In particular, the home invasion and killing of actress Sharon Tate stands out as a clear marker for The Strangers' artistic direction, with its gruesome knife violence drawing close parallels to the stabbing at the Tate home.
The first is the infamous series of murders committed by the Manson Family in 1969, later nicknamed 'Helter Skelter,' which were organized by Charles Manson in an ill-conceived bid to start a race war the cult leader had predicted. According to novice writer and director Bryan Bertino, The Strangers true story is primarily based on three alternate true stories.
