10 Horror Films Based On Shocking True Events
7. Exorcism Of Emily Rose
The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a horror-fan favourite, so tense and perfectly cast is the production. Directed by Scott Derrickson, it is based on the allegedly true-life account of Annaliese Michel (a German student who was said to have been possessed by several demons). It was released in 2005, and starred Jennifer Carpenter, Tom Wilkinson and Campbell Scott.
Annaliese Michel was born in Germany in the 1960's, and raised in a Catholic household in which faith was said to be an important part of life. It was apparently at the age of 16 that Annaliese first "blacked out" and could not recall the event after coming round. It wasn't long before similar events occurred and even what appeared to be seizures.
At first, Annaliese was told she had epilepsy, but soon after the family came to believe that their daughter fit the criteria for demonic possession. Therefore, after some time, the young woman underwent a series of dramatic and traumatic exorcisms. What occurred was so frightening and unsettling that it eventually inspired a book and the much-loved Hollywood film. The film production itself was said to be plagued by paranormal events.