Movies
‘Trick ‘r Treat’: Unearthing The Classic’s Hidden Easter Eggs
Recently, Variety ranked Trick ‘r Treat number three in the 21 Best Halloween Movies Ever – only topped by Hocus Pocus and Halloween (1978).
It’s interesting, though, given that the movie initially flopped upon release. Over the years, the film and its lollipop-wielding icon, Sam, have picked up a cult following, whose fans have since helped skyrocket it to the level of popularity we see today.
It’s nice to see the movie getting mainstream recognition. Trick ‘r Treat is a Halloween staple in my household, and our small, murderous friend Sam makes me ecstatic every time I see him. He’s so precious.
Plus, the interwoven stories and comic-style horror are reminiscent of the classics like Tales from the Crypt, Cat’s Eye, and Creepshow – while the setting and character design make it all feel like Halloween night. It’s easy to see why Trick ‘r Treat is now a Halloween classic to even large media outlets like Variety.
However, with so much greatness going on, picking up on every detail the film offers can be challenging. Several Easter eggs in Trick ‘r Treat go unseen by many viewers, so let’s dive in.
Recently, Variety ranked Trick ‘r Treat number three in the 21 Best Halloween Movies Ever – only topped by Hocus Pocus and Halloween (1978).
It’s interesting, though, given that the movie initially flopped upon release. Over the years, the film and its lollipop-wielding icon, Sam, have picked up a cult following, whose fans have since helped skyrocket it to the level of popularity we see today.
It’s nice to see the movie getting mainstream recognition. Trick ‘r Treat is a Halloween staple in my household, and our small, murderous friend Sam makes me ecstatic every time I see him. He’s so precious.
Plus, the interwoven stories and comic-style horror are reminiscent of the classics like Tales from the Crypt, Cat’s Eye, and Creepshow – while the setting and character design make it all feel like Halloween night. It’s easy to see why Trick ‘r Treat is now a Halloween classic to even large media outlets like Variety.
However, with so much greatness going on, picking up on every detail the film offers can be challenging. Several Easter eggs in Trick ‘r Treat go unseen by many viewers, so let’s dive in.
Hidden Details in Trick ‘r Treat
Halloween Through the Years
Each story in the film depicts how different age groups experience the holiday, effectively representing a lifetime of Halloween.
- Billy Wilkins shows us Halloween during young childhood, where we’re guided by our parents and follow family Halloween traditions.
- The next age group, our “UNICEF” trick-or-treaters, are examples of trick-or-treating with friends when we first gain independence during the tween and teen years.
- Little Red Riding Hood takes us to a little more grown-up Halloween, where young adults party and try to find themselves.
- Meanwhile, people like Mrs. Henderson, Principal Steven Wilkins, and our ‘Opening’ sequence couple (Emma and Henry) exemplify Halloween in our prime adult years. The parties are still happening for some, but now it’s also about the kids and handing out candy – and we’re all slightly angry.
- All culminating in old age and the end via Mr. Kreeg, the bus driver.
Kreeg, you may remember, after going toe to toe with Sam for a couple of rounds, eventually succumbed to the vengeful spirits of the Halloween School Bus Massacre. Mr. Kreeg must have sensed his fate for years, as his door has eight locks – one for each of the eight children he helped murder.
Quinn Lord’s Appearance in Trick ‘r Treat
Quinn Lord was only seven when he starred in Trick ‘r Treat as Sam. In the film, he made an additional, minor appearance as the boy with the lollipop in the dressing room scene.
Horror Movie References in Trick ‘r Treat
Viewers can spot numerous classic horror icons throughout the film through prop placement and costume design.
Kreeg, the bus driver, looks awfully like John Carpenter and this was done absolutely on purpose. In fact, in an interview with Collider, Michael Dougherty revealed that Brian Cox, the actor behind Mr. Kreeg, said:
“I have one request. I wanna look like John Carpenter.”
Brian Cox’s appearance was only one of many references to John Carpenter and his works. For example:
- When the children emerge from the fog during the Halloween School Bus Massacre segment, the shot is reminiscent of one from John Carpenter’s The Fog.
- Additionally, when Kreeg sees Sam’s severed hand moving, his remark is the same one Palmer had when the head crawled off in The Thing: “You gotta be fucking kidding.”
It’s arguable whether the crawling severed hand references Evil Dead 2; however, the scene where Sam slices Kreeg’s Achilles’ tendon is undoubtedly a Pet Sematary reference. This iconic attack move is not the only reference to King, as the iconic 1958 Plymouth Fury, better known as Christine, can be spotted on the street.
You can find more movie references in Trick ‘r Treat in characters’ costumes, such as Billy Wilkins, who dressed as Chucky. Speaking of the Wilkins family, did you catch all the details in Principal Wilkins’ storyline?
Principal Steven Wilkins’ Sinister Halloween Night
Since we see Steven Wilkins’ story unfold in various nonlinear scenes throughout the film, it can be easy to lose track. So, let’s review.
Principal Wilkins started his Halloween night by handing out candy. He gave a chocolate bar to our pal Sam, who used it later as a weapon against Kreeg. It was a formidable weapon because of the razor inside – indicating that Wilkins was putting razor blades in the candy.
Of course, this is unsurprising, as in our first few moments of meeting Wilkins, we also watched him poison and murder a child. After grappling with the body in the yard for a time, he returns inside to carve a man-o’lantern with his son.
Later, a man with a mask and vampire fangs exsanguinates a young girl in an alleyway. The same vampire follows our Red Riding Hood to the werewolf bonfire, intending to make her his next victim. After he attacks her, Red Riding Hood is finally ready to tap into her werewolf roots.
These events lead to the ultimate reveal that those are fake fangs, and the seeming “vampire” was just Steven Wilkins in costume. He died, undoubtedly shitting his pants as he watched the girl who was supposed to be his victim transform into a werewolf and devour him. A fitting end. But did you notice that Wilkins wasn’t the only character we knew who became werewolf lunch?
Coach Taylor’s Wild Night in a Hotdog Costume
A small side story that often goes unnoticed in Trick ‘r Treat is the adventure of Coach Taylor. While at one door, one of our trick-or-treaters lamented that Coach Taylor was in a hotdog costume getting busy with somebody in a pig costume. He was quite the partier, as you can also spot his costume on the ground at the werewolf bonfire.
Michael Dougherty put tremendous effort into making Trick ‘r Treat the Halloween classic it’s become. By paying homage to some of the great horror that’s come before it while serving us a multitude of interwoven storylines in a setting that bleeds Halloween, Trick’r Treat is one of the greatest Halloween movies of all time. Did you pick up on these hidden details in Trick’r Treat? Are there any we missed? Sound off on social media or in the comments below!
Halloween season is over, and many streamers have forgotten about us horror kids. While they take their 11-month hiatus from the genre, we can be grateful that we still have an app that cares. We are so lucky that Shudder remains that girl year-round. Whether you’re finishing their new original show Guts & Glory, catching up on The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans, or running at some of their deep cuts like I am, Shudder has your best interests at heart. As usual, she has quite a few titles fighting for our attention. Which is why I am here with five titles I think should be at the top of all of our watch lists this November. So, cancel your holiday plans and pick up your remote because we have got horrifying things to watch.
The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month
Habit (1995)
An alcoholic unwittingly enters into a relationship with a succubus in New York City. If you ever wondered what Larry Fessenden was getting up to in his youth, you need to see this ’90s gem. I lucked out and caught it at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival last year, and I lived my best life. While watching it on the small screen will not be the same, I plan to hit play anyway. Mostly because I love to see 1990s succubi leaving their mark on men…and also the horror genre. Shudder is also adding The Last Winter and Depraved, so we can spend a whole day with Uncle Larry’s work.
Sew Torn (2024)
A seamstress happens upon a failed drug deal and steals a briefcase. She soon finds herself caught in a deadly situation where all roads lead to death. I caught Sew Torn at SXSW last year and have been wondering what happened to it. So, I am very happy this odd little bird has found her way to Shudder. I cannot wait to make my friends who are looking for something cute and deadly watch. I knew nothing when I hit play on this, and I encourage you to know as little as possible, too. I fear I have already written too much in this blurb to be completely honest.
You can watch Sew Torn on November 1st.
The Retreat (2021)
A couple goes on a pre-wedding retreat and unwittingly becomes targets of a group of serial killers. We have seen too many movies about retreats, and I thought this one would be more of the same. This title does not completely reinvent the wheel, but it does set itself apart within this oversaturated subgenre. The Retreat is a surprisingly fun and tense little thriller that feels made for the winter watches. Come for the lesbian characters leading the film, and stay for the violence. I also encourage you to check it out while it is on Shudder, because it is usually on apps with ads.
You can watch The Retreat on November 1st.
The Creep Tapes (Season 2)
Peachfuzz returns with more tapes, chaos, kills, and WTF moments. Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice have reentered the TV arena and are making things weird again. If award shows were real, this duo would be leading the Emmys charge. I saw the first three episodes, and Josef/Peachfuzz is still the serial killer after our own hearts. Our Wolfie is still cutting up (literally and figuratively) in the most amazing ways. Guest stars in danger this season include David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil), Katie Aselton (The League), and Robert Longstreet (The Haunting of Hill House).
You can watch The Creep Tapes (Season 2) on November 14th.
Krampus (2015)
A kid accidentally summons demons during the holidays in this horror comedy. Krampus remains one of the top-tier Christmas horror titles for me. It is also my favorite Michael Dougherty film. Not only because it has the star power of Adam Scott and Toni Collette, either. This movie is wicked, and even the kids are in danger. I do not have many holiday horror movies I revisit every year, but Krampus is one of the very few. It still holds up, and I cannot wait to rewatch it with a festively boozy beverage.
You can watch Krampus on November 15th.
Those are a few reasons I am grateful for Shudder this holiday season. While the rest of you are fighting with your family and friends, I will be parked in front of my TV. You can have your turkey because I would rather gorge myself on episodes of The Creep Tapes anyway.
Let me know what Shudder shenanigans you have got your little eye on. I am nosy and want to make sure I am not missing anything on my favorite streamer.
The year is winding down, and I don’t know about you, but I am trying to pack in as many 2025 horror movies as I can. Is this because I love making end-of-the-year lists? Yes. Is it because I am an unhealed overachiever? Also, yes. So, I am assuming some of you are also cruising the streamers to see what you may have missed. While Netflix has had my favorite new slasher Heart Eyes for a bit, and I have mentioned that in previous streaming guides, they also have other new horror titles to show you.
I do not talk about them as much because I did not have a good time with them. However, that does not mean you won’t enjoy some of these titles. That’s why I am taking the high road and finding something to be grateful for about each of them. That way, you will know there is a silver lining if you do watch them. Allow me to help you figure out what to prioritize this month and what to skip. Check out this chaotic Netflix hitlist below!
The Best Movies to Stream on Netflix This Month
28 Years Later (2025)
A group of survivors on a small island has built a fortress to protect them from the rage virus. However, a young boy discovers what is really outside the walls of their community and sets off to find a cure for his sick mother. We all loved 28 Days Later, and some of us liked 28 Weeks Later. So, 28 Years Later was never going to live up to the hype with almost thirty years of anticipation. While I didn’t love it, I did enjoy seeing Danny Boyle helm another zombie installment. What he does in the subgenre is top-tier, and we are welcome (even if the script left me wanting more). That might have gotten buried in all the talk about the dicks seen in the movie, though.
Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025)
A group of girls competing for prom queen starts disappearing, leaving the underdog to figure out what is happening to her competition. I had a lot of thoughts about this lackluster installment in Netflix’s Fear Street adaptations. As someone who grew up reading Fear Street books and wanting to adapt them myself, I do not understand how this movie came out so badly. Which made it hard to find something nice to say about this title. However, the soundtrack slaps, and it is not the soundtrack’s fault that it was wasted on a low-energy bottom-tier slasher. So, if you hit play on this, you can at least look forward to hearing some retro bangers selected by music supervisor Nora Felder. If you are familiar with her work on Yellowjackets and Stranger Things, you know Felder does not miss.
Maa (2025)
To battle a demon’s curse, a mother transforms into the legendary goddess Kali. As usual, Netflix did not advertise an international horror movie that seemed to have some potential. If they had told us Maa was an Indian Hindi-language mythological horror movie, most people who yell for intersectionality and originality would have run at it. Instead, we had to find out about it months later while looking for something we hadn’t already seen on the app. This movie is too long, and I cannot say it is good by any stretch of the imagination. However, it also made me realize how little I know about the goddess of destruction. If you are a nerd like me, this might lead you down a cool rabbit hole. You can also say you gave a view to a horror movie starring Brown people. Who knows, maybe you could be one of the few who enjoy this chaotic film.
Until Dawn (2025)
A group of friends find themselves trapped in a time loop where they keep getting killed in gruesome ways. I love the video game and was so bummed this adaptation was so bad. However, the practical effects are very cool and should be celebrated more. I think the stuff that the SFX team pulled off might be the only reason to watch the movie personally. I’m happy the actors whose work I enjoy got paid, and that’s another positive thing I can say. However, if we want to see young people in deadly time loops, we have so many movies that do it better. Excuse me as I look right at Happy Death Day and all of the movies that have tried to copy her.
Ziam (2025)
A Muay Thai fighter battles through a zombie apocalypse to save the woman he loves. Netflix fumbled the advertising for this one too, because who doesn’t want to see a Thai zombie film? So, I was excited to watch it, but then sad I did not like it. However, I think this one is on me. It is an action-horror with a lot of heartfelt moments, and that’s not my bag. I wanted more violence and zombie action because I am a broken and heartless ghoul. So, Ziam might be the only movie on this list that does not deserve my bombastic side eye. I am waiting for other people to watch it and let me know if they have a better time with it, though.
While I was not the audience for these movies, I am assuming some of you will dig them. Worst-case scenario, you cross off a few more 2025 horror movies and have something to talk about at Friendsgiving. Happy Horrordays! I will see myself out now…
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