10 Horror Films You Won't Believe Were Based On True Stories

9. Jaws

The film: The original blockbuster and actually, when you think about, one of the most successful horror films of all time - how many people have never been back in the water after seeing it, out of fear that a great white may be lying just below the surf? - Steven Spielberg's loose adaptation of Peter Benchley's pulpy bestseller sees the fictional summer resort town of Amity plagued by shark attacks, with multiple holidaymakers being pulled under by the powerful jaws of...well, Jaws. The mayor wants to keep it quiet, lest they spoil the town's most profitable business (ie the beach); Roy Scheider is the police chief who figures out what's going on, and recruits a marine biologist and a shark hunter - both of whom have a weirdly large amount of scars - to hunt the beast down. You know the story: they need a bigger boat, Quint gets eaten, petrol tank, smile you sonuva, BOOM, everybody wins! Except the shark. The true story: Sadly the Brody family weren't a real-life clan who made enemies for life of a similar dynasty of great white sharks (just FYI, that's literally what Jaws: The Revenge is; a descendant of the first film's aquatic antagonist hunts down Roy Scheider's kids), Peter Benchley was inspired by the actual events of the shark attacks which occurred off the New Jersey shore in 1916 sent people into a complete panic, and threatening tourism in the area more than even Snooki managed in six season of quality television. If that's making you want to stay out of the water, then maybe it'll reassure you a little to know that eccentric Quint was based on the very real shark hunter Frank Mundus. Although, considering what happens to Quint in the film, maybe not.