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Horror movies based on true events add an extra layer of fear for audiences, with classics like The Amityville Horror and newer films like The Conjuring drawing inspiration from real-life supernatural cases, but the success of a film ultimately depends on more than just its source material.
Movies in the horror genre that are based on true events.
Insidious is not based on a true story, but the filmmakers drew inspiration from real-life supernatural experiences to create moments in the movie.
Is Insidious Based on a True Story?
James Wan and Leigh Whannell crafted a terrifying story for Insidious that created a whole cinematic universe and drew inspiration from a friend's real-life experience for one of the scary demons, the Long-haired fiend.
Whannell was inspired to write Insidious from sleep paralysis and astral projection, and while not supernatural, many people find sleep paralysis terrifying, with the visuals of the demons correlating to reported experiences.
Filming scary movies based on real-life events can come with weird stories on set, like The Exorcist's rumored hauntings and The Conjuring universe's weekly priest visits for blessings.
Haunted Horror Movie Sets
Actress Rose Byrne revealed in an interview with The Cinema Space that while filming Insidious, she didn't feel comfortable in one of the two houses where the movie was shot, despite the fact that the movie was not based on a true story.
"The house that we filmed in was so scary. Like, I’m not particularly supernatural. I’m born of two skeptics, but I can definitely feel an atmosphere, you know if there’s an odd, weird vibe. And that house had a very strange vibe."
Reports of strange occurrences on the set of Insidious were limited to the first two movies, shot in reportedly haunted locations.
Insidious franchise demonstrated that a horror movie doesn't require a real-life basis to be frightening, and the upcoming release of Insidious: Red Door this year proves this.