Did horror fans catch Matthew Lillard’s Scream parallels in Five Nights at Freddy’s?
Dimension Films / Universal PicturesScream icon Matthew Lillard returned as a major horror antagonist – but this time in Five Nights at Freddy’s. It seems that the actor couldn’t let go of the horror classic and incorporated a few Easter Eggs in the 2023 movie.
The video game movie has become one of the highest-grossing horror movies of the year. The minute fans saw Lillard on the cast list, fans knew he had a big role to play. The actor gained fame for his iconic role as Stu Macher in the 1996 movie Scream.
While being well-known as Shaggy in the live-action Scooby-Doo franchise, his role as one of the Ghostface killers in Scream cemented his horror career. His legacy lived on for the rest of the franchise.
Now in Five Nights at Freddy’s, an unlucky security guard gets a new security job at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza with the help of his career counselor. Lillard played the role of Steve Raglan, the counselor who by the end of the movie had an ulterior motive. Horror fans may have noticed how Lillard incorporated his Scream villain in Five Nights at Freddy’s. Warning: Spoilers ahead!
Mathew Lillard did his Ghostface signature in Five Nights at Freddy’s
During the all-reveal finale of Five Nights at Freddy’s, Lillard wipes his knife clean of blood just like in Scream.
Mike (Josh Hutcherson) learns he was purposely given the job at Freddy’s because of his connection to Raglan. In reality, Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail) is the daughter of the animatronic creator and owner of Freddy’s, William Afton. It just so happens that Afton is none other than Raglan, who changed his name after being accused of child disappearances in the 80s. Afton is a serial killer who murdered five children, and Mike’s brother Garrett.
During the battle scene to save Mike’s sister, Afton appears in the Spring Bonnie animatronic suit. The connection to Lillard’s Scream role as Stu Macher occurs when he reveals himself to Mike. Horror fans may have picked up on how Lillard also uses a voice changer in the Spring Bonnie suit as Afton. It might as well be a fun full circle to Scream.
In the original movie, Stu and Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) disguise their voices with a voice changer box. The same occurs in Five Nights at Freddy’s when Afton tells Mike, “Symmetry, my friend.”
But there are a few more Scream references sprinkled in. Like Stu, Afton wields a rather large and sharp knife when wanting to kill Mike. What Scream Ghostface costume isn’t complete without the killer’s knife? To add more pizzaz, Afton uses his hand to wipe the knife clean of blood after stabbing his daughter. Sound familiar?
It was one of the things Ghostface did in the original movie and what many horror fans thought was pretty cool and menacing. Lillard effectively returned as a horror franchise villain yet again.
Five Nights at Freddy’s is out now, while for more on the movie, check out the below articles.
- Five Nights at Freddy’s review round-up
- Trailer, cast, and plot
- How to watch FNaF: Is it streaming?
- The best new horror to watch this Halloween
- How long is Five Nights at Freddy’s?
- Emma Tammi on staying faithful to the game
- Which YouTubers are in Five Nights at Freddy’s?
- Looking our for FNaF Easter eggs
- Markiplier puts Freddy’s rumor to bed
- Why the FNaF eyes glow
- Five Nights at Freddy’s ending explained
- How Donnie Darko and Casino inspired FNaF
- Who dies in Five Nights at Freddy’s?
- Why director wanted content creators in the movie
- FNaF box office
- 5 films to watch if you love Five Nights at Freddy’s
- Fight breaks out at early screening
- Will there be a Five Nights at Freddy’s 2?