Not Quite True Story: 5 Movies That Mislead with 'Based on True Events'
Don't believe these captions.
How do you make the viewer believe what is happening on the screen? For example, by immediately warning them that the story unfolding before their eyes is real – even if it is not.
We tell you about five movies whose plots are "taken" from real life.
1. Fourth Kind, 2009
In the year 2000, in the town of Nome, Alaska, psychiatrist Abbey is noticing strange cases. Several patients with different diagnoses begin to complain of similar symptoms: waking up at the same time and seeing the same image outside the window.
The doctor decides to conduct a hypnosis session with one of the patients, but the man gets out of control as he tries to reproduce the events. When Abbey listens to the recording of the session, she notices the presence of a strange creature.
The title of the movie refers to the classification of close encounters with alien species. Director Olatunde Osunsanmi decided not to use warning credits, so the movie opens with a whole special prologue scene.
In it, Milla Jovovich tells that her character is based on a real researcher. The movie also uses the archival footage of hypnosis sessions. And this, of course, is just an artistic device to convince the audience and make them even more afraid.
2. The Amityville Horror, 1979
George and Kathy Lutz finally find their dream home – they and their children move into a huge house in the town of Amityville, which is also being sold at a not-so-high price.
On the day of the move, Holy Father Delaney visits the new neighbors to bless the house, but soon leaves because he begins to feel unwell. Soon strange things begin to happen in the house where the madman once shot his family.
The legend of the Amityville Horror has long been a part of the folklore, so it is not surprising that many still believe that Stuart Rosenberg's movie reflects real events.
A brutal crime in the real Amityville did happen: In 1974, Ronald DeFeo shot and killed his parents and four siblings. But the version about a dark force living in the house and the subsequent misfortunes of its inhabitants is an invention of mysticism fans and the director.
3. Picnic at Hanging Rock, 1975
1900, Australia, Valentine's Day. Studying at a girls' college near Melbourne is not easy – the teachers are strict and do not allow the students to have any fun.
However, on the holiday, it is decided to have a picnic at Hanging Rock – a local geological anomaly that is breathtaking in its beauty. The happy day ends tragically: three students and one of the teachers disappear without a trace.
Peter Weir's leisurely movie is based on Joan Lindsay's novel of the same name. To promote the book, the author said that the plot was based on events in her youth, but this has never been proven.
However, the legend has become attached to all film adaptations of the work. In fact, this has served the story well: Weir's cinematic language leads the viewer to believe that the fate of the girls remains unknown, so the solution could be anything, including mystical.
4. The Strangers, 2008
Kristen and James go to a secluded house outside the city, where the man plans to propose. The idyll is shattered not only by Kristen's refusal, but also by a visit from strange people in masks. At first the woman decides that they just need some help, but soon the events take a bloody turn.
The ad campaign claimed that the movie was based on a real and very brutal crime. In fact, director and screenwriter Bryan Bertino invented the plot, inspired by the story of Charles Manson's Family, which he once learned as a child.
What impressed him most about the Manson and Sharon Tate case was that the victims had no connection to the criminals, and the act of violence against the actress was poorly motivated.
5. Wolf Creek, 2005
In Australia in 1999, a group of friends – Liz, Kristy and Ben – decide to visit a landmark, a meteorite crater called Wolf Creek. When they get there, the weather gets worse and the car won't start.
It's getting dark, but a local resident, Mick, comes to the rescue. Together, they tow the car to Mick's camp and fall asleep to stories around the fire. The next morning, Liz finds herself tied up in a barn.
Not only does the movie say at the beginning that it is based on real events, but at the end the viewer is treated to a credit that states that Liz and Kristy's bodies were never found. In fact, the trio of tourists who had the misfortune to be in Wolf Creek at the same time as Mick never existed.