A Stranger Things 4's Nod to Silence of the Lambs You Likely Missed
The Stranger Things series has left often caused a stir by ending episodes on cliffhangers that have viewers arguing over what could happen next, but one thing all Stranger Things fans can agree on is that the show is not shy to take inspiration from their classic favorite shows and movies and in return use these as cryptic clues or references, and this has been seen more so than ever in the latest installment.
Season 4 has had the internet blowing up more than ever before over spotted Easter Eggs and the theories that develop after.
Fans spotted many Easter Egg references to classic horror movies like Carrie, Halloween, and Poltergeist, however many fans seem to have missed one of the biggest, and most brilliant ones.
When Victor Creel is first introduced to fans, he is visited by Nancy and Robin in Pennhurst asylum. He is believed to have killed his family, his eyes are missing and his face is deformed and scarred. Not only is Victor Creel's unsettling appearance similar to that of Freddie Krueger, but both Victor and Freddie are played by the same actor, Robert Englund. Fans are quick to put these facts together and link the similarities to Nightmare on Elm Street.
Fans are not wrong in doing this, but another Reddit user recently pointed out an even more startling parallel to another notoriously famous horror movie, so much so that they stated "It looks to me like they even filmed it on the same set."
The sequence of events in question takes place as Nancy and Robin, who have convinced authorities and doctors that they are research students, are granted access to visit Victor Creel.
They are led by a guard down a dark, cold, brick hallway that almost exactly mirrors the walk taken by Clarice Starling in the 1991 horror movie, Silence of the Lambs. The similarities do not stop here, as in both movies the female characters are warned by the guards to keep their distance and not provoke the prisoners, and are eventually left alone with their prisoner to conduct their interview, in both scenarios they have to pass by other clearly disturbed prisoners during their visit.
Both Lecter and Creel are locked away and isolated in small cells at the end of the passage; there are chairs set opposite their cells for their visitors. Both are accused of horrific deeds. It is hard to believe such a well-executed Easter Egg was missed, however, the links between Victor Creel and Freddie Krueger were much more obvious. Krueger and Creel both had deformities involving their faces that made them appear quite scary, both accused killers were linked to supernatural elements and dreams when it came to killing their victims, their houses had very similar details, and more.
The only difference between Silence of the Lambs and this Stranger Things scene is that it is later revealed that Creel is not guilty of what he is accused of, although Easter Eggs linking him to two different horror movie killers suggested to viewers that he was guilty. It is at this point where Robin and Nancy learn the truth behind the killings, that Vecna is 001, also known as Henry Creel.
Buzzfeed made a a shot by shot comparison of the scene at the mental hospital:
Other horror movie references in Stranger Things season 4 included Hellraiser, The Ring, and The Dark Phoenix among others. It is undeniable that this latest season was packed with hidden Easter Eggs thanks to the Duffer Brothers. It is no secret that the brothers love to include nods to their favorite horror and sci-fi movies wherever they can, and have gone through the effort of pointing out and explaining some of them to fans that they had completely missed. One thing we know for sure is that no matter what happens in season 5, we can expect to discover many more brilliant references in the upcoming season.