American Horror Story is one of the most famous and popular anthology series to date. It revolutionalized television when it debuted and helped make anthology series as popular as they are now. It also made a significant impact on the horror community.
But it wouldn’t have been created and become as iconic as it is without the influence of all the incredible horror films that came before it. Every season of American Horror Story is full of pop culture references and shoutouts to classic scary movies. We’re looking at some of the most notable references in the show’s first season, Murder House.
The Strangers
During the Halloween episode of American Horror Story: Murder House, Vivian, and Violet become the victims of a terrifying home invasion. At first, Violet thinks that the woman at her door is actually innocent and might genuinely need help.
Unfortunately, that turns out to be a ruse to let her and her equally murderous friends into the house so they can kill the mother and daughter duo similarly to murders that had happened in the house before. The way the home invasion is set up is very similar to what happens in the movie The Strangers.
Rosemary’s Baby
Quite a bit of Vivian’s pregnancy storyline is pulled directly from the iconic film, Rosemary’s Baby. For instance, the fact Vivian is giving birth to the antichrist thanks to an unholy conception is directly comparable.
Also, the scene where Vivian eats organs like a brain is similar to the scene in Rosemary’s Baby, where the cult gets Rosemary to eat raw liver. The fact so many characters are fascinated with Vivian’s baby in the same way the neighbors wanted Rosemary’s child and set about getting her pregnant by the Devil himself.
The Thin Man
No this is not a reference to the Slender Man, although that would be kind of cool. The Thin Man was a popular mystery novel from the 1930s that eventually spawned a notable film franchise of its own. The main characters in the series were also known as Nick and Nora Charles.
Does that sound familiar? it’s because Nora and Charles Montgomery are a direct reference to this story, although the version on American Horror Story is much darker and way more twisted than the comedy-mystery series. While not necessarily “horror” movies, they do have their nightmare moments too.
The Amityville Horror
There are a couple of ways Murder House ties into The Amityville Horror. The most notable example is in the house itself. The “murder house” concept was established with the iconic Amityville home in New Jersey. Even now, the house still draws plenty of horror fans eager to get a look at it.
It’s not unlike the tours that show off the Harmon’s family home on the series. Another way the series ties into the film is through Larry Harvey’s story. In the beginning, it seems like he went crazy and killed his family. While we learn that’s not what happened, the implication is similar to the plot of Amityville.
Twisted Nerve
Twisted Nerve is both a psychological thriller and the name of a song scored for the movie by Bernard Herrmann. It also relates to another notably gruesome film directed by Quentin Tarantino.
If you thought the song that Tate whistles during his infamous shooting scene sounded familiar, it’s likely because you’ve seen Tarantino’s movie, Kill Bill, or the movie it was named for. Either way, the song is somewhat symbolic for representing psychopaths, as was the reason it was initially composed in the first place.
The Sixth Sense
Most people know the plot of The Sixth Sense. The 1999 thriller film directed by M. Night Shyamalan is about a child psychologist played by Bruce Willis that tries to help a young kid with supposed ability to “see dead people.”
We find out at the end that Willis’s character was dead all along. A similar incident happens in American Horror Story, except in reverse. Ben Harmon is a therapist that tries to help Tate with counseling sessions. We later learn that Tate is a ghost. So it’s close to The Sixth Sense except for this time the patient is the dead one.
The House by the Cemetery
This Italian horror film is a rather obscure reference for AHS to make, but if you’ve seen the movie or heard about it, you might already know how it relates to the popular FX series.
One of the big plot points in the first season is about the creepy ghosts and experiments conducted by Charles Montgomery that continue to haunt the house, such as the dreaded Infantata. The House by the Cemetery deals with a similar story about a Victorian surgeon keeping horrifically mutilated bodies in his cellar after conducting experiments on various people.
The Others
Nicole Kidman starred in the psychological thriller The Others, and it’s one of the best and most frightening thrillers of all time. The ending twist reveals that the central characters, who feel they’re being haunted for the entire movie, are the real ghosts in their home.
It’s similar to what happens at the end of American Horror Story: Murder House. At the end of the season, all three members of the Harmon family are dead, but their ghosts continue to haunt the house. They remain there as a family, just like what happens in The Others.
The Shining
The reference to The Shining comes pretty early on in the series. For starters, the two mischevious twin boys often were seen running around are an easy reference.
Any time a character rolls a ball on the ground, and it mysteriously returns to them, although no one is there is a direct reference to the moment in The Shining where Danny Torrance does the same thing with the ghosts at the Overlook Hotel. The moments where Vivian begins to feel as if she’s losing her sanity due to the house could also be a reference to Jack’s sanity slippage while at the Overlook.
Poltergeist
Constance Langdon has a medium of her own played by Sarah Paulson. Billie Dean Howard helps Constance make decisions and understand what direction her life is destined to go in. Paulson’s character was loosely based on the character of Tangina Barrons from Poltergeist.
In Poltergeist, Tangina is a spiritual medium who helps the Freeling family gain access to the spiritual realm so they can save their daughter after the entities in their home take her.
