The Strangers based on true events? Inspiration behind the film explained

After the psychological horror film The Strangers was released in 2008, fans were curious to know about the truth behind the events depicted on screen. They were especially curious since the film noted that it was "inspired by true events." Additionally, the directors and creators of such films often base some things on real-life events.

Bryan Bertino, the writer and director of The Strangers, revealed that the events in the film were lightly based on his own childhood experiences. He also said that the film was loosely based on the infamous Manson Family Murders, which he was introduced to very early on in his life.

In the Production Notes of the film, Bertino explained the personal experiences he had with incidents similar to those depicted in the film. He said that when he was younger, his family lived in a house "on a street in the middle of nowhere."

Discussing one incident, he recalled that he and his younger sister were alone one night as their parents had gone out. Bertino stated that someone knocked on their front door, and his sister opened it.

"At the door were some people asking for somebody that didn't live there. We later found out that these people were knocking on doors in the area and, if no one was home, breaking into the houses. In The Strangers, the fact that someone is at home does not deter the people who've knocked on the front door; it's the reverse," the director said.

This article will take a look at the real-life incident and the Manson Family Murders that inspired Bertino to make The Strangers.

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The Strangers drew inspiration from the Manson murders

The director and writer of The Strangers Bryan Bertino told Shock Till You Drop in May 2008 that the film's plot was loosely based on the Manson Family Murders. He stated that he wanted to write the story from the victims' point of view, especially after he read the 1974 book Helter Skelter. The book is written by Curt Gentry and Vincent Bugliosi, who was the prosecuting attorney in the Manson case.

Bryan said that when he was a kid, he read the book when he had gone to "this small town" to stay with his grandmother and father. Noting that he had "no idea why," his dad asked him if he wanted to read Helter Skelter while he was gone. He added that his father gave him the book, which was "definitely big boy reading."

"Even now, what grabs me, even now, is that it's not the section about who Charles Manson or what was going on with the family. I was thinking about the Tate murders and realizing that these detailed descriptions had painted a story of what it was like in the house with the victims. But none of the victims knew about the Manson family or why it was happening to them," the director said.

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About The Strangers

The Strangers was released on May 30, 2008, and follows a couple whose life is turned upside down after an invasion by three masked strangers in their vacation home. It follows Liv Tyler as Kristen McKay and Scott Speedman as James Hoyt, who have returned to their vacation home after a wedding.

The Strangers delved into the horror unleashed on these individuals' lives when they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is exemplified by the recurring line in all the movies of the franchise: "Because you were home."

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video (available for Rent)

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Concluding Thoughts

For fans of suspenseful horror movies like The Strangers, several other films are inspired by real-life events or are based on true stories. Some of these include Gone in the Night, Watcher, It Comes at Night, Shut In, The Uninvited, The Gift, House at the End of the Street, and The Visit.