With new releases like The Black Phone scaring the wits out of unsuspecting viewers, horror hounds are often reminded of their favorite chillers based on urban legends. The old wives' tale has been used to keep people in line for centuries, and they have often made the best fodder for horror flicks.
From slasher masterpieces like Reddit logged on to shout out the films that scared them the most.
Absentia (2011)
Creepy parts of town are usually the subject of urban legends, especially when they evoke mythical imagery the way that tunnels and bridges sometimes do. willdeliamv5 mentioned a modern urban legend film when writing "Absentia by Mike Flanagan. Atypical urban legend movie".
Slow burning and oozing with dread, Absentia draws inspiration from the classic fairy tale Three Billy Goats Gruff. The heart of its terror comes from an ominous tunnel in a local park, and the film plays into the familiar fear of such places and the secrets they hold. Though independent in nature, Absentia certainly rivaled its bigger-budgeted competitors in creepy atmosphere.
The Burning (1981)
Urban legends are usually regional in nature, and the classic slasher film The Burning put a face to a familiar New York horror story. elsiniestro drew from the urban legend when writing "The killed [sic] in the 80s slasher movie The Burning was named Cropsy and based on the urban legend".
An old story about a murderer who hangs around abandoned buildings was an obvious attempt to keep kids from exploring, but it eventually grew to have a life of its own. Though it follows the traditional slasher formula, The Burning still managed to stand out in a saturated market during the '80s. The real beauty of the hidden gem is that it actually helped to strengthen its original urban legend.
Campfire Tales (1997)
The stories that comprise urban legends are typically short in nature, and Campfire Tales found a novel way to squeeze in several familiar parables. buddhi_holly gushed about the movie, writing "Campfire Tales (1997)...It always seems to slip through the cracks of 90's horror conversations...it really deserves a place".
As its name implies, the anthology horror movie sees stranded motorists recount old wives' tales over a campfire. The movie tackled the classics such as the hook in the car door and utilized the anthology format years after that genre's heyday. While it may have been overshadowed by bigger late-'90s horror films, many fans still look back with a shudder on the underrated movie.
Black Christmas (1974)
Generally considered Black Christmas also tackled a classic urban legend. DoYouReadSutterCane explained why it was an urban legend film when saying "Black Christmas (1974) it's based on the urban legend of the killer calling from inside the house".
Though it wasn't the only film to do so, Black Christmas was partially inspired by that terrifying piece of babysitter lore and used it quite effectively. While it is inspired by an urban legend, the film soars beyond its inspiration and introduces new concepts to the tired old story.
Jeepers Creepers (2001)
Not every film in the genre has to be based on an existing urban legend, and some actually write their own into the mythos of their story. MrFurious0 mentioned their favorite urban legend movie when saying "Jeepers Creepers is an interesting meta take on this - there is an in-universe urban legend about people being killed on the highway".
In a way, horror villains are the modern equivalent of fairy tales, and they have kept many a viewer up nights in cold sweats. Because of this, it is only natural that the frightening creature at the heart of Jeepers Creepers would fit within an urban legend framework. Outside all that, the film is a creepy good time that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats throughout.
The Mothman Prophecies (2002)
Unlike most urban legend films that are entirely fictitious, The Mothman Prophecies was a 2000s horror film based on real events. g0newick3d fell under the sway of the movie when they said "The Mothman Prophecies is quite creepy".
Based on the experiences of journalist John Keel, the film is as much an exploration of the Mothman mythos as it is a deep dive into grief. Though some were turned off by the slow pace of the film, others were lured into its hypnotic ambiance until they too became true believers in West Virginia's resident cryptid.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
The hook in the door urban legend has gotten more millage than many of its fellow tales, and it has been brought into the world of film quite frequently. I Know What You Did Last Summer is a take on the hookman".
Though the original story is rather simple, I Know What You Did Last Summer fleshed it out and gave it a gruesome and chilling backstory. Generally considered one of the best horror movies of the '90s, IKWYDLS was not only a fun teen-horror romp but delivered genuine scares for any level of horror fanatic.
When A Stranger Calls (1979)
If there ever was a truly American piece of folklore, it would certainly be the classic tale at the heart of When a Stranger Calls. thisgirlnamedbree explained the appeal of the film, commenting "When a Stranger Calls (1979)(2006), based on the babysitter and the telephone urban legend".
While it wasn't the first film to tackle the story, When a Stranger Calls put such a fine point on it that any other adaptations seemed superfluous. Pulling creepy details straight from the old wives' tale and its basic structure, the movie brought the legendary story to life in vivid and chilling cinema that is still quoted and parodied today.
Candyman (1992)
Placing a spin on the Bloody Mary myth that puts the original to shame, Candyman produced a villain so legendary that he himself has become an urban legend. epicmcjr9 had nothing but good things to say about the movie, writing "Definitely Candyman...the story is heavily based on urban legends...one of the best horror movies I've ever seen".
Putting the urban in urban legends, Candyman finds mythology within the community of Cabrini Green in one of Chicago's most downtrodden neighborhoods. Creating a brilliant in-movie mythology around the titular slasher, Candyman forever changed the way that people looked in the bathroom mirror.
Urban Legend (1998)
When surveying the landscape of horror movies based on urban legends, it is impossible to ignore the '90s slasher flick that shares its name. Urban Legend...the kills are not supernatural...but off of traditional urban legends".
By the late-'90s, slashers had been so played out that they had come back in style again. Urban Legend put a unique twist on the tired genre and brought some of the most recognizable urban legends to life as gruesome kills in the movie. Though it was far from a perfect film, few captured the spirit of the urban legend quite like its namesake.
