Summary
Horror films have the unique ability to connect with their audiences on an entirely different level, using fear and disturbing themes to reach them. It’s important that audiences can latch onto the characters and feel empathy for them, but monsters and supernatural things aren’t always relatable. Movies are somehow even scarier when they’re entirely realistic, featuring a story or element that can happen in real life.
From apocalyptic themes based on science like inContagion, to terrifying government decisions like inThe Purge, many horror films address the nightmarish real-life threats that can happen to us and our world. Many of these films have become cult classics in the horror genre and have even sparked nationwide conversations about whether their events could ever happen today and how we could prevent them.
10The Virus
Contagion (2011)
A virus, as we are more than aware of now, is, of course, a threat that could happen in real life, and it’s absolutely a horror. The filmContagion, which was released in 2011, is a prime example of this. The film tells the story ofthe beginning of a global outbreak and pandemic,as well as the government rushing to contain it. It was directed by Steven Soderbergh and features a fantastic cast with actors such as Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Bryan Cranston.
It’s interesting to look back at films and see past interpretations of what people thought a pandemic would look like if it were to happen in the future. Soderbergh even brought on medical advisors to be as accurate as possible to what they predicted a pandemic would look like. In some regards, the film was actually pretty close to depicting what would happen in 2020.
Contagion
Cast
Directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Laurence Fishbrune, and Marion Cotillard, Contagion is a 2011 thriller that details the beginning of a global pandemic. After the death of patient zero, health professionals and government officials struggle to contain a deadly virus that spreads like wildfire.
9The Purge
The Purge (2013)
The Purgeoffers a terrifying idea of something that could happen in our reality. Directed by James DeMonaco, it features a United States that has a twisted idea of how to fix the overcrowding of prisons: by allowing the public to have 12 hours of time when all illegal activities are granted legal.The Purgeincludes actors such as Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, and Max Burkholder, whose characters experience this terrifying event.
This horror film became very popular at the time of its release, even creating fear in the public and online that somehow this event could become a reality. Considering the premise surrounds people giving in to their most horrifying urges, it’s a fair question. Notably,The Purgeis now a franchise with multiple filmsfollowing, speaking to just how scary audiences find its realistic story.
The Purge
The film that began the franchise of the same name, The Purge is a dystopian horror-thriller that takes place over the span of one harrowing night. In an alternate future, a law has been passed to make all crimes legal for one night per year. The Purge follows a wealthy family (Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Adelaide Kane) when they are beset by a gang of criminals with violent intentions. With no police to keep them safe, the Sandin family must fight to protect themselves from the criminal element that threatens their lives.
8Cujo The Dog
Cujo (1983)
Cujois another great example of a horror film that’s all the more scary because it could happen in real life.Released in 1983 and directed by Lewis Teague,Cujois based on the original novel by Stephen King, who excels at realistic horror scenarios.
The story follows a mother named Donna Trenton (played by Dee Wallace) and her son Tad (played by Danny Pintauro) as they are stuck in a small car and pursued by the killer dog Cujo. Considering Cujo’s aggression comes from contracting rabies after a bat bite, the movie’s premise is incredibly realistic. While most rabies victims don’t become murderous,the film nonetheless plays into the paranoia humans haveof themselves or their pets contracting the disease. If you don’t have a fear of large dogs before watching this film, you probably will afterward.
Cujo
Based on the novel by Stephen King, Cujo is a horror film that centers on a St. Bernard that becomes the terror of a local town. When the friendly Cujo is bitten by a bat with rabies, Cujo begins to slowly change into something almost demonic as he begins to viciously attack those around him, leaving a mother and son trapped by an ever-growing threat.
7Cults
Midsommar (2019)
Dangerous cults are realistic to viewers as they can be a part of nearly any society worldwide.Midsommarfocuses on how someone can be emotionally manipulated into joining one only to find out the danger inside when it’s too late. This staple of modern horror is directed by Ari Aster and released in 2019. The film features a cast that carries this story incredibly well, especially the main character Dani, played by Florence Pugh. Pugh gives a performance that is so real the audience truly feels her pain.
Midsommarwas very successful upon release and one of the reasons is its originality. The movie cleverly disguises its horror elements with bright colors, sunshine, and beautiful white costumes that are purposefully misleading, just like a cult would be.In this way,Midsommaroffers an all too realistic look at how cults function, making it clear why they remain an issue in real life.
Midsommar
Ari Aster’s Midsommar follows a group of American college students who travel to a friend’s isolated rural hometown in Sweden to experience their renowned midsummer festival. What starts out as idyllic quickly becomes a disconcertingly violent pagan ritual, with the friends engaged in a ruthless competition that will test more than just their friendship. Florence Pugh stars alongside Jack Reynor, Will Poulter, and William Jackson Harper.
6Stalkers
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
I Know What You Did Last Summerwas released in 1997 and directed by Jim Gillespie. This thrasher follows an ensemble cast, including Jennifer Love Hewitt as Julie James, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Helen Shivers, and Freddie Prinze Jr. as Ray Bronson. Their characters are celebrating their high school graduation when they hit a pedestrian and decide to hide the body. A year later, they receive threatening letters and are stalked by a killer.
While the letters aren’t all that realistic, it’s easy to imagine a group of young adults involved in an accident panicking and doing something they would come to regret. Additionally,stalkers are a very real threat in society, as there have been far too many examples of people becoming enamored with someone, often a celebrity, and taking it tragically too far.
I Know What You Did Last Summer
Loosely based on Lois Duncan’s 1973 novel I Know What You Did Last Summer, this 1997 slasher follows a group of friends who, after covering up a car accident, are stalked by a killer wielding a hook. Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Freddie Prinze Jr., Johnny Galecki, and Bridgette Wilson star with a script from Scream writer Kevin Williamson.
5Drug-Laced Sangria
Climax (2018)
Climaxis a twisted horror film that was released in 2018 and is directed by Argentine-Italian filmmaker Gaspar Noé. It features an ensemble cast, just a few of those actors being Sofia Boutella, Romain Guillermic, and Souhelia Yacoub.Climaxtakes place in a single night in an abandoned school building. The ensemble cast of dancers gather there to rehearse and celebrate when the night becomes more and more of a nightmare after they learntheir sangria has been laced with LSD.
This horrifying film is an experimental one in its unique extra-long camera takes and disturbing performances. However, it’s all too realistic for women in particular, many of whom live with the fear of their drinks being spiked.Climaxtakes a very human concern and turns it on its head in the most frightening way possible.
Climax
Climax is a 2018 film directed by Gaspar Noé, featuring a dance troupe whose rehearsal descends into chaos and horror after they unwittingly consume drug-laced sangria. As tensions rise, the group struggles to survive the night and uncover the person responsible for the spiked drink in an isolated setting.
4Kidnapping
The Black Phone (2021)
The Black Phoneis a more recent film, released in 2021 and directed by Scott Derrickson.Ethan Hawke plays the villain, a masked killer who abducts a thirteen-year-old boy and keeps him in a basement. There, the boy has only a phone on the wall where he can hear the voices of previous victims.
The Black Phoneis horrifying in its realism, particularly for parents or others with children in their lives who worry about kidnapping. While the villain’s theatrics might be a little over-the-top, the kidnapping itself is very believable. The connection to real life is likely part of the reasonThe Black Phonewas so successful upon its release, with both its critic and audience scores above 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s a terrifying look at a prospect many people live in very real fear of.
The Black Phone
Based on Joe Hill’s short story of the same name, The Black Phone follows teen Finney Blake (Mason Thames) after he is abducted by a man known only as the Grabber (Ethan Hawke). Trapped in a basement with only a disconnected phone, Finney begins to hear from the Grabber’s previous victims, each of which gives him cryptic clues to help him fight back against his captor.
3Sharks
The Shallows (2016)
The Shallowswas released in 2016 and is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. It follows the story of Nancy Adams, played by Blake Lively, who goes to a quiet beach alone to rest after the loss of her mother. When she decides to start surfing, a great white shark begins to attack her. She swims to a rock and ends up stranded and injured as the shark circles her.
The Shallowsoffers a very different take on a grief recovery story thanks to its horror elements. However, it’s similar toCujoin that it plays on a realistic fear people have of both dangerous animals and being stuck somewhere with no escape. It makes for an obviously terrifying concept and film that’s realistic as many people are attacked by sharks every year. While these attacks are still incredibly rare,The Shallowsdepicts a worst-case scenariothat many can’t help but think about when going for a swim.
The Shallows
The Shallows follows Nancy Adams, a young surfer who’s attacked by a great white shark after getting stranded 200 yards from the shore while surfing alone at a secluded beach in Mexico. Blake Lively stars in the 2016 survival thriller, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.
2Killer Bnb Hosts
Barbarian (2022)
Barbarianis another recent film that has a story that could really happen. The 2022 movie directed by Zach Cregger begins when Georgina Campbell’s Tess books a rental homethat isalready occupied by a strange man. When she decides to stay the night, she discovers yet another guest, but this one is disturbed and hiding in the basement.
With the rise of platforms like Airbnb that allow people to book strangers' homes online,Barbarianhighlights the idea that guests never know for sure what situation they are walking into. While most stays are mercifully uneventful, there are real-life horror stories of people getting more than they bargained for. In this way,Barbarianbrings to life and amplifies many people’s fears of opening themselves up in that way, thinking twice before booking their next rental.
Barbarian
Barbarian follows a young woman who discovers her Airbnb has been double-booked with a stranger already present. Despite initial hesitation, she decides to stay, only to uncover disturbing secrets within the unsettling rental. The film, released in 2022, explores themes of trust and unease in unexpected encounters.
1Bird Attacks
The Birds (1963)
Alfred Hitchcock’s classicThe Birdswas released in 1963 and is a staple of the horror genre for good reason.The Birdstells the story of Melanie Daniels, played by Tippi Hedren. She finds herself flirting with an attorney in a pet shop and follows him home, bearing the gift of two love birds. Eventually, the birds start attacking people and eventually the entire town.
The Birdsis said to be based on a true story from 1950s California where a series of violent bird attacks occurred unexpectedly. While the magnitude of attacks seen in the movie isn’t the most realistic, likeCujoandThe Shallows,the film makes the most of humans' fear of animals, to terrifying effect. It’s no wonder many horror movies since its release have followed suit and employed a similar premise.
The Birds
The Birds, released in 1963, is a suspenseful thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The film follows a series of unexplained and deadly bird attacks on the residents of a seaside town, as the townspeople struggle to survive in the face of this terrifying avian threat.
