Is The Last House On The Left Based On A True Story?

Horror icon Wes Craven made his directorial debut with 1972’s The Last House on the Left, an ultra-violent exploitation horror movie that claimed in its opening credits to be based on a true story. The highly controversial pushed the boundaries of how violence was depicted, with Craven opting for peak realism in how the film showed abuse, torture, rape, and murder. The movie was considered so repulsive in fact, that The Last House on the Left was banned in multiple countries, including the U.K and Australia. Despite the wild story and graphic violence, an opening title card for the movie claims that it is based on a true story.