17 Film References And Easter Eggs In "Us" That Will Make You Say, "That's So Cool"

    Jordan Peele: "I am Freddy Krueger. I can be the monster. I can give the night terrors."

    Crystal Ro
    by Crystal Ro

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Fair warning: Spoilers ahead!

    1. The Shining:

    The first great reference to Stanley Kubrick's 1980 classic horror film is the overhead shots of the family driving through the woods.

    Warner Bros. / Universal

    The Torrance and Wilson families are both driving through some (somewhat creepy) woods to get to what will ultimately be their vacation home horror destinations.

    And then, of course, there's also the ~creepy twins~ motif.

    Warner Bros. / Universal

    Boom.

    BTW, Peele himself literally dressed like Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) from The Shining during press interviews, LOL.

    Twitter: @JordanPeele / Via Twitter: @MaxCorn

    ...makes Jack a dull boy!

    2. The Lost Boys:

    When they're walking along the boardwalk back in 1986, Adelaide's mother says, "You know, they're filming something over by the carousel."

    Warner Bros. / Universal

    Us takes place at Santa Cruz beach, the same location where The Lost Boys filmed many scenes, including the CAROUSEL scene in 1986 (The Lost Boys came out in 1987)! So, Adelaide's mother is PROBABLY talking about The Lost Boys — so meta!

    3. Dial M for Murder:

    Given that Peele is a HUGE Hitchcock fan, the scissors are a perfect callback to the murder weapon used in Hitchcock's classic Dial M for Murder.

    Warner Bros. / Universal

    Of course, this isn't the only horror film that uses scissors as a weapon — there's also Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, Dead Again, The Dead Zone, and many more!

    4. Night of the Living Dead:

    The scene of the Wilson family watching the madness of what's going on outside on the news is a nod to a similar scene in the 1968 cult classic horror film by George A. Romero.

    Continental Distributing / Universal

    For those who don't know, Night of the Living Dead was not only a huge box office success, but also a landmark film because it was the first horror movie to star a black actor (Duane Jones) as the hero.

    5. Jaws:

    Other than the obvious nod to Steven Spielberg's iconic 1975 film with Jason's shirt...

    Unviersal

    ...there was also Gabe (Winston Duke)'s fight out in open water.

    Universal

    Steven Spielberg, as it turns out, is also one of Peele's biggest fans. DIRECTOR BUDDIES!

    6. The Birds:

    The colony of flying seagulls Adelaide looks at is an homage to Hitchcock's 1963 horror film.

    Universal

    In fact, The Birds was one of several films Peele had Lupita Nyong'o watch as "research" for Us.

    7. Alice in Wonderland:

    The most glaring connection to this classic Lewis Carroll story is the white rabbits in the underground...

    Disney / Universal

    ...as well as the white rabbit on Zora's T-shirt.

    Universal

    Other less direct references would be all the mirrors in the funhouse (Alice Through the Looking Glass), and even the idea of going "down a rabbit hole."

    8. Snow White:

    A beautiful red (candy) apple anyone?!

    Disney / Universal

    The prologue is like a nightmare-ish fairy tale!

    9. Invasion of the Body Snatchers:

    The creepy ~twist~ ending of Us is just like the one in Invasion of the Body Snatchers — revealing that our hero is one of "them."

    United Artists / Universal

    Also, those creepy sounds/screams the shadow people in Us make are eerily similar to the iconic scream in Body Snatchers.

    10. Star Wars:

    Jason literally sets a trap for his tethered self, connecting this moment to the famous line in 1983's Return of the Jedi, "It's a trap!"

    20th Century Fox / Universal

    And, although it's not actually a Chewbacca mask that Jason is wearing in the film, it's very reminiscent of everyone's favorite Wookiee.

    20th Century Fox / Universal

    I have a theory they just couldn't get the rights from Disney!

    11. The Twilight Zone:

    The use of mirrors and reflections in the movie is a visual homage to a Twilight Zone episode called "Mirror Image."

    CBS / Universal

    OK, this one technically references the show (and not the movie), but Peele has been very candid about how "Mirror Image" was the inspiration for Us. In the episode, a woman encounters her double in a bus station.

    12. The Man With Two Brains:

    This was one of the VHS movies on the bookshelf at the beginning of Us. It centers around a brain surgeon who falls in love with a literal brain in a jar and tries to find a way to put that brain/consciousness into a body.

    Universal, Warner Bros.

    This movie is wacky — with a capital "W" — but clearly there's ties to ~wild~ experimentation and transferring consciousness, which ties back to themes in Us.

    13. C.H.U.D.

    Another movie on the bookshelf in Us, C.H.U.D., is a super lo-fi horror/sci-fi film about underground "monsters" — humans who've been mutated by radioactive waste.

    Universal, New World Pictures

    The connection between to the two films seems pretty clear! Also, in case you're wondering, the letters refer to the label "Contamination Hazard Urban Disposal" in the film, although the title itself stands for "Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers," too. Also, fun fact, Peele's first girlfriend's father directed C.H.U.D., so it was also a little personal thing for him.

    14. The Goonies

    Yet another iconic '80s film on the bookshelf — this one's about a group of kids who go UNDERGROUND looking for pirate treasure.

    Universal, Warner Bros.

    There's actually a moment in Us where Adelaide/Red says, "It's our time now...our time up there," which is a direct nod to the famous, "It's our time down here!" moment in Goonies.

    Warner Bros. / Universal

    Also, let's not forget that in Goonies, Sloth — the Fratellis' deformed, but very strong, brother — is kept in a cell underground. Sound familiar?????

    15. The Right Stuff

    This other bookshelf movie in the beginning of Us is about Navy, Marine, and Air Force test pilots who get involved in government test projects and eventually space programs.

    Universal, Warner Bros.

    Given that the themes in The Right Stuff are very patriotic (perhaps a nod to Hands Across America in Us) government test programs, it's only a slight reach to find the connection to Us.

    16. A Nightmare on Elm Street

    This 1984 classic horror film on the bookshelf in Us gave Peele night terrors as a child in real life.

    Universal, New Line Cinema

    And it was also this film that helped him realize his storytelling abilities as a kid. He said that on a school trip he told a scary story that "just got 'em." He explained, "I just felt like, you know, I am Freddy Krueger. I can be the monster. I can give the night terrors."

    17. And finally, Peele's very own film, Get Out.

    Of course, there's the direct connection of Zora in Us and Walter in Get Out both being runners...

    Universal

    ...but Peele himself has also said that he considers the films to be part of the same "project."

    Universal

    When asked by the Guardian if there's a connection between Get Out’s “Sunken Place” and Us’s “Tethered," he said, “Without answering directly if they’re in the same universe, I will say that, yes, I consider this part of the same project.”

    To watch Us again (or for the first time) and learn even more cool behind-the-scenes facts, pick it up in 4K Ultra HD on Amazon for $27.96 or Blu-ray on Amazon for $22.96 starting June 18.

    Universal