10 Horror Films Based On Shocking True Events

Sometimes the real horror lies beyond the scary movies we are addicted to.

By Fiona Dodwell /

Horror movies have long provided audiences with a safe way to experience thrills, fear and tension from the comfort of our own homes. We can watch a spate of scary films and know that once the lights go back on and we return to the real world, we can feel safe yet again, far away from the fictional horrors that we expose ourselves to. Yet, more often than most of us probably realise, there are horror movies that have a basis in real life. It's unsettling to see just how much truth can be scarier than fiction.

Advertisement

Such films are not always based deeply in precise fact, of course. Certainly, audiences accept that there will often be an element of poetic license in such productions. Nevertheless, there are many movies that have their roots planted in frightening, true life accounts. A world where crimes, death, hauntings and urban legends are a part of real, everyday life.

If you are a fan of dark films and you're ready to accept that the real horrors may exist long after the movie is over, then read on. Here are 10 films that are allegedly based on true accounts.

10. The Haunting In Connecticut

The Haunting In Connecticut is a horror that was released back in 2009. Starring Virginia Madsen, Kyle Gallner and Amanda Crew, the film follows the story of central character Matt Campbell who is a teenager undergoing treatment for an aggressive cancer. His parents, hoping to make life easier, move to a property closer to the treatment centre so their son doesn't have to travel far for his cancer therapy. Without any spoilers, it's safe to say that the film explores some truly dark themes as it turns out the home the Campbell family now inhabit used to be a funeral home. Some dark entities are on the loose there.

Advertisement

The story told in Haunting In Connecticut is based on the apparent true-life story of the Snedeker family who, in 1986, moved to Connecticut to help their son who was similarly undergoing cancer treatment. In their new home, they experienced a dark and terrifying haunting, that resulted in them contacting infamous demonologists, Ed and Lorraine Warren who took on the case.

The family undertook several interviews in the media and eventually a book was written and released by Ray Garton. Although the family stand by their terrible ordeal, there are understandably some sceptics who question the extent of what truly happened behind closed doors.

Advertisement