Top 10 Horror Movie Theories That Turned Out To Be True
#10: A Different Death
Top 20 Horror Movie Theories That Turned Out To Be True
“Pet Sematary” (2019) When you’re remaking a well-known horror movie, you often want to stay within the general confines of the original but tweak a few small details to keep things fresh. With this in mind, fans foresaw a way that 2019’s “Pet Sematary” could make the classic story its own. In the Stephen King novel and 1989 adaptation, toddler Gage Creed is tragically killed by a speeding truck, and his father Louis revives him in the mystical grounds past the titular cemetery. Trouble is, nothing comes back the same. Seeing as Gage has an older sister Ellie in every version, fans figured it might be interesting if she was the one who turned. This was confirmed when the second trailer for the remake was released.
#9: Michael Myers Is Cursed
Michael Myers Vs Leatherface
“Halloween” Franchise (1978-) The ‘80s were inundated with seemingly unkillable slashers, most of them of the silent, lumbering variety. While fans are naturally going to come up with a slew of explanations, this 1995 sequel may be proof that some things are better left to the imagination. In “The Curse of Michael Myers” - the producer’s cut, anyway - it’s revealed that the titular villain was actually inducted into the Cult of Thorn, whereby he’s imbued with supernatural abilities and the drive to kill his family to ensure prosperity for the community. It’s honestly bad storytelling whatever way you slice it, but thankfully, this is just one of multiple “Halloween” continuities, so you’re not beholden to it if you still want to enjoy the franchise.
#8: Kirby’s Survival
“Scream 4” (2011) The “Scream” franchise has so many fan-favorite characters that it became known for revealing at least one survivor some time after the climaxes. However, one character’s fate that was left up in the air for several years was “Scream 4’s” Kirby Reed. After being stabbed twice and left for dead by Charlie, it seemed likely she bled out before authorities arrived. Dewey later only informs Jill of Sidney’s survival, but fans theorized that family confidentiality laws might’ve prevented him from mentioning Kirby. It seemed we’d never know when initial plans for sequels became shelved, but finally 2022’s “Scream” confirmed her survival with a subtle Easter egg. Hayden Panettiere’s been confirmed to reprise the role in the 2023 sequel, so fingers crossed she makes it again.
#7: “Get Out” Is a Sequel to “Being John Malkovich”
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“Get Out” (2017) Okay, this one is almost too ludicrous to actually be true, but when the creator confirms it, can we really argue? This theory stems from the movies’ inclusion of shared actor Catherine Keener. Supposedly, Keener plays the same character, who, after having experience managing a business whereby people can enter and control the mind of John Malkovich, takes on a new identity and teams with the elders to shake things up. She marries into the Armitage family, who has experience with neurosurgery, and together they’re able to perfect the process and start importing people into black bodies on a wide scale. Ludicrous, yes, but “Get Out” creator Jordan Peele has been quoted as saying, “As far as I’m concerned, it’s true.” So, there you go.
#6: Richie Is Gay
“It” (2017) This theory actually goes all the way back to the original Stephen King novel. Readers inferred Richie Tozier’s playful ribbing of Eddie Kaspbrak as being more than friendly, even though King didn’t intentionally write it that way. The theory resurfaced in 2017 with the advent of the first theatrical adaptation. With the release of 2019’s “It Chapter Two,” Richie’s sexuality was indeed confirmed. Not only that, but it all but solidified the notion that Richie indeed had feelings for Eddie prior to the latter’s death. Though King’s been known to criticize major changes in his adaptations, he actually approved of the official inclusion, calling the added character detail “kind of genius.” It just goes to show that stories are constantly evolving, often for the better.
#5: “Split” Takes Place in the “Unbreakable” Universe
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“Split” (2016) For many, the release of 2016’s “Split” marked a return to form for writer-director M. Night Shyamalan. For some, they suspected it was a backdoor sequel to 2000’s “Unbreakable.” While “Split” is at heart a standalone psychological thriller, the fact that it centers on a killer with dissociative identity disorder - with one personality able to alter physical makeup and imbue superhuman abilities - had people wondering. Seeing as talks of a sequel to Shyamalan’s grounded superhero movie “Unbreakable” were heating up around the same time, fans wondered if that and “Split” were one and the same. Thankfully the secret was well-kept for most audiences, so the appearance of Bruce Willis’s David Dunn at the end remained a surprise.
#4: “Final Destination 5” Is a Prequel
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“Final Destination 5” (2011) You’d think a movie called “Final Destination 5” would follow the events of the first four. But that’s just what producers were counting on when they released it in 2011. Though the movie goes through the motions of a regular “FD” film, the final scene reveals it takes place in the year 2000 and that the main protagonists are actually on the doomed Flight 180 from the original film. It’s a neat twist, and the movie surprisingly earned the highest marks of the franchise. Still, you can’t keep deductive fans down, as this plot point became a popular theory online beforehand. By the time they saw the movie and noticed subtle clues like out-of-date license plates, they knew the reveal was imminent.
#3: Lawrence Gordon Became an Accomplice
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“Saw” (2004) The “Saw” franchise saw seven movies released every October between 2004 and 2010, but it wasn’t until the supposed “Final Chapter” that the most long-standing question got answered: what happened to Dr. Gordon? In one of the most shocking endings in movie history, the original “Saw” sees Gordon amputate his foot and crawl away in search of help. The idea of Gordon bleeding out seemed anticlimactic to fans, so his survival made the most sense. However, seeing as he’d need immediate medical attention and the fact that the bathroom never gets discovered led fans to believe he was helped by his very captors. And since Jigsaw recruits multiple victims, it made sense Gordon would join the team with a new lease on life. Sure enough…
#2: Jesus Christ Was an Engineer
“Prometheus” (2012) This revelation doesn’t actually come about in the film itself, and it would frankly be quite crazy if it did. But it has been confirmed by director Ridley Scott all the same. In this sci-fi / horror prequel to the “Alien” franchise, it’s revealed that humanity was planted by a biologically similar extraterrestrial race known as the Engineers. About 2,000 years before the film’s events, Engineers attempted to wipe out humanity, but failed to even make the trip to Earth. Timeline-wise, fans theorized this was in conjunction with the days of Jesus Christ. Indeed, Scott later clarified that the attempted genocide would’ve been in response to humans crucifying an Engineer emissary, but Scott later removed this detail for being “a little too on-the-nose.”
#1: Jack Torrance Is the Reincarnated Caretaker
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“The Shining” (1980) “The Shining” is one of those movies that transcends any one interpretation, perhaps even of its creator. But for the sake of this list, we’ll defer to writer-director Stanley Kubrick’s statements circa 1982. Though the film’s classic status took time to develop, hardcore cinephiles were already dissecting it. In this case, some took Jack Torrance’s appearance in a photograph taken at the Overlook in 1921 as an indication that he was a direct reincarnation of a previous caretaker. While others infer other things, like Jack was instead absorbed into the hotel, Kubrick was actually a proponent of the reincarnation theory. While his take certainly holds more weight than others, we’ll always love ruminating on multiple interpretations with this endlessly mystifying film.
