8 Insanely Weird Movies Based on Urban Legends

Urban Legends have captured the imagination of Hollywood writers since the 1930’s and have made a major resurgence since the year 2000. Here is a list of the top eight most disturbing urban legends that have hit the silver screen.

1. Darkness Falls (2003)

URBAN LEGEND: Tooth Fairy

Darkness Falls was released in 2003 by Columbia Pictures about a boy’s encounter with the Tooth Fairy. In the 1800’s an old woman by the name of Matilda Dixon gave children a gold coin in exchange for their teeth; she was hung after some of the children disappeared. As she was dying, she set a curse that whoever saw her face would perish. In the present day, Kyle Walsh has an encounter with the vengeful spirit when he returns home to save the son of his childhood crush.

2. Chupacabra Terror (2005)

 URBAN LEGEND: Chupacabra

In 2005, the Syfy Channel released Chupacabra Terror about a Cryptozoologist named Dr. Pena who captured the legendary Chupacabra in the Caribbean. He decides to transport the beast back to civilization on the cruise ship, the Regent Queen.  The Chupacabra breaks out wreaking havoc on the passengers. The survivors fend off the beast and escape the ship.

3. Craved the Slit-Mouth Woman (2007)

URBAN LEGEND: Kuchisake-onna

Craved the Slit Mouth Woman is a retelling of the Kuchisake-Onna (or the Slit-Mouth Woman), an urban legend in Japan. The Kuchisake-Onna is a woman who is murdered and mutilated by her son. In the film, the Slit-Mouth Woman targets children in a small, suburban Japanese town. The movie involves school teacher Noboru Matsuzaki, student Mika Sasaki, and her mother, Kyôko Yamashita, who desperately try to survive Kuchisake-Onna’s attack. 

4. Carny (2009)    

URBAN LEGEND: Jersey Devil

Carny takes place in Reliance, New York as a carnival arrives in town. The carnival brings a host of sideshow freaks, as well as the legendary Jersey devil. Inevitably, the Jersey Devil gets loose and terrorizes the town, leaving it up to the sheriff to defend it from the monster’s wrath.

5. The Mothman (2010)

URBAN LEGEND: The Mothman

Mothman takes place in Point Pleasant and revolves around a group of friends who share a dark secret involving the tragic death of their friend. Katherine, a member of the group, returns to the town to do a feature article on the 10^th Mothman Festival. The Mothman returns during the festival and seeks vengeance against the group. 

6. Toad Road (2012)

URBAN LEGEND: Seven Gates of Hell

Toad Road is loosely based on the urban legend of the same name. The movie revolves around two self-destructing teenagers who get lost on a legendary road leading to hell. It is a psychological thriller that takes the viewers down a dark, winding path of madness as the protagonists venture closer to the abyss.

 7. Bunny Man 2: Massacre (2014)

URBAN LEGEND: Bunny Man

Bunnyman and Bunnyman 2: The Massacre are both based on an urban legend that is told in Clifton Virginia. The Bunny Man is thought to be a killer who escapes, terrorizing Fairfax County by killing and mauling people. In Bunny Man 2 he takes his revenge against Fairfax County.

8. La Llorona (2015)

URBAN LEGEND: Weeping Woman

La Llorona, or "the weeping woman," is a film about the legendary weeping woman of Mexico. In the film, La Llorona is an ancient warrior spirit who has been awakened by the bloodshed of immigrant children. Enraged by the harm done to the innocent, La Llorona sets out on a path of bloody vengeance against the world at large.