Five Nights At Freddy's Tipped Its Hat To Scream In A Rather Sharp Way, And I’m Shocked That I Missed This

Warning: SPOILERS for Five Nights At Freddy’s are in play. If you haven’t caught this frightful tale just yet, you’ve been warned. 

What’s your favorite scary movie? A whole generation came to learn that catchphrase from one of the best horror movies of all time: Wes Craven’s Scream. Though some movie fans might be tempted to name the recent horror hit Five Nights At Freddy’s as their preferred option, as Blumhouse’s latest entry on the 2023 movie release schedule has made quite the splash. 

However, there’s one specific reference that director Emma Tammi’s blockbuster used to tip its hat, or rather its knife, to that horror classic, and I’m shocked that I missed this. Fans on TikTok have been going nuts over the cinematic adaptation of this video game franchise, and one of the videos I stumbled upon revealed a Scream easter egg hiding in plain sight.

For those of you still hoping to skip out on spoilers, this is your last call. So take advantage of that Peacock subscription of yours and get in on the fun before you’re spoiled.

Still with me? Fantastic, because if your instincts told you not to trust Matthew Lillard’s character, Steve Raglan, you were absolutely right! Yes, the Scooby Doo star has embraced his killer edge once more, with Steve turning out to be the big bad of Five Nights At Freddy’s. And part of his PG-13 bloodshed includes this bloody brilliant reference.

The infamous knife wipe that Scream killer Stu Macher used when he “killed” partner Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) is exactly what Lillard's villain does when preparing to make a kill of his own. That is one of the most classic franchise moves, and somehow I missed its execution. In case you need a refresher on what I’m talking about, check out the video below:

To be fair, this is part of a sequence where Matthew Lillard is playing evil Iron Man with an animatronic suit built for murder. Still, I’m absolutely stunned that it took me this long to figure out what was going on, and now I'm wondering what else is hiding in Five Nights At Freddy's landscape of terror.

While Stu Macher is definitely dead in the Scream universe, that doesn’t mean his legacy can’t continue on. That much is kind of true through Matthew Lillard’s role in Five Nights At Freddy’s, complete with that threat that he’d “always come back” hanging in the air. Let's face it, folks, if there's a follow-up in the works, Mr. Lillard will probably be right back. 

Even if you’ve read through these spoilers without having seen the film, don’t worry. There are still plenty of secrets and twists awaiting in Five Nights At Freddy’s, as it’s currently available in theaters and on Peacock. If you hungry to learn more about director Emma Tammi's FNAF sequel hopes, those thoughts are easy to find. Just make sure you don't find anything more ominous in your search for the truth.