The hit horror series Supernatural has enjoyed one of the longest runs on modern-day television. The show follows the investigative exploits of Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), two lovable brothers who solve a rash of cases involving ghouls, demons, and every other horror assailant one can conjure up.
Fans of both the series and horror movies will take note of the times when Supernatural was inspired by big-screen fright flicks.
The Exorcist (1973) / Devil's Trap (S1E22)
Supernatural references The Exorcist, arguably the most famous horror movie of all time, several times throughout its 15-year history. The most glaring instance comes in the season 1 finale, "Devil's Trap."
The episode concerns the demonic possession of Sam and Dean's father, John (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). To help cleanse John's soul, Sam and Dean reach out to their pal Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver) who uses his intimate knowledge of the dark arts, hex bags, etc. to help John achieve spiritual ablution.
A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) / Dream a Little Dream of Me (S3E10)
In the episode entitled "Dream a Little Dream of Me," Wes Craven's iconic horror masterwork A Nightmare on Elm Street is brazenly stolen from. But because it's done with such a fun-loving good-nature, fans didn't mind.
The crux of the episode concerns Sam and Dean forced to enter Bobby's dreams to save him from a murderous intruder. However, instead of a charred-face child killer with long finger razors, the somnolent assailant is Bobby's demonically-possessed wife. Later, a young man named Jeremy Frost is proven to be responsible for terrorizing Bobby's dreams.
Return Of The Living Dead (1968) / Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (S5E15)
Although the title "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" directly references a Steve Martin comedy from the '80s, the fifth episode of Season 15 borrows heavily from zombie lore founded by George A. Romero's seminal Night of the Living Dead.
The episode concerns the zombified resurrection of Bobby's wife, Karen (Carrie Ann Fleming), who returns to his hometown to find the place crawling with undead ghouls. In the attempt to spare his wife's moribund visage, he tries to convince Sam and Dean that nothing is wrong in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
28 Days Later (2002) / Out of the Darkness, Into the Fire (S11E1)
In the premiere episode of Season 11, the rabid-type of infectious zombies seen in 28 Days Later, The Crazies, and others are present in "Out of the Darkness, Into the Fire."
When The Darkness subsumes the Impala and sends Sam and Dean unconscious in an open field, they eventually come to and visit a nearby town. Upon their arrival, the boys are immediately accosted by a vicious zombie while witnessing hordes of bloody corpses in the road. Sam even gets attacked by a rabid nurse who spits infectious blood in his mouth.
House Of Wax (2005) / Fallen Idols (S5E5)
In the fifth frame of season 5, "Fallen Idols," little effort is made to hide the inspiration of the 2005 horror movie House of Wax. In fact, Paris Hilton and Jared Padalecki appear in both.
When Sam and Dean arrive in Canton, Ohio to investigate a string of bizarre murders, all signs point to celebrity lookalikes as being responsible. A man resembling Abraham Lincoln kills one man, the boys are attacked inside a wax museum by a figure of Mahatma Gandhi, etc. Sam even mentions that he's never seen House of Wax, despite Padalecki starring in the film.
American Werewolf In London (1981) / Heart (S2E17)
Hellhounds and werewolves are no stranger to the world of Supernatural, but in the episode entitled "Heart," John Landis' classic horror outing American Werewolf in London is directly referenced.
When Sam and Dean venture to San Francisco to investigate a gory death, they suspect a werewolf to be the culprit. They visit a lawyer named Madison, whose boss Kurt has been attacked by a werewolf. It turns out Madison is the werewolf all along and uses her wits and wiles to throw her scent away from Sam before Dean arrives with a silver dagger.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) / Hook Man (S1E7)
Entitled "Hook Man," the seventh episode of season 1 apes the urban legend of both Candyman and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Dean also verbally references Ghostbusters by teasing Sam with the line, "Nice job, Dr. Venkman."
Set in smalltown Iowa, Sam and Dean arrive to investigate the urban lore of the Hook Man murderer. Their detection leads to the discovery of a sadistic preacher named Jacob Karns who slaughtered 13 sex-workers with a hook in 1862. Worse yet, Karns' spirit has possessed a local girl named Lori.
Black Swan (2010) / Out With the Old (S7E16)
In the episode "Out With the Old," the premise and aesthetic of Darren Aronofsky's award-winning thriller Black Swan is overtly repurposed.
When a ballerina dances herself to death, Sam and Dean head to Portland to investigate. They discover Irina's feet blown to bits but her ballet slippers left perfectly intact, the boys suspect supernatural activity. It turns out the slippers are an accursed item from the antique shop Out with the Old and part of a seedy real estate deal led by the Leviathans.
Unfriended (2014) / Halt & Catch Fire (S10E13)
The technological terror of recent horror films such as Unfriended, Friend Request, Cam, etc. are recycled in the 13th episode of Supernatural Season 10. John Carpenter's classic killer-car flick Christine is also verbally referenced in the episode "Halt & Catch Fire."
Sam and Dean head to Spencer, Iowa to investigate a spate of brutal killings. When they arrive, all signs point to a malefic spirit murdering teenagers through the internet and electronic smart devices. The boys determine the spirit to be that of Andrew Silver, a car-crash victim who hit a telephone pole after being run off the road by a boy named Billy.
The Lost Boys (1987) / Bloodlust (s2E3)
In the third episode of Season 2, "Bloodlust," verbal and thematic references to the classic 80s vampire film, The Lost Boys are prominently featured.
The plot picks up when Sam and Dean examine dead cattle in Montana. When the latest victim turns out to be a vampire, the boys link up with vampire-hunter Gordon, whom Dean instantly takes a shine to. Gordon leads the boys to Lenore, the vampire-leader who wants to stop feeding on humans and feast on livestock instead. However, Gordon has a deadly secret of his own the shock the boys into action.