6 Horror Movies That Are Based On Real-Life Events

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.