Best Obscure Horror Movies Based on Real Events

Remember to lock your doors at night. 

We all know the feeling of watching a real nail-biter of a film from within a cocoon of blankets, safe within our own homes. It’s like listening to a storm rage outside while you’re warm and dry inside- as terrifying as a good horror movie can be, you can breathe a sigh of relief when it’s over, knowing that it’s only fiction. That is, until it isn’t. There’s nothing like a title card that reads “Based on a True Story,” to make your heart beat faster. We all know about the true stories that inspired “Silence of the Lambs,” or “The Conjuring,” but what about the lesser known true tales, the ones that were lost to history or buried in local news coverage? 

The Snowtown Murders (Snowtown) (2011)

In 1999, South Australia police uncovered barrels of dismembered, tortured bodies, enough parts for a dozen wretched victims. This is no rowdy gore fest; this is a study of a victim and his master, and the things they will do together, while you watch, will leave you afraid to trust even those closest to you. 

Hounds of Love (2017)

Human flaws and monstrosities take center stage in this tense adaptation of the crimes of David and Catherine Bernie. Your imagination will be your worst enemy when you watch this one; the horror is in the suggestion, in knowing what you aren’t seeing. It’s in the way the character’s eyes linger in all the wrong places, and in the fresh wounds on their skin. 

The Disappointment’s Room (2016)

A couple moves into their new home and try to uncover the purpose of a tiny, walled off room in the attic. This dark take on the true story of the house owned by Rhode Island Judge Carpenter is heavily dramatized, but nonetheless sheds a stark, uncomfortable light on the bitterly held secrets of a prominent family.

Deranged (1974)

If you saw that trailer and thought you were in for some campy scares and a tired take on a story already covered by such iconic films as The Silence of the Lambs or Texas Chainsaw Massacre, then you are woefully unprepared for this truly ghoulish film.

It’s a retelling of the story of Ed Gein, infamous serial killer. Not only is it more faithful to the real life crimes of this man, it manages to make even a seasoned horror fan shudder on nothing more than a shoestring budget and utter depravity. The dialogue may have aged like milk, but the actual story is disgusting in all the most timeless ways.