Buzz
While watching It Follows, did you spot how the movie avoids specifying a clear time period? Or during Michael Myers’ escape in Halloween 2018, did you notice him sneaking around in the background of the gas station scene, attacking employees? And don't forget about Linda Blair's epic cameo in Scream!
Many filmmakers enjoy hiding subtle details in their films, often hinting at key plot developments or adding fun ‘easter eggs.’
Have you caught all the details listed here?
(Spoiler alert ahead!)
10. The Mist
The Mist will always be remembered as the horror film with the most gut-wrenching ending. Stephen King's unsettling imagination is fully showcased in the book, but even he couldn’t have anticipated the film’s final moments. The unforgettable car scene and the aftermath were created by Frank Darabont, who 'imagined a darker conclusion than what the book presented.'
The film also offered many other unforgettable moments, such as Mrs. Carmody’s extreme religious fanaticism and the terrifying monsters hidden in the mist, tearing people apart. David Drayton, portrayed by Thomas Jane, is a movie poster artist who later causes viewers lasting trauma, as mentioned earlier. At the start of the film, before the terror sets in, Drayton can be seen painting a poster featuring a character wearing a hat.
Sharp-eyed viewers quickly spotted the painting as a reference to Stephen King's immensely popular Dark Tower series, showing the gunslinger, the rose, and the tower.
Fans have also noticed similar paintings in the background of John Carpenter’s The Thing, Pan’s Labyrinth, and The Shawshank Redemption.
9. Child’s Play
In 2019, the Child’s Play series was rebooted with a high-tech version of the infamous creepy doll, Chucky. The movie earned positive reviews for its blend of dark humor and 80s nostalgia.
The new film is packed with fun details and hidden ‘easter eggs.’ One standout reference is to Steven Spielberg’s E.T., where Andy sports a red hoodie, and Chucky’s glowing finger mimics the iconic scene. Andy, Chucky’s new ‘owner,’ has several horror movie posters on his bedroom wall, including Poltergeist III, which was released in 1988, the same year as the original Child’s Play.
There’s also a more chilling homage to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, where Chucky is seen skinning the face of an unfortunate victim.
8. Bird Box
For many fans (and critics), 2018’s Bird Box didn’t quite hit the mark in the horror genre. However, it became a huge success for Netflix, emerging as the platform's biggest hit at that time. Some viewers even called it a ‘rip-off’ of A Quiet Place and relentlessly mocked its ending. The movie even sparked the Bird Box challenge, where people tried to live blindfolded for 24 hours.
In the film, Malorie (played by Sandra Bullock) and her sister talk about Malorie’s most recent painting. Malorie describes the painting as depicting people who are together but unable to connect. This serves as a subtle foreshadowing of Malorie’s own struggles to bond with the two children she later cares for. Her other paintings seem to predict looming terror, featuring an eerie figure hovering over a wolf and a deer.
Malorie is pregnant throughout the movie, and as the terrifying events unfold and her world begins to unravel, many viewers drew parallels between her journey and the frightening, challenging experience of becoming a new parent.
7. A Quiet Place
Rule #1: Don’t make a sound.
This might seem like a simple enough instruction, until you see Evelyn Abbott, heavily pregnant, and realize that nothing in A Quiet Place is going to be easy. Even the slightest sound made by humans is met with monsters hunting them down within moments. The Abbott family experiences this directly when one of their own is taken by a creature resembling a Demogorgon.
The family doesn’t just try to stay quiet for protection but also sets up a warning system using red lights strung across their lawn. While the lights signal the monsters’ proximity, they also emit a small high-pitched noise when turned on. This sound is designed to distract the monsters from any human noises and draw them away from the house.
6. Scream 2
Fans who weren’t keen on the first Scream movie were similarly unimpressed by its sequel. However, some appreciated Scream 2 for its clever use of a ‘film within a film’ concept. The movie also features a number of celebrity cameos from stars who would go on to lead hit films and series, including Joshua Jackson, Portia de Rossi, and Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Scream 2 also offers some foreshadowing, like when Maureen’s boyfriend Phil heads to the bathroom during a screening of ‘Stab’ at the cinema. He encounters two fellow moviegoers dressed as Ghostface. This scene hints at the fact that there are two killers in the movie.
As Scream 2 wraps up, we see protagonist Sidney and reporter Gale standing with Cotton Weary, who meets his end at the start of Scream 3. This moment echoes the first film, where Sidney and Gale are left standing with Randy at the end, only for Randy to die in Scream 2.
5. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
Like its predecessor, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer was never going to take home any prestigious awards, especially given its poor Rotten Tomatoes score. But despite that, it has earned a cult following and maintains its reputation as a beloved cult horror film.
Starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Brandy Norwood, the film picks up a year after the events of the first movie, and things quickly take a deadly turn.
What many viewers may have missed the first time around is that Julie and Karla (played by Hewitt and Norwood) answered a radio quiz question incorrectly but still won a trip to the Bahamas. They were asked to name the capital of Brazil, answering ‘Rio,’ though the correct answer is Brasilia.
This clever Easter egg was meant to hint that the Bahamas vacation was all part of the set-up.
4. Pet Sematary
The cat made its return in Pet Sematary 2019, just like in the original film and the novel. Church looks arguably better in the modern version—before the whole coming-back-from-the-dead thing, of course.
When the Creeds’ daughter, Ellie, sees the cat in the street after it has died, she chases after it, with her little brother Gage following behind. Louis Creed realizes with horror that a truck is speeding toward his children, and he races to grab Gage just in time. But, tragically, the truck hits Ellie instead. This is a twist from the original story, where Gage is the one who is killed.
Alongside this twist, there are a number of cleverly inserted details that enhance the movie experience. In the 1989 film, the truck driver who kills Gage is listening to 'Sheena Is A Punk Rocker' by The Ramones. In the 2019 version, the truck driver who kills Ellie is distracted by his ringing phone. The caller's name? Sheena. The Ramones also wrote a song called 'Pet Sematary' for the 1989 film.
There are several clever references to Stephen King’s other works, such as IT—when the characters drive past a road sign that reads “Derry – 20 mi”—and when Jud talks about a rabid Saint Bernard, a nod to Cujo.
In Rachel’s parents’ house, there’s a portrait of two girls wearing matching frilly blue dresses—an image that will look quite familiar to fans.
3. Friday the 13th
While some horror movie fans are terrified by mythical creatures like the monster from The Ritual or the grotesque alien-like creatures in A Quiet Place, others find themselves paralyzed with fear by classic movie villains like Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees.
Friday the 13th is a staple of any horror movie marathon, and for good reason. With an impressive 12 films featuring the iconic hockey-mask-wearing killer, it’s no surprise that there are numerous hidden details that slipped past viewers—at least for a while.
A notable example of this can be found in Jason Goes to Hell, where a crate labeled “Ship to Horlicks University via Julia Carpenter. Arctic Expedition June 19, 1834” makes an appearance. This crate was previously featured in the movie Creepshow, where a monster was imprisoned inside since 1834. The plot of Creepshow was based on a short story by Stephen King.
The infamous Necronomicon from Evil Dead also makes a cameo in the film.
2. The Ritual
In Netflix’s The Ritual, a group of old friends on a hiking trip encounter a mythological beast. And not the friendly, under-the-sea kind of creature, but one that is more likely to tear you apart and feast on your insides in front of your friends.
Two members of the group survive and find refuge in a house where an elderly woman is seen praying to a stone that appears to bear an image of the resident monster. This stone turned out to be a replica of the Loki Stone, which can be found in Kirkby Stephen Parish Church in Kirkby Stephen, England. The stone is thought to represent Loki while he is bound and chained.
The film also showcases a cult that practices human sacrifices. The cult members chant 'blót,' a term from Norse paganism meaning 'sacrifice.' In Nordic pagan rituals, sacrifices, including human sacrifices, were central. Those who took part would smear the blood of the deceased on their bodies, believing it would empower them for the upcoming year.
1. Lake Mungo
By blending mockumentary-style storytelling with found footage elements, the creators of Lake Mungo succeeded in giving audiences worldwide an unsettling experience. Released in 2008, this Australian horror film revolves around a teenager who dies and returns to haunt her family. As the story unfolds, several secrets come to light.
The narrative about Alice Palmer's double life captivated both critics and viewers. While the events unfold at a deliberate pace, the chilling revelations in the final moments leave an eerie impression long after the credits roll. Scattered throughout the credits are shots featuring previously unnoticed footage of Alice's ghost, adding to the film's haunting atmosphere. One particularly unsettling scene shows the Palmer family standing in front of their house, while a shadow looms behind them in the window.
At the very conclusion of the credits, Alice—or perhaps her doppelgänger—is seen standing alone at Lake Mungo, shrouded in darkness, as lightning strikes ominously overhead.
