10 Horror Movies That Inspired Real Life Crimes

Horror movies that inspired real-life crimes are regrettable examples of the deep influence that films can have on audiences. These tragedies underscore the need for a critical examination of the influence of violent media content on vulnerable individuals, and the potential risks it poses to public safety. Criminals claiming to have been inspired by certain horror films have also led to fiery debates about the genre’s audience impact.

Just like how true crimes have inspired great horror movies, these films in turn have prompted horrific murders, which are sometimes much worse than the ones that inspired the movie in the first place. Typically, it takes much more than obsessively viewing a horror movie for any individual to be pushed into committing heinous crimes. That said, for impressionable and vulnerable minds like children or people who suffer from mental issues, a captivating horror movie could be enough to push them to act on their fantasies. While filmmakers only make them with the intention of entertaining audiences, horror movies that inspired real-life crimes can be found throughout cinema history.

10 Scream (1996)

stabbing incident in 2002

In 2002, a tragic incident unfolded in France when a 17-year-old secondary school student brutally stabbed a 15-year-old girl 17 times (via The Guardian). After being questioned by authorities, the student admitted to being obsessed with Scream, the formative ’90s slasher horror that started the Scream film franchise. The assailant’s actions echoed the film’s influence on young people, raising concerns about the impact of media on vulnerable individuals. The incident sparked debates about the potential link between media consumption and real-life violence, prompting a reexamination of the societal implications of exposure to graphic content, especially among impressionable youth. Scream has also been linked to several other similar incidents.

9 The Purge (2013)

3 murders in 2016

After Johnathan Cruz committed robbery and took the lives of three individuals in 2016, he cited inspiration from the movie The Purge, a film depicting a dystopian society with an annual night of lawlessness (via CP24). While there have been many false news reports related to events supposedly inspired by The Purge, unfortunately, the case of Indianapolis’ Johnathan Cruz is real. Moreover, Cruz’s social media activity and statements indicated a disturbing fascination with The Purge, raising questions about the influence of violent media on his behavior. Cruz’s actions led to discussions about the potential impact of unregulated media on individuals with criminal tendencies.

8 A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

4 murders in 2004

Also known as the “Freddy Krueger Killer,” Daniel Gonzalez had an unhealthy obsession with the classic slasher movie A Nightmare on Elm Street, and even boasted about committing murders inspired by Freddy. After attacking 6 people in London and Sussex – leading to the death of 4 victims – Gonzalez called his crimes the “best things” he ever accomplished. Bragging about being similar to Freddy Krueger, Gonzalez revealed that he had an alter ego he called “Zippy.” After being held in a psychiatric facility, Gonzalez took his own life in 2006, an alarming example of horror’s potential influence on individuals suffering from mental health problems (via The Sun).

7 London After Midnight (1927)

razor blade murder in 1928

The lost horror movie London After Midnight – which was rebooted as an audio drama – inspired the brutal murder of Julia Mangan by a man named Robert Williams in 1928. After being found by the police with a bloody razor blade near the lifeless corpse of Mangan, Williams was taken into custody. Williams then pointed to the disturbing face of Lon Chaney’s Professor Burke in the 1927 silent horror film London After Midnight as the root of his disturbing attack on Mangan (via Flashbak). This incident points to how real-life crimes inspired by horror movies have been around since the genre’s very beginnings.

6 Child’s Play (1988)

kidnap, torture, and murder in 1992

Manchester teen Suzanne Capper was only 16 when she was kidnapped, tortured, and murder by a gang of 4 perpetrators in 1992. One of Suzanne’s captors reportedly began torture sessions with the words, “Chucky’s coming to play.” Before Suzanne succumbed to her injuries, her captors also put headphones on her ears, blasting 150 Volts’ “Hi, I’m Chucky (Wanna Play?)” at maximum volume. Apart from Child’s Play, the assailants were revealed to have also been inspired by video nasties – the series of snuff and true crime films that were banned but circulated heavily online in the late 20th century.

5 Saw (2004)

prank call leading to a stroke in 2007

“I want to play a game. You need to decide if life is worth living for,” said the prank phone call that Beverly Dickson received in 2007 (via NBC). This was accompanied by instructions about Dickson finding a key to free a friend trapped in her house, which the message claimed would be filled with toxic gas. A pair of 13-year-old girls were responsible for the prank call that was clearly inspired by Saw, in which a killer forced people to do horrible things to survive deadly traps. Dickson’s case raises discussions regarding the deadly influence of horror media – even when the crimes they inspire are non-violent.

4 Natural Born Killers (1994)

real-life killing sprees in the late ’90s

Even worse than the real-life crime spree that inspired Natural Born Killers, the movie in turn became the inspiration for school shootings in the late ’90s. This includes the Frontier Middle School Shooting in 1996, in which a 14-year-old opened fire on his classroom, killing 2 students and their teacher. Natural Born Killer has also been directly linked to the Columbine High School Shooting, in which 2 students shot and killed their teacher alongside 12 classmates. (via Collider). These incidents prompted tighter security measures in schools, which persist today. As a result of these connections, Natural Born Killers has become notorious for supposedly inciting violent behavior in America’s youth.

3 The Exorcist (1973)

brutal filicide in 1981

Psychologist Dr. Leon Morris cited “cinematic trauma” as the reason why Patricia Frazier not only killed her own 4-year-old daughter, but also cut out her heart. According to Morris, his interactions with Frazier revealed that she suffered from paranoid-schizophrenia, and that viewing The Exorcist on television prompted her to act on her delusions (via UPI). Notably, after Frazier committed the heinous crime, she claimed to have done it in order to save the world from demons and demonic possession. The case of Patricia Frazier is far from being the only violently disturbing incident that has been linked to one of the most notorious and influential horror movies of all time.

2 Warlock (1989)

ritual murder of a child in 1995

After seeing the film Warlock a minimum of 10 times in the days before he committed a ritualistic murder, 14-year-old Sandy Charles claimed to police that he acted on behalf of spirits. Defense attorney Barry Singer said that Charles killed a 7-year-old boy, cut strips of his flesh, and then boiled it into fat in hopes that it would turn him into the “son of the devil” (via My Crime Library). While many real-life crimes inspired by horror films can be loosely attributed to the movie, this ritual murder was undeniably pulled straight from Warlock, adding to the notoriety of Richard E Grant’s horror movies.

1 The Collector (1965)

kidnap, rape, torture, and murder in 1988

Robert Berdella, known as the “Kansas City Butcher,” gained infamy as a serial killer and sex offender in the 1980s. Operating in Kansas City, Berdella targeted young men, subjecting them to extreme acts of torture and violence in his home. His crimes included sexual assault, drugging, and murder. Berdella meticulously documented his sadistic acts in a detailed diary. He was arrested in 1988, convicted of multiple counts of murder, and sentenced to life in prison. While under custody, Berdella explained that he was inspired by the film adaptation of the novel The Collector, which centers around a man kidnapping and torturing a woman (via The Lineup).