Horror Details & Easter EggsGreat horror movies do more than just scare audiences. They tell complex stories with thoughtful costumes, set dressing, background action, etc., making them fun to rewatch and analyze again and again.
Updated March 25, 2021 9k votes 2.4k voters 179.8k views
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It takes a keen eye to pick up on all the little details in a good film. That's especially true of horror films, as the dim lighting and constant suspense can throw even the most astute viewer off their game. The horror genre is also known to be pretty self-referential at times, and loads of filmmakers like to hide subtle Easter eggs, celebrity cameos, and plot points right under our noses - and sometimes even in the movies' promotional posters.
Some of these movies, such as A Quiet Place, can be watched a dozen times without the viewer ever picking up on some of the hidden details layered into the film. Sometimes, it's just a small tribute to another classic horror film, and other times, there are significant plot mysteries answered in the most low-key ways imaginable. Keep an eye out the next time you watch any of these movies, because you might notice something that you've never seen before.
Directed by Tobe Hooper and written/co-produced by Steven Spielberg, Poltergeist is a scary classic that shines due to the filmmakers' close attention to detail.
Near the end of the film, there's a scene where Diane dries her hair in front of some family photos. The image cuts away to Robbie, who is assaulted by a horrifying clown doll. When the scene cuts back to Diane, now also under assault, the picture that once depicted Carol Anne has morphed into a bizarre, black and white face. It's such a small detail that it's easy to miss, but it adds another layer of horror to the scene.
The second installment of The Conjuring franchise follows paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren as they probe a demonic presence that's haunting a family. The being is eventually revealed to be a demon named Valak, but the name appears a few times before it's actually spoken.
In one scene, you can see the name spelled out on the bookshelf in Lorraine's den. You can also see it in the kitchen scene earlier in the film.
The original Saw was good enough to spawn countless sequels and spinoffs, largely because of the mind-blowing twist at the end. The film follows two men who wake up in a room with a body between them. They're told that they must "play a game" if they hope to survive. At the end, it is revealed that the lifeless man in the middle of the room the entire time is slayer John Kramer, who then stands up and proclaims, "Game over."
However, if you were watching closely, you would have seen this twist coming a mile away. That's because the first time we see Kramer, it's in a flashback where he's in a hospital bed with a sketchbook in front of him. Drawn on the page are the blueprints for the horrific reverse bear trap device from the beginning of the film, telegraphing that Kramer was behind it all along.
Midsommar might be the scariest horror movie that's not primarily set in the dark, but that doesn't mean there aren't things hiding in the shadows.
There is one scene in particular where you can see the face of Dani's sister superimposed among the trees. It's floating in the top left corner of the frame and looks exactly like her sister, with her bulging eyes and the tube in her mouth. You can see the face during the celebration of Dani becoming the new May Queen.
James Gunn's Slither does B-movie sci-fi horror right, and it's building on a long tradition of classic alien creature features. The movie pays homage to another alien horror flick, The Thing, in a quick Easter egg that's easy to miss.
Early in the film, the camera passes a building marked "R.J. MacReady Auctioneers & Funeral Home," a reference to Kurt Russell's character in The Thing.
While there are a lot of things to say about the quality of Jason Goes to Hell, it does have some really fun shout-outs to other popular horror franchises.
The Necronomicon from Evil Dead makes an appearance, and you can see the crate from Creepshow in the Voorhees family basement.
