Sonika Kamble
‘616 Wilford Lane’ revolves around the Patten family, who move to an opulent home to reset their lives. After losing his wife, Jim Van Patten relocates with his two teenage daughters to Auburn, California. The trio barely recovers from their mourning phase when paranormal activities occur in their new abode. The 2021 horror film is helmed by Mark S. Allen and Dante Yore. If it gave you the creeps and made you sleep with one eye open, you might be interested to learn if it is inspired by a true story. So, for the ones who resonate with that thought, here’s all you need to know!
616 Wilford Lane is a Fictional Tale
No, ‘616 Wilford Lane’ is not a true story. Though some speculations suggest it might be, there is no hard evidence for the same. The movie is the brainchild of three writers, Howard Burd, Dante Yore, and Mark S. Allen, who tried to adapt a few real elements in the movie, such as the location. As per reports, the principal photography of the movie took place in and around Auburn, California, where the story originally unfolds.
The movie’s title, ‘616 Wilford Lane,’ is not an actual location in the city, but the ‘616’ is seemingly derived from a new revelation. In theology and other references, 666 is considered the number of the antichrist, beast, or devil. But purportedly, a discovery of a fragment from the New Testament shows that it is indeed the number, 616.
In the opening sequence of the movie, a similar message flashes on the screen, “In 2005, a missing piece of Papyrus 115 was discovered, proving earlier suggestions that 666, historically known to be the number of the beast, is incorrect. The sign of the beast is 616.” Many horror genre tropes have been utilized in this film, such as a family moving into a new house, inexplicable events out of the blue, strange neighbors, uncontrollable teenagers, and incompetent police officers. But the movie deviates from the norm during its 10-minute climax with an unforeseeable twist.
Although the ending answered most questions raised throughout the movie, it received mixed reviews from the audience. Nonetheless, the filmmakers carried an old trope and took the creative leap of altering the ending by bringing something refreshing to the genre instead of old and meandering twists. In the history of horror cinema, countless movies have a similar storyline of a family relocating to a haunted house. A few such films with a congruent premise to ‘616 Wilford Lane’ based on a true story, are ‘The Haunting in Connecticut,’ ‘The Conjuring,’ and ‘The Amityville Horror.’
Similar to the ‘Paranormal Activity’ franchise, the family sets up a CCTV camera after the events become stranger by the day. Most of the hauntings showcased in the movie parallel those in the long-running horror film franchise. In conclusion, ‘616 Wilford Lane’ is a thrilling cinematic experience but not based on a real-life story. That said, it borrows several elements from theology and movies with identical themes. However, as the plot thickens and the final sequences play out, the audience gets their money’s worth due to the unique and extraordinary ending.
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