Stranger Things True Stories: The Real-Life Crimes That Inspired Horror Movies
The gruesome 2008 burglary horror film The Stranger was inspired by real-life violent crime, including some brutal and notorious murders.
The gruesome 2008 burglary horror film The Stranger was inspired by real-life violent crimes, including shockingly brutal murders. While the horror genre is often, and not unfairly, tied to stories of monsters, ghosts, and other supernatural beings, some of the most effective horror films of all time don't rely on such things at all. As entertaining as these nightmarish visions are, most exist in the realm of fantasy, allowing viewers to view them with relative comfort. This is the true story of Stranger Things Explained.
The 2008 horror film "Stranger Things" subtly subverts this premise, becoming scary precisely because it could happen to anyone watching it. Indeed, while critics remain divided on The Stranger Things' plot, the film's horror elements are unquestionably effective as a sadistic portrayal of a home invasion. While the insular premise of "Stranger Things" introduces only a handful of characters outside of Kristen (Liv Tyler), James (Scott Speedman) and three strangers, the microscopic nature of The tension that makes a young couple pull out all the stops for their love is almost unmatched. Life. Despite the almost ethereal nature of its masked antagonists, The Stranger Things' true story is based on a handful of people. Several harrowing real-life crimes made up A pillar of Stranger's core narrative, including several notorious murders. Here are the true crimes and true stories that inspired Stranger Things.
The Strangers True Story: Real-Life Crimes That Inspired The Movie
According to novice writer-director Brian Bertino, the true story of The Stranger is largely based on three alternate true stories. The first was the infamous series of murders committed by the Manson family in 1969, later nicknamed "Helter Skelter", which was organized by Charles Manson to start the race war predicted by the cult leader . In particular, the burglary and murder of actress Sharon Tate was a clear sign of the art direction of "Stranger Things," with gruesome knife violence that closely resembles the stabbing at Tate's home .
A second inspiration for The Stranger's True Story was the infamous 1981 Caddy Cabin murders. Four people were killed in a resort town in California, including Sue Sharp, her son John, daughter Tina and John's friend Dana. Disturbingly, the motive for these murders remains unknown as the Caddy Police Department never caught the real culprit and the case remains unsolved. There are a lot of obvious parallels here, with the three masked assailants of "Stranger Things" wandering in the early morning cold after Slaughtered Christine and James just "because they were at home".
The third and final true inspiration for The Strangers true story was Bertino's life experience. As a child, Bertino recalled one night when his parents were away, someone knocked on the door looking for someone who wasn't there. Contrary to The Stranger, Bertino said he later learned that the man who knocked on the door was robbing a nearby home that was unoccupied, not attacking the people inside. Still, the experience left an indelible mark on Bertino, and it would turn into the grisly portrait of random-for-hire violence that the film "The Strangers" strives to paint.
Were James Hoyt And Kristin McKay Really Murdered?
Given that the true story of The Stranger Things is a weaving of several real murders, it is reasonable to assume that James Hoyt and Christine McKay were the real murder victims. In reality, however, Hoyt and McKay were fictional characters for the film. These two are constructs, and no eponymous couple was murdered in real life, but the film's central character serves as a conduit for the real-life murders that inspired the film. Since the Manson family inspired the movie, it's easy to imagine the tribe Wearing creepy mask before inflicting senseless violence on victims 'because they were at home'.
The 1981 Caddy Cabin murders behind the film formed part of another senseless crime, as in Stranger Things' ending, for which the perpetrators were neither apprehended nor brought to justice. Sadly, Bertino's own life experiences are not uncommon, and "The Stranger" is partly based on that. People have been known to knock on doors as a ruse before committing a robbery or attacking an unsuspecting victim. So while James Hoyt and Kristin McKay aren't real people, they do act as surrogates for random people who are the target of senseless violence.
The Strangers Realistic Scenario Is What Makes It So Disturbing
Horror movies based on true stories add an extra level of horror. The true story of Stranger Things is no exception, and the real events that inspired it make this film particularly chilling. That's half the reason properties like the Conjurverse are so popular, whether people believe in ghosts or not. What makes Strangers so scary, though, is that it's an act of senseless violence that can happen to just about anyone. Even though the events are entirely fictional, the premise of The Stranger Things is so believable that it doesn't matter -- it Whether or not the Stranger's real-life inspiration actually exists, it feels realistic.
Unlike horror movies based on legends such as Jason Voorhees, The Stranger sees a random home invasion, which becomes violent from the start, as hostiles begin to attack them psychologically and physically captive. The events of The Strangers could actually have happened in real life, and the added "because you're home" only makes it worse, as its randomness means anyone could be a victim of such a crime. True crime shows have skyrocketed in popularity because it's a way people can face greater anxieties on the big screen, but they have the same effect. "The Stranger" exposes viewers to the stark reality that anyone can be a victim, and that the security afforded by four walls and a roof is an illusion.
