Inspired by true stories, paranormal films delve into the enigmatic and unnerving experiences that people report either alone or in groups. Taking inspiration from recorded hauntings, paranormal experiences, and unexplainable occurrences, these movies try to convey the terrifying spirit of these allegedly real incidents. They frequently combine mystery, suspense, and horror aspects to arouse terror and interest in viewers everywhere. These films, which range from demonic possession to ghostly apparitions, provide viewers with insights into the unexplained and provoke thought on where the lines between the supernatural and the natural world should be drawn.

PARANORMAL MOVIES INSPIRED FROM REAL LIFE

By sanjayparekh@13

View all stories

1. The conjuring (2013)

James Wan is the director of the 2013 American supernatural horror film The Conjuring, which was written by Chad and Carey W. Hayes. It’s the first movie in the Conjuring Universe series. Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators and authors connected to well-known haunting cases, are portrayed by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. The Amityville Horror novel and film franchise were allegedly inspired by their allegedly true-life accounts. The Perron family, who began to encounter more unsettling incidents in their recently occupied Rhode Island farmhouse in 1971, receives aid from the Warrens.

The movie’s development got underway in January 2012, when news emerged confirming that Wan was directing a movie called The Warren Files, which was eventually renamed The Conjuring. Filming of the scenes was done in chronological order, with production starting in February 2012 in Wilmington, North Carolina. Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema released The Conjuring on July 19, 2013, in the United States and Canada. Critics gave it favorable reviews, praising the musical composition, acting, directing, screenplay, and atmosphere. Against a $20 million budget, it brought in over $319 million globally. 2016 saw the release of The Conjuring 2, a follow-up.

2. Winchester (2018)

The supernatural horror movie Winchester (sometimes titled Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built) was written and directed by Michael and Peter Spierig in 2018; Tom Vaughan also contributed to the screenplay. The movie, which co-stars Helen Mirren and Sarah Snook as the heiress Sarah Winchester, follows Winchester as she experiences paranormal activity in her 1906 San Jose mansion.

The movie, a co-production between the United States and Australia, was released on February 2, 2018, in the United States, and on February 22, 2018, in Australia. Critics criticized the movie, calling it “dull” and “pointless,” but despite this, it was a box office success, making $44 million worldwide on a $3.5 million budget. The movie was nominated for four Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture and Worst Actress for Mirren, although it didn’t win any of them.

3. The Amityville Horror (2005)

Directed by Andrew Douglas, The Amityville Horror is a 2005 American supernatural horror film featuring Ryan Reynolds, Melissa George, and Philip Baker Hall. In addition, actress Chloe Grace Moretz made her debut. It is the ninth installment in the Amityville Horror film series, which follows the experiences of the Lutz family after they move into a house at 112 Ocean Avenue, Long Island. It was written by Scott Kosar and is based on the novel The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson, which was previously adapted into the 1979 film of the same name. Ronald DeFeo Jr., a real-life mass murderer, murdered six members of his family in the same Amityville, New York, home in 1974.

April 15, 2005 saw the release of the movie in the US by Dimension Films and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Although it received harsh criticism—many labeling it a clone of the first movie while claiming it was lacking in originality—the movie was a commercial hit, making $107.5 million on a $19 million budget.

4. The Exorcism of Hannah Stevenson (2022)

A young couple on their first vacation together, Hannah and Matt, rapidly realize they might not be on the same page. Hannah, who feels as though she let her partner down, turns to an enigmatic gypsy woman for assistance in the hopes that their problems may be resolved. But the gypsy woman’s evil plans are revealed too clearly when Matt wakes up and discovers his lover has vanished.

5. Annabelle (2014)

The 2014 American supernatural horror film Annabelle was produced by Peter Safran and James Wan, written by Gary Dauberman, and directed by John R. Leonetti. Alfre Woodard, Ward Horton, and Annabelle Wallis are the main actors. In January 2014, principal photography got underway in Los Angeles. On September 29, 2014, it made its theatrical debut at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema then distributed it nationwide on October 3, 2014.

The movie was influenced by Ed and Lorraine Warren’s tale of a doll they called Annabelle. It is a prequel and spin-off to the 2013 movie The Conjuring, which was revealed soon after its premiere due to the latter’s success at the box office globally and favorable reviews of its portrayal of the doll.

Critics gave Annabelle mixed reviews, with many believing it was not as good as its predecessor, however they did commend it for its mood. With almost $257 million in box office revenue compared to its $6.5 million production budget, it was a huge box office hit. On August 11, 2017, a prequel called Annabelle: Creation was made available. On June 26, 2019, a follow-up film called Annabelle Comes Home was launched.

6. The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)

Director Peter Cornwell’s 2009 supernatural horror film The Haunting in Connecticut starred Virginia Madsen, Amanda Crew, Martin Donovan, Kyle Gallner, and Elias Koteas. Although Ray Garton, the author of In a Dark Place: The Story of a True Haunting (1992), has openly distanced himself from the veracity of the events he described in the book, the film is purportedly about Carmen Snedeker and her family. The plot of the movie centers on the fictitious Campbell family as they relocate into a home (a former mortuary) in an effort to lessen the burden of travel for their son Matt, who has cancer. Soon after, the family starts experiencing horrific and violent incidents as a result of paranormal entities living in the house.

The movie garnered “generally unfavorable reviews” according to Metacritic, while having a reasonably successful box office run, earning $77,527,732. A sequel, The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia, was announced by Gold Circle Films in 2010 and was eventually released in 2013. They did point out that the movie would be a stand-alone picture with original characters rather than a straight sequel to The Haunting in Connecticut.

7. The Girl Next Door (2007)

The 2007 American thriller horror film Jack Ketchum’s The GIRL Next Door, also titled Jack Ketchum’s Evil, was directed by Gregory M. Wilson from a script written by Daniel Farrands and Philip Nutman. The film is dedicated to Sylvia Likens, whose real-life murder served as the basis for Jack Ketchum’s 1989 novel of the same name.

8. The Conjuring 2 (2016)

James Wan is the director of the 2016 American supernatural horror film The Conjuring 2, which is also referred to as The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Case in the United Kingdom. Wan, David Leslie Johnson, Chad Hayes, and Carey W. Hayes wrote the screenplay. It is The Conjuring’s 2013 follow-up, The Conjuring’s second series installment, and The Conjuring Universe franchise’s third installment. As paranormal investigators and writers Ed and Lorraine Warren from the first movie, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return to their respective roles. The movie follows the Warren family as they go to England in 1977 to help the Hodgson family, who are having poltergeist activity at their council house in Enfield; this activity led to the family being known as the Enfield poltergeist.

Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema released The Conjuring 2 in theaters nationwide on June 10, 2016, following its global premiere on June 7, 2016, at TCL Chinese Theatre. Critics gave the movie largely favorable reviews, and it made over $320 million worldwide. September 2018 saw the release of The Nun, a spin-off prequel, and June 2021 saw the release of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, a sequel.

9. The Possession (2012)

Directed by Ole Bornedal in 2012, The Possession is an American supernatural horror film written by Juliet Snowden and Stiles White, produced by Robert Tapert, Sam Raimi, and J. R. Young. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Madison Davenport, Grant Show, Natasha Calis, Kyra Sedgwick, and Matisyahu are among its cast members. The tale revolves around the purportedly cursed Dybbuk box and is based on Leslie Gornstein’s 2004 Los Angeles Times article “A Jinx in a Box?”

2011 saw the film’s filming. A portion of the movie was shot at Riverview Hospital, a former mental health facility in Coquitlam, British Columbia. Bornedal praised the subtlety of movies like The Exorcist and mentioned them as inspiration.

On August 31, 2012, it was released in the United States. Film critics gave it mixed reviews when it debuted at the Film4 FrightFest, but audiences responded well to it.

10. The Strangers (2008)

Bryan Bertino is the writer and director of the 2008 American psychological horror movie, The Strangers. Three masked intruders (played by Kip Weeks, Gemma Ward, and Laura Margolis) break into a vacation property owned by a couple (portrayed by Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman) one night, disrupting their stay. This movie is the first in the Strangers movie series. The Manson family Tate murders, which resulted in several killings, and a string of break-ins that happened in Bertino’s childhood neighborhood served as the inspiration for the screenplay. Though Bertino did not mention it, some journalists drew comparisons between the movie and the 1981 Keddie cabin killings in Keddie, California.

Also Read : Hollywood’s Top 10 Adventure Movies of All Time