This spooky season, horror enthusiasts can plunge into a terrifying selection of films, from gruesome slasher flicks to spine-chilling supernatural tales. But beware: the most hair-raising narratives aren’t conjured from the imagination — they’re grounded in the chilling realities of true crime.
What is it about movies based on real events that sends shivers down our spines?
Delta Campus Police Officer Vincent Barron, offers a unique perspective on the genre. While he doesn’t find enjoyment in horror or true crime — having enough of it in real life — he acknowledges that realism is crucial for a good horror film.
“Our morbid curiosity, or our interest in fear stems from adrenaline and excitement,” said Barron.
He draws parallels between horror and thrill-seeking experiences like skydiving and roller coasters, noting that both have elements of fear that drive excitement.
Barron cites the psychological thriller “Final Destination” as a film that embodies his viewpoint. “The fates that play out in ‘Final Destination’ are freak accidents that can occur any day. Actually, I have responded to some really graphic scenes on the job — scalp-peelings, automobile accidents, etc.,” he shares, highlighting how the film’s premise resonates with real-life experiences.
Professor of Drama Greg Foro agrees that what makes a film a great horror film, lies in its realism.
“If it is realistic in any capacity, it gives more of a punch to the viewer,” he explains. He adds that when audiences feel a connection to the story — believing it could happen in their world — the impact is heightened.
The appeal of horror films based on true events is not just about the jump scares; it’s also about the chilling connection to reality. Films like “The Conjuring” and “The Amityville Horror,” weave in supernatural elements that feel all too real, but thanks to their foundations in actual events.
Speech pathology major Star Cortes shared that “The Conjuring” is her favorite horror movie, highlighting its unique portrayal of the spirit in the film.
“Instead of depicting the spirit as purely evil, the director/filmmaker presented a deeper backstory,” she said.
This nuanced storytelling seems to be the hallmark of many horror films based on true events, as they often delve into the complexities behind the terror.
Delta student and a founder of the Philosophy club, Jacob Perry adds another layer to this discussion: “Horror films are a safe way to explore fear. They let us confront emotions that might otherwise be overwhelming,” he said.
Specifically, horror taps into the primal fears of being hunted, isolated, or at the mercy of forces beyond our control.
In films like “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” audiences are introduced to Leatherface, a character inspired by the infamous ‘Butcher of Plainfield,’ Edward “Ed” Theodore Gein, a notorious murderer and body snatcher in the 1950s, who according to murderpedia.org, murdered two women and exhumed around 40 corpses from local gravesites in Plainfield, Wis., keeping their bones, body parts, and skin as prized possessions.
Parallel to Gein’s real-life atrocities, the film’s Leatherface character crafts masks out of human skin, echoing Gein’s real life practice of creating items like masks, lampshades, and even clothing from the skin of his victims. The isolated farmhouse where Leatherface and his family commit their gruesome acts, mirrors Gein’s reclusive life on his rural farm property filled with macabre objects made from human remains.
Both Gein and Leatherface embody the horror of the seemingly ordinary, yet masking of deep depravity.
Similarly, the modern classic “Zodiac” captivates viewers with its blend of suspense and reality, drawing from the real-life Zodiac Killer who, according to biography.com, terrorized Northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The film recreates the eerie atmosphere surrounding the unsolved cases, following journalists and police as they investigate the Zodiac’s string of murders and cryptic letters.
Just as the real Zodiac Killer taunted the media and law enforcement with coded messages, the film delves into these unsettling communications, portraying the fear and confusion they sparked throughout the Bay Area, beginning in Benicia.
Director of Marketing and Communications Alex Breitler, reflects on his connection to California’s notorious Zodiac Killer.
“I grew up in Benicia, California, essentially where the Zodiac Killer started his killings in 1968,” he recalls. “I obviously wasn’t alive then, but growing up in that town, we knew the locals who had been involved in the case, and my brother actually knew one of the individuals who were once considered a suspect.”
Breitler, who considers himself a true crime buff, humorously adds, “I’m more into these things than he is though. My wife thinks I have a dark side.”
As Halloween approaches and spooky season enthusiasts settle in for a night of horror films based on true events, one must ask themselves — how morbidly curious are you?
After all, it’s not just the monsters on screen you may be drawn to; it’s the unsettling thought that they might be lurking closer than you think.
Leave the lights on!
