10 Horror Movies Inspired By Creepy Urban Legends

2. Eating Babies Keeps You Young - Dumplings

The inspiration behind Dumplings is the perfect example of an urban legend taking a small sliver of truth, then running rampant with speculation and sensationalism to create something terrifying enough to spread like wildfire. The film depicts ageing actress Mrs Li, desperate for youth and beauty, who seeks the help of a local chef. Mei gives Mrs Li dumplings made from unborn foetuses, which she soon relies on to keep looking the way she wants.

The idea of eating foetuses originated with artist Zhu Yu, who claimed he'd cannibalised them for an art display and sparked outrage enough to get himself prosecuted. In reality, he most likely ate a prop of some sort - like duck with a dolls head on - to get his message across.

There's been reports of eating children and the likes in China for a few decades through the consumption of pills or soup for rejuvenation, though those that have been seized were discovered to be placenta rather than actual babies. Hoaxes have been rife since Yu's display at the turn of the millennium, with social media springing all sorts of lies posed as facts in its wake.

It's a disturbing urban legend, but this baby soup should be taken with a large dose of salt.