The Exorcist (1973): The Exorcist is often hailed as one of the most frightening films ever made. The story of a young girl s demonic possession is based on the 1949 case of Roland Doe. In real life, the boy underwent a series of exorcisms under the pseudonym Roland Doe to rid him of a malevolent spirit.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974): Tobe Hooper s iconic film, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, took inspiration from the gruesome crimes of Ed Gein, a serial killer who was known for making furniture and clothing from the skin and bones of his victims. The film s Leatherface character is loosely based on Gein.
The Amityville Horror (1979): This film tells the story of the Lutz family, who moved into a house in Amityville, New York, where a mass murder had occurred. Their terrifying experiences are based on the reported hauntings that the real Lutz family claimed to have endured after moving in.
The Conjuring (2013): The Conjuring franchise has become synonymous with spine-tingling scares. The first film is based on the investigations of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who documented their experiences with the Perron family in 1971. The real Perron family claimed to have encountered malevolent spirits in their Rhode Island farmhouse.
Annabelle (2014): Introduced in The Conjuring, the haunted doll Annabelle has become a character in her own right. The real Annabelle doll, which is now housed in the Warrens Occult Museum, is said to have been responsible for a series of unsettling events, including attacks on those who dared to mock or disrespect it.