10 Horror Films Based On Shocking True Events

The Rite is a creepy supernatural horror that was originally released in 2011. It was directed by Mikael Hafstrom and starred Sir Anthony Hopkins and Alice Braga. The film follows on the trail of a young priest who has been enlisted to train as an exorcist in the Vatican. In order to learn more about the rite and how it is applied, the priest has to attend real exorcisms and "learn on the job." What follows is a two-hour movie drenched in creepiness and tense atmosphere, yet surprisingly, the movie is allegedly based on true events.

The film is said to be based on true-life accounts of a priest called Father Gary Thomas. A book was released first, in 2009, entitled The Rite: The Making of A Modern Day Exorcist, and was written by journalist Matt Baglio. Although the movie differs from the book, both focus a great deal on learning about the sacrament of exorcism and contain in-depth explorations of true-life exorcism cases.

Father Gary Thomas' experiences are dramatised in this 2014 hit horror, The Rite, to great effect. He has spent many years as a priest, praying over those plagued by demonic infestation, and performing exorcisms.