10 Horror Movies That Are All Too Real

10. The Exorcist

Not only was it the first and one of the only horror films to achieve Oscar glory, The Exorcist is frequently hailed as one of the scariest films ever made. We all know that the film about a young girl (Linda Blair) being possessed by a demon was adapted from the novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty, but what you might not have been aware of is that the novel was partially inspired by the real-life account of the exorcism of a young boy known as Roland Doe (sometimes referred to as Robbie Mannheim).

Occurring in Maryland in 1949, the story goes that the young boy began experimenting with a Ouija board with his aunt. After his aunt’s death, however, the family noticed supernatural happenings emanating from the child such as scratching being heard under the floorboards and scratches being found under his mattress. It’s even claimed that words would appear scratched into the child’s skin before priests were called in to perform an exorcism.

Whether or not you believe Roland was actually possessed by a demon, there are plenty of other paranormal production issues surrounding this film that further add to The Exorcist’s real-life terrors.