Warning: This list contains spoilers for season 4 of Stranger Things.
From the font of its titles to the color scheme it relies on, Stranger Things has been heavily inspired by iconic horror films of the past. It's easy to make several connections between the events happening in Hawkins to several legendary features of the silver screen.
With season 4 already more than halfway over, many fans are still trying to get their fix until volume two finally drops in July. Until then, they will just have to sit back, relax, and enjoy the various films and features that have so obviously shaped the beloved Netflix series.
Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
Stream On AMC+
Season 4 features Robin and Nancy venturing to a sanitarium to question Victor Creel about the events involving Vecna and the death of his family all those years ago. While the presence of Robert Englund gives the episode some seriously chilling vibes, there's something very familiar about a notorious convict being questioned from behind the bars of his cell.
There's not even the shadow of a doubt that this episode had some influence from Silence of the Lambs. From the way Creel is positioned opposite the two girls to the dungeon light quality of his holding area, the resemblance between the two is uncanny. It's enough to make some wonder if Hannibal Lecter isn't further down the hall.
Fear Street: 1978 (2021)
Stream On Netflix
Period horror seems to be the hip new thing in the genre these days. Although Stranger Things makes excellent use of its setting, culture, and fixtures of the decade, it's not the only series out there that relies on a certain era to establish its personality. In fact, fans don't even have to leave Netflix to get their throwback thrills.
The Fear Street series as a whole relies on different decades and demons to craft its tales of terror, but Part II: 1978 is the one that will perhaps appeal the most to Stranger Things fans. Falling short of the '80s only by a couple of years, the movie has that sort of retro quality that fans will immediately recognize and latch onto. Plus, it includes a great performance from Stranger Things star Sadie Sink.
The Exorcist (1973)
Stream On Netflix
The Satanic Panic plays a big role in season 4, and horror fans will find no shortage of demonic entities in the genre. However, there is one example that towers above them all in terms of scares, ambiance, and atmosphere. With possession, frightening imagery, and a nightmarish entity, The Exorcist is just the type of film that would terrify the town of Hawkins.
While the movement was caused by blatant sensationalism surrounding things like Dungeons and Dragons, to say something like the classic possession movie was also a big contributor wouldn't be far from the truth. If viewers are looking for something similar in that vein, the best place to start is with this horror classic.
It (2017)
Stream On HBO Max
A group of kids going up against an inter-dimensional monster will always have some form of audience. That being said, it's easy to see how something like 2017's It piggybacks off of Stranger Things. Granted, similar works from Stephen King like It and Stand By Me help shape the series' identity, but one good turn deserves another.
Vecna might not be Pennywise, but there are some definite similarities especially with how they seem to feed on fair. Pair that with a ragtag group of heroes, a town that belittles them, Finn Wolfhard, and a cataclysmic event that could shape the fate of the entire town, and things start to blur together.
Firestarter (1984)
Stream On Peacock
Seeing as how both Firestarter and Stranger Things feature a young girl with special powers escaping from a lab and leaving a path of destruction in her wake, it makes sense that yet another Stephen King tale would act as both a powerful influence and satisfying chaser to its modern contemporary.
Although it received a recent remake in 2022, the 1984 original feels more akin to the design and atmosphere Stranger Things is going for. Again, there's just something about relying on the decade that helps establish a visual identity for both the series and its sci-fi elements.
The Lost Boys (1987)
Stream On Showtime
Vampires aren't exactly the flavor of the day in this series, but there's no denying some similar themes between the Hellfire Club scene at Hawkins high school and a certain group of leather-clad vamps riding motorcycles in Joel Schumacher's '80s classic. In all honesty, Eddie Munson could be riding right alongside them, D20 and all.
A theme present in the early episodes of season 4 is that the boys are running with different crowds. While Lucas is on the basketball team making a name for himself amongst the jocks, Dustin and Mike have found a different tribe/clan to gather around the gaming table. Given the club's reputation, there are some clear and present Lost Boys influences mixed in with the D20s and black leather.
The Amityville Horror (1979)
Stream On Starz & Max Go
In terms of style, appearance, and visual features, the Creel House has all the makings of an iconic horror movie manor. The genre has no shortage of haunted house films, but none are quite so infamous as The Amityville Horror. Although the house known as 112 Ocean Avenue lacks dual citizenship in the Upside Down, it does share a few similarities with the one seen in the new season.
With its demons, supernatural energies, and family tormented by malicious entities in the house, it seems that Stranger Things took a little influence from one of the most famous haunted houses in the United States. The creators even go as far as to give it distinct and recognizable features similar to Amityville's large frame and eye-like windows.
The Gate (1987)
Stream On Hoopla, The Roku Channel, Tubi, & Freevee
Demons, gateways, metalheads, and Satanic panic are all things the citizens of Hawkins deal with in season 4, but they are also key themes and motifs in this '80s creature feature. Like Stranger Things, The Gate sees a group of kids battling dark forces from another dimension when a portal opens up right in their own backyard. Although, the miniature monsters are a walk on the beach compared to Vecna.
While it's true the demons seen in this movie can shapeshift, mess with reality, and even manage to take out a few victims, they're still only a step or two above the Ghoulies. That being said, the stop-motion monsters themselves are still decidedly creepy even after all these years. It's a solid springboard for newbies to the horror genre.
The Shining (1980)
Stream On HBO Max
While it's already been said that Stephen King has had a prominent influence over Stranger Things, no work of his is more referenced, honored, or studied than The Shining. Along with the elaborate Creel House being somewhat reminiscent of the Overlook Hotel, there are more than a few ties between the show and one of the author's most famous works.
Along with the giant house with a haunted history, there's a backstory about a father who murders his family in cold blood, connections to demons and spirits, and idealistic locations being fonts of evil energy. All it's missing is a pair of ghostly twins in an elevator full of blood.
A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
Stream On Netflix & HBO Max
If there's one horror movie season 4 takes from more than anything else, it's A Nightmare on Elm Street. Not only was the film and the sequels that followed it a big piece of '80s pop culture, but the clawed hand of Freddy Krueger has a firm grip on many of the themes, visuals, and references throughout the new chapters.
There's a monstrous boogeyman who gives his victims nightmares, frightening dream sequences, and even an appearance from Robert Englund as Victor Creel. If that wasn't enough, Dustin even blatantly and verbally compares Vecna to the Springwood Slasher before the first half of the series concludes. It doesn't get much more obvious.