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

Inspired Jay Anson's novel of the same name, The Amityville Horror is one of the most iconic haunted house stories ever. With that said, the 1979 classic is often seen as the go-to example that "based on a true story" doesn't mean much.

The Amityville Horror begins with George Lutz (James Brolin), his wife, Kathy (Margot Kidder), and their children moving into a house where former resident, Ronald DeFeo Jr, murdered six family members.

Now, this aspect of the story is completely true. However, the historical inaccuracies don't go any further than that. The rest of the movie plays out as the Lutzs claimed, with the family abandoning their home within 28 days after being attacked by devilish forces. During their monthly stay, the family stated they saw green slime oozing on the walls, objects levitating, and a red-eyed demon. 

However, there's no physical evidence, photos, or recordings of these occurrences. The neighbours never saw or heard anything unusual during the Lutz's stay nor were there reports of demonic occurrences in the house before or since.

While being interviewed by People's magazine, DeFeo Jr's defence attorney, William Weber, stated he helped the Lutz invent the haunting story over "many bottles of wine” as a potential money-making scheme. Most damning of all, George Lutz's own stepson, Christopher Quaratino publicly claimed the haunting was falsified.

Even though the story has been adapted into over 40 films, there doesn't seem to be any truth to The Amityville Horror whatsoever.