story begins with the unexplained death of Christophe (Conrad Roberts) in a French missionary clinic. As he takes his final breaths, a parade marches by the window with a burning coffin, as a man in black watches intently. During Christophe’s Catholic funeral, his distraught sister mourns while the man in black looks on. Inside the coffin, Christophe reawakens and begins to cry. Some years later, an ethnobotanist named Dennis Alan (Bill Pullman) is on assignment in the Amazon Jungle, and is tasked with bringing rare medicines from a local shaman back to Boston. In doing so, he drinks a hallucinogen and has a vision of the man in black, as well as seeing his totem jaguar spirit. In the U.S., a pharmaceutical company asks him to go to Haiti to investigate and retrieve a drug used in Voodoo – the effect of which is to turn people into ‘zombies.’ They wish to mass produce it for use as a new form of anaesthetic. Haiti, however, is in the midst of a revolution, and Dennis becomes entangled with a local witch doctor and the Tonton Macoute (a Hatian Paramilitary force). The climax of his dangerous situation sees him buried alive in a coffin, with a tarantula, before being rescued by Christophe – who lives in the cemetery because he still believes he's dead. In reality: Wade Davis wrote his book, The Serpent And The Rainbow, to chronicle his findings during his time investigating the use of ethnobotanical poisons in Haitian Voodoo – specifically with regard to the case of Clairvius Narcisse, a reported zombie. Narcisse was a man whose death was documented and witnessed, but who returned to his family 18 years later, nonetheless. He claimed that he had been poisoned, “died” and was buried in 1962 – but that his body was subsequently recovered. He stated that a medicinal paste was administered to him that had the dual effect of causing hallucinations and compliance in behaviour. Narcisse was then made to work on a sugar plantation, while being regularly ‘dosed.’ After the plantation owner died, 2 years later, the dosing stopped, Narcisse regained his faculties and simply walked away. It was another 16 years before he returned to his family, though. The account of Wade Davis, and his investigations of ethnobotanical poisons, remain widely questioned and criticized by mainstream science.