The terrifying true stories that inspired your favorite horror movies
Not all horror movies are total fiction — some take inspiration from real life. Here are the scariest true stories that horror movies were based on.
The Conjuring is a horror film franchise rooted in the true paranormal experiences of the Perron family in Rhode Island. In 1971, the family moved into the Old Arnold Estate and reported numerous incidents of supernatural activity, including furniture moving on its own, eerie sounds, and being physically harmed by unseen entities.
Paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren, were called in to assist the Perrons, who ultimately concluded the house was haunted by the vengeful spirit of a 18th-century woman named Bathsheba, accused of being a Satanist and murdering her first child. Despite never being convicted, Bathsheba continues to torment the Perron family.
Another notable film, The Conjuring 2, follows the Hodgson family in London during 1977. The parents, Roger and Carolyn Hodgson, and their four children experienced various disturbances, such as objects flying through the air and one of the children claiming possession by a malevolent entity named Bill Wilkins. The Warrens investigated the case and confirmed that a man named Bill Wilkins had indeed died tragically on the property, suggesting that the family was indeed facing a real haunting.
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