Horror Fuel
☰ Browse the Crypt
Category

True Story

Horror films based on true events — the real cases behind the movies and how much they got right.

374 stories
Horror Fuel

Jason Clarke Stars In Dark Web Thriller ‘Silk Road’ Based On True Events

Writer-director Tiller Russell (Night Stalker) takes viewers inside the deep web in the crime thriller Silk Road starring Pet Sematary (2019) and Winchester actor Jason Clarke. Clarke stars alongside Nick Robinson, Katie Aselton, Jimmi Simpson, Daniel David Stewart, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Lexi Rabe, Will Ropp, with Paul Walter Hauser, and Alexandra Shipp. “Inspired by larger-than-life actual events, this riveting crime thriller follows the rise and fall of Silk Road, the infamous darknet site that sent a seismic shock through the World Wide Web. Young, idealistic, and driven to succeed, Ross Ulbricht (Nick Robinson) creates the internet’s first unregulated marketplace: Silk Road. But when it becomes a multimillion-dollar pipeline for illicit drugs, Ross is set on a collision course with Rick Bowden (Jason Clarke), a disreputable and dangerously unpredictable DEA agent, who will use any means necessary to take him down.” Watch the new trailer for Silk Road, out on Digital, On Demand, and in select theaters on February 23, 2021, from

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jan 27, 2021
Horror Fuel

Lizzie Borden’s Home Goes Up For Sale!

The infamous Borden house in Fall River Massachusetts has been placed on the housing market! The historical site and Bed and Breakfast could be yours for a head-splitting (pun intended) two million dollars to own and operate according to the macabre realtor listing. The house was the site of the infamous Borden Ax Murders that gripped headlines at the time as the prime suspect of the murders was a woman named Lizzie. Lizzie Borden was accused of murdering her father, Andrew, and Stepmother, Abby, with a hatchet on the morning of August 4th, 1892. Lizzie was accused of the murders as she could stand to inherit Andrews’s fortune and did not get along well with both Andrew and the Stepmother. The investigation into the murders by modern terms was a disaster and resulted in Lizzie’s acquittal on June 30th, 1893 after the jury deliberated for an hour. The Borden Ax Murders is still considered unsolved but theories of what really

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jan 25, 2021
Horror Fuel

John Jarratt Stars In The True Story Inspired Film ‘The Possessed’

Wolf Creek actor John Jarratt returns to the silver screen in The Possessed, a spine-tingling film that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The film features an all-star Australian cast including Jarratt, Lincoln Lewis, Angie Kent, Lauren Grimson, Melissa Tkautz, and Jade Kevin Foster. This horror-thriller follows Jacob Chandler (John Jarratt) who is just an ordinary man with an extraordinary gift. It’s a terrifying story of accidental exorcist Jacob and his nephew Liam (Lincoln Lewis) who have forged a career clearing demons from the bodies of their clients. Of late, something has changed and demonic possessions are increasing, and in order to keep those he loves safe from the wrath of unspeakable evil, Jacob must fight for them to survive. When meeting Liam’s new girlfriend, Atalie Carlisle (Lauren Grimson), he recognizes something in her dark, broken gaze – she too can see the damned. Jacob never expected to meet anyone else like himself, nor did he anticipate

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jan 19, 2021
Horror Fuel

Netflix Review: “Night Stalker: The Hunt For a Serial Killer”

Three decades after the story began, Netflix has now unleashed their new limited docuseries “Night Stalker: The Hunt For a Serial Killer” which delves into the investigation of the crimes committed by Richard Rameriez, the serial killer known as the “Night Stalker.” Director Tiller Russell takes us back into the 1980s world of the prolific killer and through his crimes without glamorizing Ramirez in any way or doing a disservice to the survivors or the relatives of Rameriz’s victims. He lays out the timelines for both the murders and assaults in a straight forward way while introducing us to the mindset of the investigators Gil Carrillo and the legendary investigator Frank Salerno in their own frank and sometimes brutally honest words. The fact that we hear so much testimony from so many involved with the case, including survivors and detectives, elevates its status above many other documentaries. The series gives true crime fans a ton of detail and information about

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jan 16, 2021
Horror Fuel

New Netflix Docuseries Explores The Mysterious Death Of Elisa Lam

Things don’t get much stranger than the unsolved death of Canadian tourist Elisa Lam who was found dead at the Cecil Hotel in L.A. back in 2013. The new Netflix docuseries “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel” will delve into the mystery. Directed and executive produced by Joe Berlinger, who was also behind Netflix’s Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile, the series attempts to deconstruct the night the 21-year-old Canadian tourist died. And features interviews with investigators, hotel employees, and other guests. “As a true crime documentarian, I was fascinated in 2013 when the elevator video of Elisa Lam went viral and legions of amateur detectives used the internet to try to solve the mystery of what happened to her,” Barlinger said. “So, when journalist Josh Dean, who is also a producer on the project, brought us his research into this case, we realized there was as an opportunity to do something different by not just telling the

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jan 15, 2021
Horror Fuel

Top 10 Horror Books from 2020

10 – We Bleed Red and Green – Jeff C. Carter This diverse, extremely entertaining collection is a New Christmas tradition for me. Sick of all the Hallmark Christmas stories and a bit jaded from all the caroling? Missing Halloween? Check this book out to get the horror back into Christmas. 9 – The Captivating Flame of Madness – Jeff Parsons This is a great collection of short stories that have really deep, powerful plots. If you don’t have enough time to really delve into a novel, check out this collection of novel-deep plots in short story packages. 8 – The Organ Thieves – Chip Jones This investigative novel about the horrors of racism in American holidays and what essentially boils down to medical murder is terrifying. Chip Jones explores the history of this little-known dark history within the medical world and each interview and discovery is more heart-wrenching than the last. 7 – Seeds of the Dead – Andy

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 30, 2020
Horror Fuel

Netflix’s “Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer” Explores The Crimes & Capture Of Richard Ramirez

We’ve got a treat for our true crime fans. Netflix has just unleashed the new trailer for the limited serial killer docuseries “Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer” that delves into the murders committed by Richard Ramirez. The series tells the spellbinding true story of how one of the most notorious serial killers in American history was hunted down and brought to justice. In the sweltering summer of 1985, a record-breaking heatwave hit Los Angeles, along with a series of murders and sexual assaults that at first seemed disconnected. The victims were men, women, and children ranging in ages from six to 82, no one was safe. They came from different neighborhoods, racial backgrounds, and socioeconomic levels. Never before in criminal history had a single killer been responsible for such a grisly array of crimes. Racing against the clock to stop this nocturnal monster was a young detective named Gil Carrillo from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Dec 16, 2020
Horror Fuel

Pillars Made Of Skulls Puzzles Archeologists

When Hernan Cortes conquered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (modern-day Mexico City) in 1521, his troops and native allies made a discovery that rattled them. Inside the temple dedicated to the Aztec god of war, the sun, and sacrifice, Huitzilopochtli, was a massive wooden structure measuring 200 feet in diameter displaying human skulls. This structure is known as a Tzompantli, a skull rack. Along with the massive collection of skulls that would make a Predator proud, were two pillars made out of human skulls. Tales of what the conquistadores saw that day were passed down for generations and were left like that. In 2015, the skull towers seen by Cortes’s men that birthed the stories were discovered. At the time around 676 skulls were unearthed in what is being called Huey Tzompantli. The skulls were being held together with stone mortar and originally were believed to be the skulls of young men who were warriors captured during combat and sacrificed

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 13, 2020
Horror Fuel

Jerren Lauder’s ‘The Inhabitant’ Is Inspired By The Lizzy Borden Story

Jerren Lauder (Stay Out of the F*cking Attic) is gearing up to unleash The Inhabitant, a new take on the history of the infamous true story of the Lizzie Borden murders. Directed by Lauder and written by Kevin Bachar, the film stars Leslie Bibb (Iron Man, Midnight Meat Train) and Dermot Mulroney (Insidious Chapter 3, “Prodigal Son”) as two parents challenged with the truth of their family history. The Inhabitant is “an indie horror thriller about infamous ax murderer Lizzie Borden’s bloodline that runs straight through the heart of American suburbia where a series of supernatural events reveal a dark truth behind a tormented teenager.” Deadline reports. The Inhabitant is a Steelyard Pictures film that we can expect to see some time in 2021.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Dec 7, 2020
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: The Other Side of Madness (1971)

After a moody, dialog-free opening (a trend that will continue for much of the film’s runtime) that shows the Manson family planning the Tate-LaBianca Murders as ol’ Charlie observes, we shift our focus to some wild-ass hippie hootenanny taking place on the outskirts of the Spahn Ranch interspersed with scenes of the Family in court on trial for their murder biz! As the story unfolds we are introduced to the doomed starlet Sharon Tate (Debbie Duff), and before long we are balls-deep into the events of the night of August 9th and10th in all of their disturbing detail… all of which is presented in a fashion akin to a documentary, which makes the horror all the more impactful. Does this all sound a bit disjointed? Well it certainly is… but The Other Side of Madness has a shit-ton of energy and some truly arty-farty touches that makes the entire affair as hallucinogenic and fever-dream addled as the times would dictate!

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Nov 29, 2020

More from True Story

Horror Fuel

Jason Clarke Stars In Dark Web Thriller ‘Silk Road’ Based On True Events

Writer-director Tiller Russell (Night Stalker) takes viewers inside the deep web in the crime thriller Silk Road starring Pet Sematary (2019) and Winchester actor Jason Clarke. Clarke stars alongside Nick Robinson, Katie Aselton, Jimmi Simpson, Daniel David Stewart, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Lexi Rabe, Will Ropp, with Paul Walter Hauser, and Alexandra Shipp. “Inspired by larger-than-life actual events, this riveting crime thriller follows the rise and fall of Silk Road, the infamous darknet site that sent a seismic shock through the World Wide Web. Young, idealistic, and driven to succeed, Ross Ulbricht (Nick Robinson) creates the internet’s first unregulated marketplace: Silk Road. But when it becomes a multimillion-dollar pipeline for illicit drugs, Ross is set on a collision course with Rick Bowden (Jason Clarke), a disreputable and dangerously unpredictable DEA agent, who will use any means necessary to take him down.” Watch the new trailer for Silk Road, out on Digital, On Demand, and in select theaters on February 23, 2021, from

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jan 27, 2021
Horror Fuel

Lizzie Borden’s Home Goes Up For Sale!

The infamous Borden house in Fall River Massachusetts has been placed on the housing market! The historical site and Bed and Breakfast could be yours for a head-splitting (pun intended) two million dollars to own and operate according to the macabre realtor listing. The house was the site of the infamous Borden Ax Murders that gripped headlines at the time as the prime suspect of the murders was a woman named Lizzie. Lizzie Borden was accused of murdering her father, Andrew, and Stepmother, Abby, with a hatchet on the morning of August 4th, 1892. Lizzie was accused of the murders as she could stand to inherit Andrews’s fortune and did not get along well with both Andrew and the Stepmother. The investigation into the murders by modern terms was a disaster and resulted in Lizzie’s acquittal on June 30th, 1893 after the jury deliberated for an hour. The Borden Ax Murders is still considered unsolved but theories of what really

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jan 25, 2021
Horror Fuel

John Jarratt Stars In The True Story Inspired Film ‘The Possessed’

Wolf Creek actor John Jarratt returns to the silver screen in The Possessed, a spine-tingling film that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The film features an all-star Australian cast including Jarratt, Lincoln Lewis, Angie Kent, Lauren Grimson, Melissa Tkautz, and Jade Kevin Foster. This horror-thriller follows Jacob Chandler (John Jarratt) who is just an ordinary man with an extraordinary gift. It’s a terrifying story of accidental exorcist Jacob and his nephew Liam (Lincoln Lewis) who have forged a career clearing demons from the bodies of their clients. Of late, something has changed and demonic possessions are increasing, and in order to keep those he loves safe from the wrath of unspeakable evil, Jacob must fight for them to survive. When meeting Liam’s new girlfriend, Atalie Carlisle (Lauren Grimson), he recognizes something in her dark, broken gaze – she too can see the damned. Jacob never expected to meet anyone else like himself, nor did he anticipate

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jan 19, 2021
Horror Fuel

Netflix Review: “Night Stalker: The Hunt For a Serial Killer”

Three decades after the story began, Netflix has now unleashed their new limited docuseries “Night Stalker: The Hunt For a Serial Killer” which delves into the investigation of the crimes committed by Richard Rameriez, the serial killer known as the “Night Stalker.” Director Tiller Russell takes us back into the 1980s world of the prolific killer and through his crimes without glamorizing Ramirez in any way or doing a disservice to the survivors or the relatives of Rameriz’s victims. He lays out the timelines for both the murders and assaults in a straight forward way while introducing us to the mindset of the investigators Gil Carrillo and the legendary investigator Frank Salerno in their own frank and sometimes brutally honest words. The fact that we hear so much testimony from so many involved with the case, including survivors and detectives, elevates its status above many other documentaries. The series gives true crime fans a ton of detail and information about

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jan 16, 2021
Horror Fuel

New Netflix Docuseries Explores The Mysterious Death Of Elisa Lam

Things don’t get much stranger than the unsolved death of Canadian tourist Elisa Lam who was found dead at the Cecil Hotel in L.A. back in 2013. The new Netflix docuseries “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel” will delve into the mystery. Directed and executive produced by Joe Berlinger, who was also behind Netflix’s Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile, the series attempts to deconstruct the night the 21-year-old Canadian tourist died. And features interviews with investigators, hotel employees, and other guests. “As a true crime documentarian, I was fascinated in 2013 when the elevator video of Elisa Lam went viral and legions of amateur detectives used the internet to try to solve the mystery of what happened to her,” Barlinger said. “So, when journalist Josh Dean, who is also a producer on the project, brought us his research into this case, we realized there was as an opportunity to do something different by not just telling the

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jan 15, 2021
Horror Fuel

Top 10 Horror Books from 2020

10 – We Bleed Red and Green – Jeff C. Carter This diverse, extremely entertaining collection is a New Christmas tradition for me. Sick of all the Hallmark Christmas stories and a bit jaded from all the caroling? Missing Halloween? Check this book out to get the horror back into Christmas. 9 – The Captivating Flame of Madness – Jeff Parsons This is a great collection of short stories that have really deep, powerful plots. If you don’t have enough time to really delve into a novel, check out this collection of novel-deep plots in short story packages. 8 – The Organ Thieves – Chip Jones This investigative novel about the horrors of racism in American holidays and what essentially boils down to medical murder is terrifying. Chip Jones explores the history of this little-known dark history within the medical world and each interview and discovery is more heart-wrenching than the last. 7 – Seeds of the Dead – Andy

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 30, 2020
Horror Fuel

Netflix’s “Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer” Explores The Crimes & Capture Of Richard Ramirez

We’ve got a treat for our true crime fans. Netflix has just unleashed the new trailer for the limited serial killer docuseries “Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer” that delves into the murders committed by Richard Ramirez. The series tells the spellbinding true story of how one of the most notorious serial killers in American history was hunted down and brought to justice. In the sweltering summer of 1985, a record-breaking heatwave hit Los Angeles, along with a series of murders and sexual assaults that at first seemed disconnected. The victims were men, women, and children ranging in ages from six to 82, no one was safe. They came from different neighborhoods, racial backgrounds, and socioeconomic levels. Never before in criminal history had a single killer been responsible for such a grisly array of crimes. Racing against the clock to stop this nocturnal monster was a young detective named Gil Carrillo from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Dec 16, 2020
Horror Fuel

Pillars Made Of Skulls Puzzles Archeologists

When Hernan Cortes conquered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (modern-day Mexico City) in 1521, his troops and native allies made a discovery that rattled them. Inside the temple dedicated to the Aztec god of war, the sun, and sacrifice, Huitzilopochtli, was a massive wooden structure measuring 200 feet in diameter displaying human skulls. This structure is known as a Tzompantli, a skull rack. Along with the massive collection of skulls that would make a Predator proud, were two pillars made out of human skulls. Tales of what the conquistadores saw that day were passed down for generations and were left like that. In 2015, the skull towers seen by Cortes’s men that birthed the stories were discovered. At the time around 676 skulls were unearthed in what is being called Huey Tzompantli. The skulls were being held together with stone mortar and originally were believed to be the skulls of young men who were warriors captured during combat and sacrificed

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 13, 2020
Horror Fuel

Jerren Lauder’s ‘The Inhabitant’ Is Inspired By The Lizzy Borden Story

Jerren Lauder (Stay Out of the F*cking Attic) is gearing up to unleash The Inhabitant, a new take on the history of the infamous true story of the Lizzie Borden murders. Directed by Lauder and written by Kevin Bachar, the film stars Leslie Bibb (Iron Man, Midnight Meat Train) and Dermot Mulroney (Insidious Chapter 3, “Prodigal Son”) as two parents challenged with the truth of their family history. The Inhabitant is “an indie horror thriller about infamous ax murderer Lizzie Borden’s bloodline that runs straight through the heart of American suburbia where a series of supernatural events reveal a dark truth behind a tormented teenager.” Deadline reports. The Inhabitant is a Steelyard Pictures film that we can expect to see some time in 2021.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Dec 7, 2020
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: The Other Side of Madness (1971)

After a moody, dialog-free opening (a trend that will continue for much of the film’s runtime) that shows the Manson family planning the Tate-LaBianca Murders as ol’ Charlie observes, we shift our focus to some wild-ass hippie hootenanny taking place on the outskirts of the Spahn Ranch interspersed with scenes of the Family in court on trial for their murder biz! As the story unfolds we are introduced to the doomed starlet Sharon Tate (Debbie Duff), and before long we are balls-deep into the events of the night of August 9th and10th in all of their disturbing detail… all of which is presented in a fashion akin to a documentary, which makes the horror all the more impactful. Does this all sound a bit disjointed? Well it certainly is… but The Other Side of Madness has a shit-ton of energy and some truly arty-farty touches that makes the entire affair as hallucinogenic and fever-dream addled as the times would dictate!

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Nov 29, 2020
Next →