Ryan Murphy’s ninth season of American Horror Story was all about ’80s slasher films and our collective—and frankly, unhealthy—obsession with serial killers. If you watch AHS: 1984 closely, you’ll notice that there are tons of pretty clear references to iconic pop-culture moments.

Anyway, now that the season has ended with a finale that definitely left you craving more ’80s content, you should probably get to watching some of those flicks. Here are some of the greatest horror movies referenced in American Horror Story: 1984. Think of it as your post-AHS watch guide.


Friday the 13th (1980)

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Duh. The entire camp theme is one big reference to Jason’s reign of terror. Not to mention that creepy-ass lake.

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Black Christmas (1974)

This one’s known for starting the famous serial killer phone call trope, like the calls that our lovely Brooke (Emma Roberts) is so fond of answering this season.

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Scream (1996)

Black Christmas may have started the creepy phone call trend, but Scream perfected it.

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Halloween (1978)

Just like our deranged killer Mr. Jingles (John Carroll Lynch), Michael Myers from the Halloween franchise escaped from a mental health facility only to return to the same town he used to terrorize.

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The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

That scene where our gang picks up a hitchhiker after stopping at a gas station with a creepy attendant is straight-up a recreation of a scene from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

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The Cabin in the Woods (2011)

This is also a reference to TCM, but Joss Whedon’s perfect horror satire The Cabin in the Woods also has a gas station moment. In it, they describe the teller as a harbinger of doom. So if you ever go on a road trip and the gas guy tells you to turn around, LISTEN.

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I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

Trying to cover up hitting a hitchhiker with your car only to be stalked by a serial killer? Sounds familiar....

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Porky’s (1981)

Uh...so this ’80s comedy includes a pretty messed-up scene featuring a group of gross college bros spying on the women’s showers. In AHS, Xavier (Cody Fern) brings his abusive sugar daddy to peep into the men’s showers in order to get a load of Matthew Morrison’s monster penis. It doesn’t end well.

Heathers (1988)

First, Mr. Jingles escapes the asylum by pretending to hang himself before taking out an orderly, which is very similar to how Veronica escapes JD in this 1988 dark comedy. Then, in episode 3, one of Mr. Jingles’ victims asks, “Dude, what’s your damage?” right before his death. That line is ripped right from this cult classic.

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