17 Movies Based On True Stories That Make Them So, So, So Much Scarier

Being based on reality adds a whole new layer of horror.

We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us the scariest movies they've seen that are based on true stories. Here are the bone-chilling results:

Warning: This post mentions heavy topics including murder, kidnapping, domestic violence, torture, and sexual assault.

1. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

Netflix

Suggested by: lallcharlie

Eight people were charged with conspiring to incite riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, but the trial quickly became the Chicago Seven when Black Panther Party leader Bobby Seale, after objecting to the fact that he wouldn't receive the lawyer of his choice, was bound and gagged right there in the court room and eventually severed from the case.

You can watch the trailer below:

Netflix

2. The Afflicted (2011)

Nocturnal Features

Suggested by: camtrejo

Theresa Knorr was eventually arrested and charged for murdering two of her six children after abusing all of them for years. The abuse included constant beatings, holding a gun to their heads, and force-feeding her daughters, some of which is depicted in The Afflicted.

You can watch the trailer below:

Nocturnal Features

3. 3096 Days (2013)

Midget Entertainment

Suggested by: lostsocks

3096 Days is based on Natscha Kampusch's memoir of the same name. In 1998, Natscha was abducted at age 10 when she was walking to school and was held captive in a basement for eight years. She eventually managed to escape in 2006.

You can watch the trailer below.

Midget Entertainment

4. Scream (1996

Dimension Films

Suggested by: flipjonasblue

Scream was inspired by Daniel Harold Rolling also known as the Gainsville Ripper. In 1990, he murdered five college students over the course of four days in Gainesville, Florida. He even severed one woman's head and mounted it on her shelf.

You can watch the trailer below:

Dimension Films

5. The Girl Next Door (2007) and An American Crime (2007)

Starz Home Entertainment / Showtime

Suggested by: mayaabeysekera and allisonh483206d42

In 1965, Sylvia Likens and her sister were sent to live with Gertrude Baniszewski, a mother of seven, by their carnival worker payments. They paid Gertrude $20 a week to care for Sylvia and her sister, but when one of their checks arrived late, Gertrude took out her frustrations on Sylvia. She and her children, along with other neighborhood kids, abused Sylvia and eventually killed her three months later. The murder inspired two films: The Girl Next Door and An American Crime, which were both released the same year.

You can watch the trailer for The Girl Next Door below:

Starz Home Entertainment

And the trailer for An American Crime below:

Showtime

6. Karla (2006)

Christal Films / Quantum Entertainment

Suggested by: danijean13

Married couple Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo kidnapped, tortured, and raped at least three women, whom they kept in their house for days before murdering them. Karla even participated in drugging her 15-year-old sister and filming Paul while he sexually assaulted her. Both were charged and convicted. But Karla took a plea deal and eventually tried to get parole, which is covered in Karla.

You can watch the trailer below.

Christal Films / Quantum Entertainment

7. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

Greycat Films

Suggested by: penisburn

In 1983, Henry Lee Lucas confessed to over 600 murders; and police jurisdictions across the country were eager to close multiple cases, so they eagerly believed him. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is based on his confessed crimes. However, once DNA testing became relevant, evidence proved that many of Henry's confessions were false. However, he did for sure kill his mother, his girlfriend, and his landlord.

You can watch the trailer below.

Greycat Films

8. Spotlight (2015)

Open Road Films

Suggested by: megana459810788

Spotlight is based on the Boston Globe news team that brought the Catholic child abuse scandal to light in 2002. Priests accused of sexual abuse and misconduct were being systematically removed and allowed to work in other parishes, and the journalists identified up to 12 priests before going after the Catholic Church as a whole.

You can watch the trailer below:

Open Road Films

9. Changeling (2008)

Universal Pictures

Suggested by: megana459810788

In Changeling, Angelina Jolie plays real-life Christine Collins, who, in 1928, discovered that her son had gone missing. A few months later, a boy claiming to be her son popped up in Illinois. The LAPD, who had done a real crap job of finding Christine's son, arranged a public reunion between the two. But when Christine saw the boy, she realized he wasn't her son. Despite her having concrete evidence to prove the boy wasn't her son, the LAPD captain had Christine arrested and sent to a psychiatric ward, where she was tortured. Eventually, it came out that Christine's son was most likely abducted by a serial killer and the fake son confessed, but DAMN.

You can watch the trailer below.

Universal Pictures

10. Cleveland Abduction (2015)

Lifetime

Suggested by: childrenofthecornbread

Ariel Castro abducted and tortured 21-year-old Michelle Knight, 16-year-old Amanda Berry, and 14-year-old Gina DeJesus in the early 2000s. Each woman got in the car with him because he was their friend's father. Castro held the women captive in his home for nearly 11 years, and Knight even gave birth while trapped in Castro's home. They managed to escape in 2013.

You can watch the trailer below:

Lifetime

11. Monster (2003)

Newmarket Films

Suggested by: dracomalfoyandhamilton

Aileen Wuornos killed seven men between 1989 and 1991. She would approach her victims for a ride before robbing them, shooting them down, and stealing their vehicles. Aileen committed her crimes with the help and blessing of her partner Tyria Moore. Monster takes an unflinching look at their relationship, as well as Moore's betrayal of Wuornos.

You can watch the trailer below:

Newmarket Films

12. Zodiac (2007)

Paramount Pictures

Suggested by: nicolem4dc590154

Who could forget the infamous Zodiac Killer who terrorized San Francisco in the late '60s and early '70s? After each murder, the killer sent taunting letters to San Francisco newspapers and made phone calls to police mocked them for not being able to find him. The letters often included complex codes and symbols that seemed to have no rhyme or reason. Jake Gyllenhaal plays a newspaper employee trying to decipher the codes in Zodiac.

You can watch the trailer below:

Paramount Pictures

13. Pain & Gain (2013)

Paramount Pictures

Suggested by: cazboline

Pain & Gain is based on the Sun Gym Gang, who were all ex-convict gym rats who kidnapped and tortured three Miami millionaires to extort them for money. The torture included sleep deprivation, taser jolts, and even waterboarding. They murdered two of the three victims, chopped up their bodies, and tossed their remains into the Everglades.

You can watch the trailer below:

Paramount Pictures

14. The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015)

IFC Films

Suggested by: megana459810788

In 1971, 24 male college students took part in the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment. Based on a flip of a coin, they were separated into "prisoners" and "guards," and were tasked with living out a simulated prison scenario for two weeks. Within 24 hours, the guards began physically and psychologically abusing the prisoners. It became so intense that the experiment was shut down after six days, and inspired the 2015 film of the same name.

You can watch the trailer below:

IFC Films

15. My Friend Dahmer (2017)

FilmRise

Suggested by: nicolew4dad774d7

Jeffrey Dahmer murdered 17 men between 1978 and 1991. He would lure them back to his home and give them alcohol laced with drugs before strangling them to death. He would then often commit sex acts on their corpses before disposing of the bodies, often keeping body parts as souvenirs. My Friend Dahmer is based on the graphic novel by John Backderf, who was friends with Dahmer in high school.

You can watch the trailer below:

FilmRise

16. The Black Dahlia (2006)

Universal Pictures

Suggested by: katie2117union

The Black Dahlia takes a look at is one of the most infamous and gruesome murders in Los Angeles history. Elizabeth Short, an aspiring actor, was found dead and dismembered on a quiet street in Leimert Park in 1947. Her intestines were removed, her blood had been drained, and her mouth was slashed from ear to ear. It caused a huge media frenzy and the case still remains unsolved.

You can watch the trailer below:

Universal Pictures

17. And Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)

Netflix / courtesy Everett Collection

Suggested by: Nicole

Ted Bundy was a serial killer who confessed to the murders of over 30 women, even though his total number of victims remains unknown. He often committed sexual acts on the corpses of his victims and decapitated many of them, keeping their heads as a trophy. He's also famous for having served as his own attorney during several hearings. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile stars Zac Efron as Bundy, and covers the events of his life from 1969 to his execution in 1989.

You can watch the trailer below:

youtube.com

Do you know any movies based on chilling true stories? Share them in the comments below.