Ready Player One's Nods to Horror

Speilberg's return to blockbuster film making is a trip down a pop culture memory lane. Throwing in non-stop references to multiple video games, movies, toys, and music, barely a minute goes by without a nod. Within all of these references, horror movies get a chance to shine, and at one point factor in a major way.

Many of the references in the movie are of the blink-and-you-miss-it variety. It this vein, a couple horror characters can be found. Freddy Krueger pops up for a split second near the beginning. Jason pops a couple times, slashing away in the background. One scene in particular uses the Chestburster as a gag.

One reference that is longer than the others is the appearance of Chucky. In the climatic battle, the heroes need a bit of an edge, and decide to use a Chucky item as an agent of chaos, unleashing him to take out numerous villains as fast as possible. It's a fun scene, which encapsulates the entire movie. A loving look back at days of old, and the fact that nostalgia is something that always seems to hold strong.

There is a major set-piece in the film, that very much relishes in its horror origins. Our heroes search for the keys needed to unlock the hidden easter egg leads them into The Shining. Featuring an Overlook Hotel straight out of Kubrick's film, this scene is pure joy for those who love the movie. The music is there, Jack's typewriter sits in the center of the room, creepy notes intact. The twins make an appearance, the elevators spew once more, and the crowd in the theater when we saw it all audibly gasped when a character unwittingly walked into room 237. Visits to the ballroom, and the hedge maze happen, and you best believe some axes get swung. Everything about this scene is a fun trip into a classic horror film.

Ready Player One is just a fun movie, and it's references to horror are a nice touch to see. Go check out the movie yourself, and see how many other things you can find, because I'm sure I missed some stuff in the literally hundreds of references that can be on the screen at once.