9 Horror Movies You May Not Know Were Based off of Books

 Movie: The Birds (1963)

Book based off of: “The Birds and other stories” by Daphne du Maurier (1952)

Plot: “A classic of alienation and horror, The Birds was immortalised by Hitchcock in his celebrated film. The five other chilling stories in this collection echo a sense of dislocation and mock man’s dominance over the natural world. The mountain paradise of ‘Monte Verità’ promises immortality, but at a terrible price; a neglected wife haunts her husband in the form of an apple tree; a professional photographer steps out from behind the camera and into his subject’s life; a date with a cinema usherette leads to a walk in the cemetery; and a jealous father finds a remedy when three’s a crowd . . .”

Movie: The Hole (2001)

Book based off of: “After the Hole” by Guy Burt (1993)

Plot: “Martyn persuaded five of his school friends to take part in what he called `an experiment with real life’ – to stay locked in a windowless cellar in their school for three days, after which time he would release them. But three days passed by, and Martyn did not return.”

Movie: I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

Book: “I Know What You Did Last Summer” by Lois Duncan (1973)

Plot: “It was only an accident — but it would change their lives forever. Last summer, four terrified friends made a desperate pact to conceal a shocking secret. But some secrets don’t stay buried, and someone has learned the truth. Someone bent on revenge. This summer, the horror is only beginning….”

Movie: Stir of Echos (1999)

Book: “A Stir of Echos” by Richard Matheson (1958)

Plot: “Tom Wallace lived an ordinary life, until a chance event awakened psychic abilities he never knew he possessed. Now he’s hearing the private thoughts of the people around him-and learning shocking secrets he never wanted to know. But as Tom’s existence becomes a waking nightmare, even greater jolts are in store as he becomes the unwilling recipient of a compelling message from beyond the grave!”

Movie: Jaws (1975)

Book: Jaws by Peter Benchley (1974)

Plot: “When Peter Benchley wrote Jaws in the early 1970s, he meticulously researched all available data about shark behavior. Over the ensuing decades, Benchley was actively engaged with scientists and filmmakers on expeditions around the world as they expanded their knowledge of sharks. Also during this time, there was an unprecedented upswing in the number of sharks killed to make shark-fin soup, and Benchley worked with governments and nonprofits to sound the alarm for shark conservation. He encouraged each new generation of Jaws fans to enjoy his riveting tale and to channel their excitement into support and protection of these magnificent, prehistoric apex predators.”

Movie: The Wicker Man (1973)

Book: Ritual by David Pinner (1967)

Plot: “Ritual follows the trail of English police officer, David Hanlin, who is requested to investigate the murder of a local child. During the protagonist’s short stay, he is slowly subjected to a spectacle of psychological trickery, sexual seduction, ancient religious practices and nightmarish sacrificial rituals”

Movie: Psycho (1960)

Book: Psycho by Robert Bloch (1959)

Plot: “It was a dark and stormy night when Mary Crane glimpsed the unlit neon sign announcing the vacancy at the Bates motel. Exhausted, lost, and at the end of her rope, she was eager for a hot shower and a bed for the night. Her room was musty but clean and the plumbing worked. Norman Bates, the manager, seemed nice, if a little odd.”

Movie: 30 Days of Night (2007)

Comic Book: 30 Days of Night by Steve Niles (2002)

Plot: “An incredible story! In a sleepy, secluded town called Barrow, Alaska, the sun sets and doesn’t rise for over thirty consecutive days and nights. From the darkness, across the frozen wasteland, an evil comes that will bring the residents of Barrow to their knees. Their only hope; the town Sheriff and Deputy. A husband and wife who are torn between survival… or saving the town they love.”

Movie: The Exorcist (1973)

Book: The Exorcistby By William Peter Blatty (1971)

Plot: “Four decades after it first shook the nation, then the world, William Peter Blatty’s thrilling masterwork of faith and demonic possession returns in an even more powerful form. Raw and profane, shocking and blood-chilling, it remains a modern parable of good and evil and perhaps the most terrifying novel ever written.”