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You stream a scary movie, expecting bone-chilling thrills. You already know that the events, even if fictional, are frightening. But things are automatically more terrifying when you see those five words appear on a black screen, “based on a true story.”
Though many horror movies based on true stories take a lot of liberties with what actually happened, many are still rooted in events that did happen or have been rumored to have happened. It’s an all too common trope in found footage films that are based on true stories.
Whether you believe in ghost stories or not, these four supernatural horror movies are supposedly rooted in truth, creating a much darker, much scarier atmosphere.
The Rite (2011)
The Rite follows Michael Kovak as he pursues a Vatican-certified exorcism course, highly urged by his superior, Father Matthew. Kovak then crosses paths with Welsh Jesuit exorcist Father Lucas, who has a possessed patient Rosaria who Kovak meets. Kovak and Father Lucas then work together to expel the demon that eventually reveals itself to be Bae
The Rite is based on The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist, written by Matt Baglio, which is based on the experiences of Father Gary Thomas, who, as of 2011, was one of about 14 Vatican-certified exorcists in the United States. Baglio and Father Gary Thomas originally met while Father Gary Thomas was studying at Vatican’s Athenaeum Pontificium Regina Apostolorum in Rome.
Though many liberties are taken in The Rite, Father Gary Thomas was an advisor to the film and shared his experiences with about 100 people who were thought to be possessed by the devil.
The Conjuring (2013)
The Conjuring follows paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren as they visit the Perron household in Harrisville, Rhode Island, and it is one of the best horror movies of the 2010s.
In 1971, the Perron family contacts Lorraine and Ed after they and their five daughters start to have paranormal experiences, and their dog mysteriously dies. After visiting the Perron home, Lorraine, who is also clairvoyant, sees that supernatural forces have latched onto the Perrons. The Perrons and the Warrens gather proof of the supernatural activity to get approval from the Catholic Church to provide an exorcism.
During the investigation, research showed that the house was once occupied by accused witch Bathsheba Sherman who sacrificed herself and her baby to the devil in 1863. They also discover that several murders and suicides occurred on the property. The Perrons and Warrens face even more horrifying trouble as the mother of the Perron family, Carolyn, is possessed by Bathsheba. The movie then erupts into chaos as the rest of the cast fights to bring Carolyn back and banish Bathsheba.
The Perrons lived in the farmhouse for more than ten years, and the Warrens visited multiple times, investigating the paranormal activity and even conducting a seance, which supposedly ended in Caroyln being possessed, speaking in tongues, and levitating.
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Though the movie completely focuses on the Perrons, the experiences that occur are based on the Warrens’ many paranormal experiences over the course of their careers. Though some liberties are taken, including the details of how Bathsheba died, Lorraine acted as a consultant on the movie set and maintained that the supernatural events portrayed in the movie were also witnessed firsthand by her and Ed.
All members of the Perron family maintain that these events happened, and Andrea Perron even wrote the book House of Darkness House of Light – The True Story.
Deliver Us From Evil (2014)
Another movie based on a book, based on a true story, Deliver Us From Evil, follows veteran NYPD Special Operations Sergeant Ralph Sarchie and his partner Butler as they follow up on domestic disturbance calls.
The calls are sinister in nature, and Sarchie eventually teams up with Priest Mendoza, who helps him see the supernatural reality of recent situations. Mick Santino, a possessed Marine, begins to target Sarchie and his family, all while Sarchie begins to hear and see things that no one else does. Mendoza and Sarchie eventually discover a repeating message that allows demons to enter the human world, explaining some of the recent cases they have come across.
Beware the Night: A New York City Cop Investigates the Supernatural, co-written by Ralph Sarchie and Lisa Collier Cool, details instances of demonic possession Sarchie uncovered while working out of the 46th Precinct in New York. The stories told are that of true horror, from grisly rituals to murder and more, only explained by the supernatural.
Things Heard and Seen (2021)
Netflix’s Things Heard and Seen is loosely based on the book All Things Cease to Appear, written by Elizabeth Brundage, which is also loosely based on her own haunted experiences.
In 1980, married couple Catherine and George Clare moved into an old dairy farm in the Hudson Valley with their daughter Franny, with the promise of a new job for George. Increasingly isolated as a stay-at-home mom and art restorer, Catherine begins to suspect something sinister is at play when she discovers strange artifacts in the home, which eventually lead her to learn about the house’s morbid history.
Things quickly escalate as past and current secrets are revealed, and the forces in the farmhouse grow more malevolent, ultimately leading to a séance. Things Heard and Seen is a haunting telling of dark secrets that eventually unravel for the worst.
Like many movies based on true stories, the details are largely fabricated, though Brundage maintains that her experiences were very real and very scary. After moving to upstate New York, Brundage’s young children began to share accurate details of three girls who died in a fire at the home, information they had no access to.
Brundage also witnessed her three-year-old pointing and laughing at something Brundage couldn’t see but could feel. A neighbor even warned her of the house being haunted, as the previous owners moved for that very reason.
These experiences inspired All Things Cease to Appear, which was also inspired by the brutal ax-murder of Cathleen Krauseneck in 1982. The chilling details of the case stuck with Brundage and became part of the story.
Even if these movies aren’t entirely based on truth, the possibility of truth is enough to leave viewers uncomfortable. Did any of these true stories leave you feeling spooked?
