One horror film that will leave you creeped out, paranoid, and making sure the doors are locked at night is The Strangers. The story follows a couple in a vacation home that gets preyed upon by 3 masked killers. They terrorize them all due to one simple reason: they were home. What makes it worse is that the film states that it is inspired by true events.
Now, while the couple in the movie isn’t based on real people by the same name that was murdered, the movie is inspired by disturbing real-life stories. Let’s dive in and investigate what inspired the terrifying movie The Strangers.
The Manson Murders
The Manson family murders are something most people are familiar with. Many films and tv shows have either inspired or are based upon the Manson family and the horrible murders they committed. The film took inspiration from one murder committed by them, which was the murder of Sharon Tate. What started out as a home invasion and eventual killing is the main premise and synopsis of the movie. Not to go into detail, but there are many similarities between the actual murder and what happens in the movie.
1981 Keddie Cabin Murders
Another real-life murder crime the film took inspiration from is the Keddie Cabin Murders. This happened in 1981 at a small-town resort in California and claimed the lives of 4 people. It was assumed to be a few individuals that committed these murders. What makes it more disturbing is that there was no motive and the killer(s) were never caught. It’s similar to what happens in the movie where the killers have no motive and are never caught.
The Director’s Childhood Experience
As crazy as it sounds, one of the biggest inspirations is an actual experience that happened to the director, Bryan Bertino, as a child. He tells the story of a night when he and his sister were completely alone. There was a knock on the door and when his sister answered it, it was a woman asking for someone that doesn’t live there. She was sent away and eventually came back to their home and asked the same question again. They would eventually learn later that this woman was part of a group of people that were robbing homes. You can see the inspiration in the movie of a woman who was asking for someone that doesn’t live there.
These are the 3 real-life disturbing stories that inspired the film The Strangers. This is definitely one horror film that will keep you on edge and creeped out. Did you know these were the stories that inspired the film? Let us know in the comments below.