10 Horror Movies Based On True Stories (That Were All Lies)

Although the phrase "based on a true story" should be taken with a pinch of salt, The Fourth Kind looked believable, despite the far-fetched premise. In this found-footage thriller, Dr. Abbey Tyler (Milla Jovovich) heads to Nome, Alaska to investigate people who went missing shortly after they were abducted by aliens.

Though this type of story has been done to death, the trailers emphasised The Fourth Kind used archival footage of proclaimed abductees, which should've made the testimonies in the film more authentic.

Despite what the marketing implied, the "archival footage" were re-enactments carried out by actors. What's worse is these sessions aren't convincing, so they come across as cringey or unintentionally comedic, when they should be terrifying and heart-wrenching. Also, this kind of research was never conducted since Abbey Tyler didn't exist.

Even though the story is based on a historic investigation in Alaska, the real FBI report was very anticlimactic. According to all available evidence, the culprit behind the 24 missing persons was the subzero temperature. Nome can get as low as -40 degrees Celsius during the winter, so it's not too hard to believe two dozen people froze to death over the last few decades. That explanation may sound mundane, but it's more likely than what's depicted in The Fourth Kind.