Horror Trends From Gore to the Supernatural

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Indie Horror Creation Lifestyle Scary Movies and Series

It’s been well over a hundred years since the first horror movie was created—since it’s fair to say that the three-minute short film, Le Manoir du Diable (1896) counts as the first horror film ever created. Known in English both as The Haunted Castle as well as The House of the Devil, which you can actually watch here. While considered tame by today’s standards of the horror genre, it launched a multimedia genre that has gotten increasingly popular over the last one hundred twenty-four years. The sheer number of horror movies made per year continues to grow steadily, but since 2001 it has been an ever-accelerating trend—sources cite that by the year 2000 an approximated two-hundred horror films had been produced, then by 2016 the number had jumped to well over a thousand films in the genre.

This says nothing of the vastly different topics that this genre actually covers, which essentially has a taste of every kind of interest paired with the one thing that brings horror lovers together—the fear factor!

Popularity Within Horror—What Draws the Audience In?

It used to be that gory, disturbing, and slasher flicks brought the crowds in, at least that’s what the data has said since 1996. Interestingly enough, ever since 1999 this particular subgenre of horror has dramatically declined, coinciding with the introduction of stellar horror movies that fall within other genres, especially the paranormal and supernatural subgenre.

Gore, Disturbing, and Slasher Films

Static image on television screen
Photography by Jisun Han

For those of you unclear about what thematic elements cause a horror movie to be classified as either a gore, disturbing, or slasher film, I’ll clear that up here. Gory and disturbing movies tend to focus on portraying violence, blood, and guts in the most graphic way possible—the general emphasis is the shock factor. Violence tends to incite the fight or flight instinct that lays within each and every one of us, which in turn causes a huge release of adrenaline as well as mood-altering hormones. It’s safe to say that real-world events had some impact on whether or not a person might want to go see a horror movie that depicted obscene amounts of violence, as the early 2000s displayed a steep decline of this violent subgenre of horror. There have been exceptions to this rule, of course, the Saw movie franchise and the rebooted Hellraiser franchise enjoyed success, but 2008 marked the rapid drop in popularity. To compare fifty percent of the horror movies produced in 1999 were categorized into the gore, disturbing, and slasher film genre, whereas it now makes up less than fifteen percent of horror films being made. That being said, it’s been suggested that much like senses of fashion, certain trends are cyclically popular and that the gore, disturbing, and slasher subgenre should be expected to make a comeback sometime in the future.

Audiences have a remarkable fascination with gory violence and disgusting scenes, and scientists who have studied the depths of human recall, when surrounding horrific events have discovered—not surprisingly—that participants in this study had detailed recall of the scene itself, but the overwhelming nature of the event causes a “temporary blindness,” in our memory of what happened just before and just after the event. This is why gory movies are so jam-packed full of violence—they want the movie to be memorable, even if they aren’t the best movies ever. As an example, films like Cannibal Holocaust (1980) and Green Inferno (2013) are talked about more frequently than any other horror film simply because of the abhorrent events that take place within the film. These films often surpass box office hits like Saw (2004) and Hostel (2005) when it comes to how memorable they are because these movies are violent and gory just for the sake of being violent and gory.

Cannibal Holocaust (1980) continues to be talked about today because it was legitimately believed to be a snuff film and the director even got brought up on murder charges until he produced the actors that were believed to have been killed during filming—that’s not all though, it featured live animal torture and is now one of the main reasons why films are required to divulge that “no animals were harmed in the making of this movie,” in a testament to animal cruelty laws that are now in effect. Films like this were made for shock value and although they remain in the memory of those who have dared to watch them, they leave the audience feeling somehow dirty. Suffice it to say, watching a movie like this once is often overkill if you like horror for more than just shock value.

Bridget Rubenking and Annie Lang argue that even though disgust makes us feel bad, it has evolved to a functional response of attention capture—as a form of entertainment, filmmakers can’t lose with the factor of disgust on their side. It keeps audiences engrossed and engaged, hoping that somehow the story gets better. From the 482 participants that were studied in Germany and the United States, they reached a conclusion that gory scenes function to reinforce our hope that good will inevitably triumph over evil.

Paranormal and Supernatural Films

While it’s clear that not all paranormal and supernatural films can be classified as horror movies, which can be easily explained by referencing A Ghost Story (2017)—a movie where the featured version of ghosts is literally a guy wearing a sheet with eye-holes cut out, over his head and walking around in a kind of vacant melodrama. A Ghost Story (2017) isn’t meant to be a scary movie, it’s meant to be a depressing drama and honestly kind of failed at that too. The horror franchise marks paranormal and supernatural movies as having content that, “deal[s] with phenomena which defy scientific explanation such as ghosts, demons, psychics, the dead and other such spooky experiences.” These days, paranormal and supernatural take the proverbial cake, as they become increasingly popular in production and now take up the largest share of the box office. It’s thought that this trend is due to the mysterious nature of this subgenre of horror—people like to be kept guessing what is going to happen next. A huge benefit to the volume of production for paranormal and supernatural films versus monster films and violent flicks is that they have a low cost to produce—with ghosts and other paranormal phenomena it’s what is left unseen that makes the movie more compelling. With a low cost in production means that more ideas are able to be brought to fruition on-screen without the burden of raising funds or seeking sponsors. The major uptick in viewership of paranormal horror came with the beginning of the Paranormal Activity franchise, which hundreds of films being added into the genre.

Low budget costs for creating a movie means that creating a captivating film becomes more attainable for people that aren’t already known in the film industry. So, these paranormal and supernatural films are brought to us from a wider collective of filmmakers who have fresh and exciting ideas, original takes on existing content, or a new idea entirely—then they help thrill-seekers who have an affinity for horror find their adrenaline rush.

What this means for the Horror Genre

Violence and Monster-centric movies aren’t going to die out anytime soon, don’t worry—we’re still going to have plenty of new slashers and monsters coming (we’re personally excited about Antlers (2020) coming out this April. So while the popularity of these movies may have decreased to the point of minimal production, it seems like the ones that do make it end up generally being well worth the watch. Take Films like I Am Legend (2007) and World War Z (2013) as examples, both were large budget movies (over $150 million dollars each) and unqualified successes within the monster subgenre. Then again, despite the average horror audience’s proclivity to enjoy things that scare or disturb them, they inevitably want to see a positive ending—instead of being left with an ending that raises questions or leaves the audience wishing for some emotional closure. This can be seen in how I Am Legend (2007) was released with two different endings, one in which the main protagonist sacrifices himself and the one that was ultimately used for the final cut—where the main protagonist finds a way to fix the problem.

Why We Keep Watching

Horror films are entertaining—anyone who enjoys watching them would wholeheartedly agree—according to Søren Birkvad, a film scholar at the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences—they are a way we keep the boredom away. Those who are prone to boredom more often than not, score higher than others in a trait dubbed, “sensation seeking.” These people are then more likely to have an increased affinity for horror films.

Creepy House in Camera Image
Photography by Caleb Minear

Horror films help us explain away the evil and darkness in the world—they enable us to essentially get to the root cause of why evil exists in the world. Whether or not it’s the true cause of evil doesn’t really matter in this scenario, because the fictional explanations give the audience closure for their curiosity. If people want true reasons why people do awful things to one another, they generally have a fascination with movies or television series that revolve around serial killers, who have been psychologically studied and often diagnosed with a mental disorder—psychopathy, sociopathy, the worst of the worst helped define evil within forensic psychiatry.

In modern culture, it’s a rarity to discuss evil as a true force of nature—what drove the conversation before was the dominant religious influence within western culture. The beliefs of religious extremists, it’s simply not common for people to believe in a demonic force within the world; in popular culture, especially within books and movies, evil is easily conveyed within the horror genre. More and more noticeably we’ve seen the gore and monster subgenre move from the fantasy realm to the science fiction realm, where instead of relying upon the explanations from the church, we’ve begun to explore the hubris of man. Unexplainable forces that were responsible for vampires and zombies turned into explainable scientific procedures gone wrong—in the form of viruses, or cures, they generally allude to man trying to play the role of God.

The final reason why people frequently seek out the thrills that horror movies provide is what Birkvad calls the anthropological and therapeutic utility of horror film. Birkvad insists that horror movies help us to cope with our own anxiety by stimulating us through a “familiar framework,” which is essentially our safety net. The audience need never overwhelm itself with how they would feel if these film sequences were really happening in front of them, as they can easily disconnect from the action—cover your eyes, cover your ears, make a joke to ease the tension, or indulge in comfort foods.

In psychology, we call this activation of a feeling “emotional regulation.” By watching horror films one can have a sense of control over both the situation, or the viewing experience, and over the feeling of fear. Watching a scary film may possibly also function as a distraction from other feelings.

Svein Åge Kjøs Johnsen

Freud’s attempts to provide a reason to how we perceive things that are considered strange or unusual—he insists that entertaining the idea of the existence of ghosts can create undue excitement, so when we experience things that we cannot explain it incites the adrenaline response. Then again, considering Freud’s work on behavioral psychology he also insists that we never fully overcome the triggers of stress and anxiety from our childhood. Fear of the dark, excessive solitude and eerie silences are things that some adults just can’t shake the trepidation of. Come to think of it, have you ever had an unbearably awkward silence with someone you’ve just met—it stands to reason that the feeling of anxiety most people get from those awkward silences stems from the same source.

So, what are your thoughts on why we as horror lovers have moved away from the gore and violence and begun to embrace paranormal and supernatural themes within the horror genre?

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Paranormal Movies/Television Series On Netflix January 2020

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Scary Movies and Series

 Do you like the hairs standing up on the back of your neck? Well we’ve put together a list of the best paranormal movies and television series on Netflix right now for your fright nights viewing pleasure… We’ll update regularly as new titles become available.

10.) Insidious

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Director: James Wan

Writer: Leigh Whannell

Cast: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Barbara Hershey

Parents (Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne) take drastic measures when it seems their new home is haunted and their comatose son (Ty Simpkins) is possessed by a malevolent entity, astral projecting and frightened, the parents call upon a medium (Lin Shaye).

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 66%

9.) Birdbox

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Director: Susanne Bier

Writers: Eric Heisserer (screenplay), Josh Malerman (novel)

Cast: Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich, Sarah Paulson, Jacki Weaver, Rosa Salazar, Danielle Macdonald, Lil Rel Howery, Tom Hollander, Machine Gun Kelly, BD Wong, Pruitt Taylor Vince

When a mysterious, paranormal force starts killing off the population, if you see it, you die. The survivors must now avoid coming face to face with an entity that takes shape of their worst fears. Searching for life and a new beginning, a woman and her two kids embark on a dangerous journey through the woods and down a river to find a place of safety and life. To make it, they’ll have to cover their eyes from the evil that chases them, completing the trip blindfolded.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 63%

8.) The Ritual

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Director: David Bruckner

Writers: Joe Barton, Adam Nevill

Cast: Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Robert James-Collier, Sam Troughton, Paul Reid, Maria Erwolte

After the tragic death of their friend, four college friends reunite and set out to hike through the Scandinavian wilderness. However when they take a wrong turn it leads them into the mysterious forests of Norse legend, where ancient evil forces exist and stalk them throughout.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 74%

7.) The Conjuring

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Director: James Wan

Writer: Chad Hayes, Carey W. Hayes

Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston, Mackenzie Foy, Joey King, Hayley McFarland

Description

In 1970, paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren are summoned to the home of Carolyn and Roger Perron. The Perrons and five daughters recently moved to a secluded farmhouse, where supernatural entities have been made known. Though the manifestation seems harmless at first, but soon events take place turning the house into a nightmare.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%

6.) The Ring

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Director:  Gore Verbinski

Writer:  Ehren Kruger

Cast:  Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, David Dorfman, Brian Cox, Daveigh Chase

A videotape filled with disturbing and unsettling images, once you play it, the phone rings, telling of the viewer’s death in exactly seven days. Newspaper reporter Rachel Keller, skeptical, until four teenagers all die exactly one week after watching the tape. Rachel tracks down the video and watches it, leading her to having just seven days to unravel the paranormal mystery.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 71%

5.) Child’s Play (1988)

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Director: Tom Holland

Writers: Don Mancini

Cast:  Catherine Hicks, Dinah Manoff, Chris Sarandon, Alex Vincent, Brad Dourif

Gunned down by Detective Mike Norris, dying murderer Charles Lee Ray uses black magic to put his soul inside a doll named Chucky, which Karen Barclay then buys for her young son, Andy. When Chucky kills Andy’s baby sitter, the boy realizes the doll is alive and tries to warn people, but he’s institutionalized.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 68%

4.) The Haunting of Hill House

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Director: Mike Flanagan

Writers:  Mike Flanagan, Meredith Averill, Elizabeth Ann Phang, Rebecca Klingel, Jeff Howard, Charise Castro Smith, Scott Kosar

Cast:  Michiel Huisman, Elizabeth Reaser, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Kate Siegel,  Victoria Pedretti

This reimagining of the Shirley Jacksn novel follows siblings who, as children, grew up in what would grow to be the most famous haunted house in the country. As adults, forced back into the past, they must finally confront it. Some ghosts lurk in their minds, others still around the Hill House.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

3.) The Witch

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Director/Writer: Robert Eggers

Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, and Harvey Scrimshaw

In 1630 New England, panic and despair envelops a farmer, his wife and their children when the youngest son Samuel vanishes without a trace. The family blames the oldest daughter who was watching the boy at the time of his disappearance. With suspicion and paranoia mounting, twin siblings begin to point fingers at the eldest, accusing her of witchcraft.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%

2.) Rosemary’s Baby

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Director: Roman Polanski

Writers: Ira Levin

Cast:  Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Maurice Evans, Ralph Bellamy, Angela Dorian, Clay Tanner, Charles Grodin

A young wife believes that her child is not of this world. Waifish Rosemary Woodhouse and her husband Guy move to a NYC apartment building with an ominous reputation and odd neighbors. When Rosemary gets pregnant she becomes isolated, and the truth is revealed once she gives birth.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

1.) Veronica

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Director: Paco Plaza

Writers: Fernando Navarro

Cast: Sandra Escacena, Bruna Gonzalez, Claudia Placer, Ivan Chavero, Ana Torrent, Consuelo Trujillo, Sonia Almara, Carla Campra

During a solar eclipse, Verónica and her friends want to summon the spirit of Verónica’s father using an Ouija board. However, during the session she loses consciousness and soon it becomes clear that evil demons have arrived. Stalking Veronica and her friends, things take a drastic turn for the worse.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%

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Puzzle Box Presents Scary Urban Legend Video Series

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Featured Haunted Places

Prepare to embark on a spine-tingling journey into the unknown as we unveil the darkest mysteries lurking within the shadows of urban legends. Today, we are thrilled to announce the launch of our scary Urban Legends short documentaries an electrifying video series that delves deep into the terrifying and enigmatic stories that have haunted our imaginations for generations.

Premiere video from the scary urban legends series from Sept 20th, 2024

In our series of spooky and unsettling urban legends viewers will be transported to the eerie heart of the scariest urban legends, where myths come to life and nightmares are born. Each episode of this gripping series will unravel the sinister tales of cursed objects, vengeful spirits, hauntings, and unsolved mysteries that have sent shivers down the spines of countless individuals. With a blend of expert research, bone-chilling reenactments, and discovered material with those who have encountered these legends firsthand, we promises an immersive experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Get ready to question reality and discover the truth behind the stories that have haunted our collective consciousness for years.

The first video “The Cropsey Maniac Urban Legend” premiered on youtube Sept 20th. Don’t miss your chance to join us on this hair-raising adventure into the world of urban legends. Brace yourself for the unexpected, and prepare to have your darkest fears brought to life as we uncover the chilling mysteries that have captivated and terrified us for generations.

You can follow our channel to get updates on the upcoming and new videos as they come out each month. Coming in October we have The Ghost Ship Jenny and The Beast of Bladenboro. Get ready to dive into the history of these legends and the different theories of what is happening in these dark corners of our world.

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Scary Documentaries: Paranormal and Urban Legends

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Best of Movies Featured Scary Movies and Series

You’ve likely seen the Instagram memes about the millennials who go crazy any time a new serial killer documentary drops on Netflix. But have you met the eye-rolling horror fanatics who are eager to tell you that they loved horror documentaries way before they went mainstream? And not just about The Night Stalker or Zac Efron’s version of Ted Bundy, but also the demon house, killer clown, and paranormal investigation that didn’t make the news. These chilling tales happen every day, and many have been made into terrifying horror documentaries that indulge your passion for true crime while frightening you way more than Making a Murderer or any scary documentary ever has. Why? Because while many horror flicks claim to be “based on a true story” (don’t get us started,) the things that transpire in paranormal documentaries actually happened. Truth is stranger than fiction, and you’ll be kept up at night after you watch the most terrifying horror and paranormal documentaries below. 

Demon House

Demon House Paranormal Documentary

Released: 2018

If you thought the Amityville house was haunted and terrifying, just wait until you watch one of our favorite paranormal documentaries and true crime stories about the Ammon family. This tale of paranormal activity and demonic possession took place only a decade ago in Indiana, and while some had their doubts about the Ammon family’s claims of levitation, death threats, and ghostly shadow figures… you can’t ignore the facts of Demon House. Paranormal investigator Zak Bagans shot this documentary on the property, only to have it demolished just two years later due to the terrifying events. Dread Central’s Steve Barton calls Demon House “one of the single most compelling horror documentaries on the existence of the supernatural that I’ve ever witnessed,” and Puzzle Box Horror definitely agrees. 

Beware the Slenderman

Slender Man Scary Documentary

Released: 2016

Slenderman, the infamous creepypasta character with mile-long limbs and no face, stepped out of the shadow of internet forums and into the spotlight with this documentary – and the crime that inspired it. Remember the two 12-year old girls from Wisconsin who stabbed their friend 19 times in 2014, only to say that it was an order from the Slender Man? This documentary tells you all the details of that horrifying day – with interviews, creepy footage, and background on the Slenderman. How did he go from being a supernatural, suit-wearing stalker that only lived on internet forums, to one of the most terrifying fictional monsters of the 2010’s? They aren’t kidding when they say that the internet is a scary place!

Cropsey

Cropsey Terrifying Documentary

Released: 2009

Without giving too much away, anybody who has seen Cropsey knows that it’s not a supernatural tale in its entirety. It’s also a bit confusing – mixing true crime with the paranormal to leave you wondering who is the true villain in this tale. Is it Cropsey, the boogeyman-like urban legend of Staten Island that people used to scare their kids into being good? Or Andre Rand, the real-life version of the monster who began kidnapping kids and causing terror left and right? This is one of the best horror documentaries that was made before Netflix and Hulu started pumping them out on a regular basis, and you’ll want to watch it five more times just to get every last detail. 

Hostage to the Devil

Hostage To The Devil Horror Documentary

Released: 2016

Exorcism stories aren’t exactly new in the horror genre. There’s only about a million horror movies about possessed children and the priests who try to free them. But horror documentaries about real-life exorcisms in which the devil literally locks you in a room for days on end? That’s a little more rare, and exactly why you need to watch Hostage to the Devil on Netflix. Based on the book of the same name, this terrifying documentary shares the details of a battle between good (okay, this is debatable) and ancient evil as they fight for the soul of a possessed child. After you watch the documentary, be sure to start Googling all the extra details that didn’t make it on your screen. You’ll never be able to watch horror movies about exorcisms the same way again. 

My Amityville Horror

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Released: 2012

Amityville isn’t just your typical haunted house story, it’s the demon house story. Any real horror fan knows the tale of the original demon house – how Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his entire family in cold blood, one year before the Lutzes moved in and went running after experiencing insane amounts of paranormal activity and ghostly events. There has been an entire lineup of horror movies (and a lot of skepticism) in the decades since the Lutzes ran for their lives, but there’s something that sets My Amityville Horror apart. It features Daniel Lutz, the oldest member of the family who experienced these horrific events in the demon house firsthand. While he stayed silent for nearly 40 years, he doesn’t hold back in this documentary about America’s most famous haunted house, and you’ll have chills running down your spine with every word he speaks.

Killer Legends 

Killer Legends scary documentary poster

Released: 2014

If you loved reading the Scary Stories to Tell In The Dark book series as a child (and who didn’t?), then you’re going to love Killer Legends. Ghosts, demon houses, and serial killers all come together with this documentary that dives into the real-life origins behind the world’s most famous urban legends. You know – the murderous mental patient with a hook for a hand, the killer clown, the babysitter who gets a call coming from inside the house. Some are paranormal, and some aren’t… but each one will give you a glimpse of real-world terror that brings back major memories of telling these stories around the bonfire. This is the meta scary documentary if you are looking for variety.

Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror 

Horror Noire- A History of Black Horror film

Released: 2019

“Delving into a century of genre films that by turns utilized, caricatured, exploited, sidelined, and finally embraced them, Horror Noire traces the untold history of Black Americans in Hollywood through their connection to the horror genre.” Perhaps one of the most modern horror documentaries on this list, Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror features a lineup of Black horror enthusiasts (including scholars like Tananarive Due and creators like Jordan Peele) to tell the story of Black Americans in a supernatural world. While it’s less scary and more informative, this eye-opening documentary will help you see films like Get Out and Blacula in a whole new way. Grab your popcorn and save up all your mental energy, because you’re going to need it for this mind-blowing horror documentary.

The Nightmare 

The Nightmare horror documentary poster

Released: 2015

Sleep is an escape from the horrors of everyday life, right? Not when you have sleep paralysis, a terrifying condition that makes you unable to speak, move, or have any control over their body while waking up or falling asleep. The lack of control is frightening enough, as it’s the foundation in which we live our lives – but what do you do when you start imagining ghosts, shadow figures, and supernatural beings in the corner of your bedroom when you can’t move a muscle? That’s exactly what you’ll discover with The Nightmare, a mix of real-world and supernatural horror that interviews those with sleep paralysis to discover the terrifying worlds they’ve created in their minds. You’ll never want to fall asleep again after watching this horrifying documentary, and we mean that literally. 

A Haunting in Connecticut

A Haunting in Connecticut 2002 documentary poster

Released: 2002

No, we’re not talking about the super underrated 2009 scary documentary The Haunting in Connecticut… as this 2002 documentary told the ghost story from your living room first. The Snedeker family moves to Connecticut and finds a beautiful house that they think is a major steal, only to discover that it used to be a funeral home as they experience terrifying visions and paranormal activity from every corner of the property. Awesome. Unlike the movie, this paranormal documentary details how the family called in expert ghost hunter Ed and Lorraine Warren (of The Conjuring fame) to rid the house of demons. Like most demon house stories, the Snedekers haven’t gone without a bit of skepticism… but this is a tried-and-true ghost story that any paranormal lover will love watching on a Friday night. 

The Enfield Poltergeist

The Enfield Poltergeist frightening documentary poster

Released: 2002

Even the Brits have their ghosts and supernatural fixtures, and The Enfield Poltergeist is definitely proof. Back in 1970’s London, two young sisters started acting strangely – and that was just the beginning of it. There was also moving furniture, levitation, shadow figures and disembodied voices that many came to believe was a poltergeist. Or in other words, a troublesome ghost that has nothing better to do with its time. As one of the original poltergeist tales, this scary documentary is a must-have for any ghost enthusiast. 

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Scary Movies on Hulu Based on True Events

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Scary Movies and Series

We’ve all seen the dreaded (no pun intended) words in scary movie trailers – “based on a true story.” Some of you may roll your eyes at the phrase, as we all know Hollywood has a way of stretching the truth. But it turns out that more than a few horror masterpieces are legit – based on real-life paranormal events, serial killers and supernatural experiences.

Grab your popcorn and be ready to be “IRL” scared, because we have the top 10 scary movies and series based on true events that you can now stream on Hulu!

1. The Amityville Horror (2005)

Amityville Horror Movie Poster 2005

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 23%

Any scary movie enthusiast will know about The Amityville Horror, the 1970’s supernatural horror film that tells the story of one of the most famous mass murders and haunted houses of all time. This remake is a modern telling of what happened after Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his family in 1974, recounting the Lutz family’s paranormal experiences inside the house and all of its spooky history. Being a remake of the famous 1979 Amityville Horror it’s not shocking that Rotten Tomatoes was not favorable as that iconic film will always be a high bar. At least a few critics favored it over the original though.

2. The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)

The Haunting in Connecticut 2009 Movie poster

Rating: PG-13

Rotten Tomatoes: 17%

One of the more underrated horror films of the 2000’s, this story is based on true events experienced by the Snedeker family in 1986. Famous paranormal researchers Ed and Lorraine Warren claimed that the Snedeker’s house used to be a funeral home in which morticians practiced necromancy, along with many other paranormal experiences. If you want an old-fashioned ghost story and plenty of dead bodies, look no further than this supernatural flick.

3. The Exorcist (TV Series) (2016)

The Exorcist TV Series Poster

Rating: N/A

Rotten Tomatoes: 81%

Why they cancelled this series after only two seasons, we’ll never know. It was pretty great. Serving as a sequel to the 1970’s classic scary movie of the same name, which was based on the real-life exorcism of 14-year old Rolan Doe in 1949, the TV series featured plenty of straight-up scares and excellent special effects. 

4. The Clovehitch Killer (2018)

The Clovehitch Killer Movie Poster 2018

Rating: Unrated

Rotten Tomatoes: 77%

From American Horror Story to this indie masterpiece, it seems Dylan McDermott has a talent for playing serial killers. The titular character is based on Dennis Rader, a mass murderer who killed countless people over the span of nearly 20 years before being caught. As a community leader and Boy Scout guide, nobody suspected Rader of being dangerous… until they did.


5. Child’s Play (1988)

Child's play Horror Movie poster 1988

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 68%

That’s right, the film about a terrifying and murderous doll come to life is based on true events. Chucky is based on the world’s creepiest doll – Robert. He was made in the early 1900’s by a servant who knew black magic and voodoo, and gifted to Key West author Robert Eugene as a child.

The haunted doll began to mutilate Robert’s other toys, speak to him in a terrifying voice and cause havoc around the house. Robert’s parents claimed they saw the doll running through the hallways, as well as the little girl who adopted him after Robert’s death. How do you know he’s worse than Chucky? The doll is still on display in a museum in Florida, in a thick glass case so he can’t escape!

6. The Purge (2013)

The Purge Horror Movie Poster 2013

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 39%

Spanning 7 years, multiple sequels and plenty of terrifying Halloween masks, The Purge has become a fixture in horror. Though it’s set in a dystopian future America where any and all crime is legal for a certain time period, it’s not as unrealistic as you think. The plot is based on historical records dating back to the time of Roman Pagans, who celebrated a festival called Saturnalia.

What is this, exactly? A weeklong period of debauchery that gave citizens permission to kill, maim and spread terror throughout the city. They were encouraged to drink heavily and act out their desires without fear of retribution – very similar to The Purge. At least that was only 12 hours, and not a whole week of terror!


7. The Possession (2012)

The Possession 2012 horror movie based on a true story poster

Rating: PG-13

Rotten Tomatoes: 40%

Possession films are a dime a dozen, but this one from Lionsgate is based on a highly publicized story reported by the Los Angeles Times in 2004. A small wooden box with Hebrew letters engraved – just like the one in the film – was sold on eBay to museum curator John Haxton. 

Inside were oddities like locks of hair, a granite slab, one dried rosebud and supposedly a “dibbuk,” a spirit popular in Yiddish folklore. The box was said to have caused bad luck and paranormal occurrences with previous owners. However, this means hair falling out and bizarre accidents, not stabbing people with a fork like the little girl in this film.


8.The Act (2019)

The Act 2019 Series Poster

Rating: N/A

Rotten Tomatoes: 91%

While this Hulu original lacks paranormal elements, there’s nothing scarier than being betrayed and abused by the ones meant to love you the most. The Act tells the true story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who was forced to fabricate illnesses and disabilities by her mother Dee Dee due to Munchausen syndrome by proxy, and Dee Dee’s eventual murder.

If you need proof of how great this series is, just look at its Emmy nominations and glowing reviews. Gypsy’s story is full of mystery and heartache and is as intriguing as it is terrifying. 

9. Texas Chainsaw (2013)

Texas Chainsaw remake 2013 horror movie poster

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 19%

A direct sequel that came nearly 40 years after The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, this slasher flick is all kinds of good fun. You’ll get to see the return of Leatherface, the insane dude with the chainsaw who was based on infamous serial killer Ed Gein.

We won’t lie… this film isn’t exactly a masterpiece, but it’s great for a date night or scary movie marathon with friends.

10. Hounds of Love (2017)

Hounds of Love movie poster 2013

Rating: N/A

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

Can you imagine being kidnapped by a (literal) couple of serial killers? That’s exactly what happens in Hounds of Love, and in real life! The story is eerily similar to that of one of the most high-profile serial killer couples ever – David and Catherine Birnie. They murdered four young girls in 1986 and hailed from Australia, where director Ben Young happens to hail from. Coincidence? We think not!

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