Blumhouse's horror-comedy movie Freaky pays homage to several iconic horror movies through a load of Easter eggs throughout the film. With the movie's central villain being a serial killer, Freaky uses sly references to call back to some of the horror genre's most famous killers. Let's take a look at every horror movie easter egg in Freaky.
Freaky is a body swap movie with a twist. The movie follows teen Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton), who is struggling to get through the trials and tribulations of high school. She unknowingly becomes the latest target for a serial killer on the loose in her town called the Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn). One night, the Butcher attempts to kill Millie with an old knife he found. It turns out the knife is cursed, and causes the two to switch bodies. They learn only have 24 hours to figure out how to switch bodies before they're stuck in the wrong bodies forever.
Freaky's horror movie references make for an entertaining watch for any fan of the genre. From the mind of Christopher Landon, director of the Happy Death Day movies, Freaky calls to mind other classic movies that any horror lover will almost immediately recognize. Here's a breakdown of every Easter egg in Freaky.
Freaky's Friday the 13th Easter Egg
Freaky kicks off with Vince Vaughn's Butcher preying on a group of teens. He kills them off one by one and, while he dispatches them, commits each of the murders in horrifyingly unique ways, including shoving an entire wine bottle down someone's throat. The Butcher does this all while wearing a rather distinct mask. This calls to mind classic horror movie villain Jason Voorhees of the Friday the 13th series and his specific killing style. Not to mention, the bulk of Freaky's plot happens to take place on Friday the 13th.
The way the Butcher kills in the movie's opening scene feels very reminiscent of the way Voorhees kills teens throughout the Friday the 13th franchise. Like Voorhees, the Blissfield Butcher is utterly obsessed with killing. He works in calculated ways, and will utilize whatever is within arm's reach for his weapon of choice. Also, like the infamous serial killer, the Butcher moves silently, quietly terrifying his victims before he goes in for the kill. But the clearest ode to Friday the 13th is in a particular accessory choice made by the Butcher. He dons a simple mask to hide his identity. It has no design, just holes for his mouth and eyes. It's clearly meant to resemble the hockey mask that Voorhees wears when he goes on killing sprees.
Freaky's Halloween Easter Eggs
Freaky also includes multiple references to the classic horror movie Halloween and its killer, Michael Myers. While the Butcher's introduction references Jason Voorhees, it also includes a few references to Michael Myers. Just like Voorhees, Myers is famous for being a relatively silent killer who wears a mask when he goes on his murder sprees. But Freaky adds a touch to the Butcher that is distinctly Michael Myers — the head tilt. Throughout the movie, the Butcher is shown stalking his prey from afar. He stands far away, stares at them, and tilts his head ever-so-slightly. That's a stance which has famously become associated with Nick Castle's portrayal of Michael Myers since Halloween was released in 1978.
The Blumhouse horror film also pays homage to other elements of Halloween as well. Freaky takes place in the fictional town of Blissfield. It has the feel of a quaint suburban town where everyone knows each other. One can't help but think of Halloween's fictional setting of Haddonfield, Illinois when they see Blissfield — the names of the towns are even similar. Freaky also pays homage to Haddonfield's most famous resident. Millie plays the football team's mascot, so the film naturally includes a scene at a game. Her crush Booker happens to be one of the football players. The movie shows his jersey, clearly displaying his last name — Strode. This is clearly a reference to Halloween's heroine, Laurie Strode. In Freaky, Millie is the Laurie Strode to the Butcher's Michael Myers, as the two are constantly locked in a game of cat-and-mouse.
In the Halloween franchise, Michael is known for being seemingly invincible. He appears to be killed numerous times through the series in ways that should leave no chance for survival. Yet somehow, he manages to survive. The whole plot of Freaky is driven by Millie, stuck in the Butcher's body, being desperate to return to her own. She realizes she needs to stab him with the same cursed knife she was initially stabbed with in a certain timeframe. Millie does it in the nick of time, and her police officer sister shoots him multiple times. He's taken to the hospital, but flatlines on the way. However, he appears in Millie's home shortly after the incident, seemingly unharmed. It's similar to a comeback from a near-death experience that only Michael Myers could pull off.
Freaky's Ode To Urban Legends
Urban legends are a crucial part of many serial killer-focused horror movies. One prime example is Candyman. The 1992 horror film tells the story of a graduate student studying urban legends who comes across the story of Candyman, a rumored local killer who supposedly appears when his name is spoken five times. Vaughn's Blissfield Butcher sort of reaches urban legend status himself. Residents of the town all know who he is. In a way, he's like the town boogeyman. Millie finds that out firsthand the morning after their body switch takes place. She walks around town simply trying to gather her bearings, but whenever she meets the eye of another resident, they recognize her as the Blissfield Butcher and run away in fear.
As it's a horror-comedy movie instead of a straight slasher movie, Freaky's classic horror movie Easter eggs are a nice way to pay homage to its roots. Comedy wasn't really a part of horror in the era of movies like Friday the 13th, Halloween, and Candyman. So by calling back to these more traditional horror films, Freaky is able to find the perfect blend of horror and comedy that make the movie work. Should Freaky 2 ever happen, fans can likely expect more horror movie Easter eggs in the sequel.