10 True Stories Behind Famous Horror Movies
5. The Fourth Kind
The Fourth Kind is a mockumentary-style horror movie starring Milla Jovovich as a psychologist attempting to study reports of several disappearances in the wintery town of Nome, Alaska. She interviews several patients who have had the same nightmare of a white owl watching them through their windows. Through the use of hypnosis, she enables her patients to recount their experiences and it soon becomes clear they are victims of classical alien abductions. It’s a fairly effective movie that does contain some genuinely haunting moments.
Unfortunately, the real-life residents of Nome, Alaska were not very happy about the The Fourth Kind, particularly its claim to be based on a true story. Whilst it is true that Nome has an unusually large amount of mysterious disappearances and deaths for a town of its size, all investigations point to this being due to a mixture of alcohol and the harsh climate. That didn’t stop The Fourth Kind marketing itself as based on a true story, however.
The film certainly takes its abduction scenarios from several real-life accounts given by abductees. Just google “alien abductions” and you will find cases such as that of Betty and Barney Hill, which has become the standard template for abduction stories. Missing time, tall creatures who don’t vocalise yet can be understood telepathically, right down to the “tests” and surgical procedures. It’s all here.
How true all of these stories are? Well, you’ll just have to discern that for yourself.