Be it in Rowling's world of magic or in Tolkein's scintillating quests and adventures, fiction has its way of estranging reality as we know it. However, fiction isn't always as adrift from reality as it seems. It is, in fact, an organized reflection of the real world that is replete with chaos and mysteries.
Filmmakers often try to engage with these mysteries and attempt to unravel their complex tapestry of reality through storytelling. When they successfully do so, it's almost hard to believe that the stories are grounded in reality. On that note, here's a list of ten movies that blur the lines between fiction and reality by giving viewers a lucid picture of the ineffable world.
The Exorcist
The Exorcist has terrified the world for decades now. As unbelievable as it may seem, its disturbing premise was inspired by real events. The film tells the story of the demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl and her mother, who does everything she can to save her daughter.
While the names and ages of the characters have been changed in the film, it closely adapts the tale of a 14-year-old Maryland boy, under the pseudonym Roland Doe, who experienced extreme hauntings in the 1940s. After his aunt, a spiritualist, ed away, the possessions began and several exorcisms were conducted by a Jesuit institution to save him.
A Nightmare On Elm Street
Many would find it hard to believe that a movie about a vicious murderer killing teenagers in their dreams has parallels with the real world. But Freddy Krueger was inspired by a Los Angeles Times article from the 70s.
According to the article, a young boy had harrowing nightmares where something chased him. Scared of going to sleep, he tried to stay awake for several days but did eventually fall asleep. In the middle of the night one day, his parents heard him screaming and found him dead when they got to him. There have been similar cases of sudden unexplained deaths all over the world and the phenomenon is known as Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS).
Changeling
Directed by Clint Eastwood, Changeling centers on Christine whose only son goes missing. When she files a missing report to the LAPD, they find a boy who befits her son's description. However, her worst nightmare starts to unfold when she realizes that the boy they've found is not her son.
The story depicted in the movie does not stray too far from reality. Something similar happened to Christine Collins in 1928 when her son went missing. The LAPD then found a boy who resembled her son, but her son he absolutely wasn't. When she refused to believe the boy was her son, she was even committed to a psychiatric ward. The truth did eventually come out, but the grieving mother never found her son.
50 First Dates
After suffering from head trauma in two-vehicle crashes, Michelle Philpots' has suffered from a rare form of amnesia, due to which her memories are wiped clean every single day. Luckily for Michelle, she met her husband before the accidents, so she re him well.
But so is not the case for Adam Sandler) has to make her fall in love with him every single day just because they meet after her accident.
Zodiac
Zodiac takes on the manhunt of the titular serial killer, who committed several murders and provoked cops and newspapers from the 60s to 70s. Not only does Zodiac boast a star-studded cast, but it unravels its premise with historical accuracy. That explains why the film was ranked 12th in BBC's 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century.
What makes the story of the Zodiac killer all the more terrifying is that he was never found. Even after being associated with numerous cold cases, the killer's identity never surfaced. After all these years, the Zodiac's case still remains open in many places and in the minds of several self-proclaimed amateur sleuths.
The Ring
It is pretty obvious that The Ring is not based on a true story. However, in its exploration of folklore and common fears, there are certain elements that have specs of appalling reality. For instance, the movie's central antagonist, Samara (Sadako in Ringu), was inspired by a real person.
The inspiration behind the character was Sadako Takahashi. Sadako was known to be a practitioner of nensha (thought-photography), an ability that allowed her to project images to the outer world through her thoughts alone. Sadako's abilities were also studied by psychologist Tomokichi Fukurai, who even mentioned her in his book, Clairvoyance and Thoughtography.
The Conjuring
Haunted homes have become horror movie staples. But despite using the exhaustive trope, haunted house trope.
The Conjuring sheds light on the true story of the Perron family and Enfield haunting. Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson) were real-life paranormal investigators, who helped the Perron family when they experienced extreme paranormal experiences in their Rhode Island farmhouse. Lorraine, who was the consultant for the film, even confirmed that the film's events were not exaggerated.
The Impossible
Although deeply harrowing with its depiction of the deadly tsunami waves, The Impossible later transcends into a marvelous tale of hope. It recounts the true story of a Spanish family that was on vacation in Khao Lak, Thailand.
When a 200-foot wave swept the nation, the family of five—María Belón-Enrique Álvarez and their three sons—had almost lost all hope. Miraculously, all five of them lived to tell their extraordinary story of survival and reunion.
The Stanford Prison Experiment
In 1971, a psychology professor, Philip Zimbardo, conducted a social psychology experiment to understand the psychological effects of perceived power on prison guards and prisoners under them. As the name suggests, the experiment was conducted at Stanford University where students had volunteered to play prisoners and guards in a mock prison.
To everyone's shock, the students quickly accepted their roles and the guards started subjecting the prisoners to psychological abuse. The experiment was stopped after six days. An eponymous film starring Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller, it recreates the events of the experiment, raising questions surrounding moral values and cognitive dissonance.
Lion
Lion is an incredibly uplifting true story of a boy Saroo, who got separated from his family and got adopted by an Australian couple.
However, years later, with the memories of his mother and brother still bothering him, he found his way back to the Indian village where he once lived with them. Bereft of excessive melodrama, Lion brings its sensitive and unflinching take on a real-life story about finding one's identity.
