10 Horrific Wilderness Horror Movies Based On True Events
1. Wolf Creek (2005)
The Australian Outback is one of the worst places to become lost. Surrounded by nothing but hundreds of miles of untamed wilderness, any help is far out of reach. This is precisely why it makes the perfect setting for a horror film, with one of the most effective being Wolf Creek.
When a group of backpackers become stranded in the wilderness, they’re rescued by a stranger called Mick (John Jarratt). He offers to help fix their car and send them on their way. However, he instead drugs the group before mercilessly torturing them.
Despite this intensely violent affair beginning with a title card claiming to be based on a true story, the events depicted here are fictional. Rather, Wolf Creek finds its connections to real-world horrors through the grizzly inspirations behind its cold-blooded antagonist.
According to filmmaker Greg McLean, inspiration for Mick came from real-life serial killer Ivan Millat. Also known as “The Backpack Killer”, Millat killed seven hitchhikers around Belanglo State Forest north of Sydney between 1989 and 1992.
Though knowing Mick Taylor never existed will be a relief after seeing his diabolical actions, discovering he has a real-life counterpart makes the character that extra bit more sinister.