Do you like watching movies that give you goosebumps and a little shiver down the spine? If the answer is yes, you have come to the right place because we have something to surprise you!

Most of us believe that horror films are most often too gruesome to have any connection with real life. However, that’s not always like that. If we dig deeper, we can find out that most films that fully or partially tell about real people or events make a stronger impression on the viewers, and producers know that. That’s why industry specialists often adopt real characters and stories.

In the list below, we have collected the top five films that will probably scare you to death, especially if you know they are based in truth. So, grab some popcorn, cancel all your plans, give up on chores or homework (better entrust it to professionals from a reliable custom essay writing service), and let yourself have a little scary film marathon!

According to the 2018’s survey published on Statista, 52% of American respondents named horror movies among their most favorite genres. Although many people prefer staying away from scary films, the stats prove that at least half of the US population loves them and if you are among that 52%, we have collected a list of top 5 most terrifying movies based on true stories, so sit back and enjoy!

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

We bet that all of you have heard about The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which is assumed to be one of the all-time best films and the real classics of the genre. Many have seen it at least once in a lifetime, but not everyone knows that the main character of the movie, the Leatherface, is actually based on a real person.

The prototype for this character was a real-life murderer Ed Gein. The killer was accused of robbing the graves and committing a series of particularly brutal murders. Gein became famous for using the parts of his victims’ bodies to create furniture, clothes, and other items. Now, realizing that this movie is partially based on real events, watching it gets even creepier.

Veronica

It was released not so long ago, in 2017. Although it is quite new, thousands of people have been going wild about it, and it caused lots of discussions.

Veronica has a pretty good rating, but it was reported to scare viewers so much that they had to turn it off halfway through watching. 

Why is it so terrifying? The whole plot is based on a true story that took place in Madrid. The local police were investigating the death of a teenage girl. The real story is very mysterious. It has been reported that Estefania Gutierrez died right after playing with an Ouija board. Before Estefania passed away in the hospital, she claimed that she saw shadowy figures. 

The case of the girl’s death has never been solved. However, a year after this, her parents reported experiencing paranormal activity similar to what their daughter has been claiming.

The Amityville Horror

It is hard to find a person who hasn’t heard of the cruel murders that took place in Amityville, New York. It was a big case that has shook millions of people around the globe. 

The resonance of the case was so great that years after the world had seen a release of The Amityville Horror – a movie based on these events.

The real story happened in 1974. On one November night, Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his whole family in their sleep. Ronald stole the shotgun of his father and shot his parents, sisters, and brothers. He claimed that he didn’t intend to do it, but the voices in the house made him to.

Statements made by Ronald DeFeo would probably sound like fiction unless another family had reported about paranormal activity in the same house a year later. 

The Lutz family has moved in the same house where murders took place and almost immediately claimed to experience paranormal activity. This has sparked a massive debate on whether the Amityville house is truly haunted.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose

This is another incredibly horrifying piece. The plot tells the tragic story of a 17-year-old teenage girl Anneliese Michel.

Initially, the doctors suspected the girl to have epilepsy, so she was required to take lots of medications to combat the disease. However, after some time, it became clear that medicine didn’t help the girl to get rid of seizures. 

The next years turned out to be a real hell for the girl. Surprisingly for everyone in her environment, Anneliese stated that she gets visions and can hear voices that wouldn’t stop telling her she was a sinner.

She turned to religion and was kneeling 60 times a day which eventually ruptured her knee ligaments. She continued taking lots of medications, but nothing helped. Eventually, the girl stopped eating and starved herself to death.

The Conjuring

This terrifying movie has collected $319,5 million box office, which is a real success for this genre. 

The film tells a story of Ed and Lorraine Warren – a couple who has a shared family business that may sound a bit odd at first, as they investigate different paranormal events. 

Other characters from the plot are the family who called upon the investigators after suspecting something terrible is happening in their house. 

The investigators found out the family’s new property was haunted. It was home to numerous ghosts and, in particular, the one especially evil spirit called Bathsheba, who was preying on the family members. 

The whole plot is thrilling and extremely terrifying. Watching it, you’d probably not think that everything shown in the movie has really happened. However, that’s one of those cases when the story is true. The Perrons are not fictional characters, and the plot tells a real life story of the family that faced paranormal activity in their new house.

By the way, if you’ve enjoyed The Conjuring, you will be excited to learn that The Conjuring 2 is also based on a real-life tale!

Final Words

Scary movies based on real events, as a rule, are even more terrifying to watch. However, if you are a true fan of thrill, who loves getting those goosebumps, you should find the options from this list quite exciting and engaging!