Visit the Kill Switch Master List for more information on this and other current known issues: https://forums.bhvr.com/dead-by-daylight/kb/articles/299-kill-switch-master-list
What Killers Remind You of What Horror Movies/Franchises?
Ok, so I’m trying something new here. Obviously, there are some killers in this game that were inspired by some pretty big names in the world of horror. Additionally, some of the biggest of those names were brought into the game as well. I love the idea that we take inspiration from so many other ideas and that something that is wholly original can also be a product of someone else’s imagination. There are some movies that I can’t help but think of whenever I play against a certain killer be it their design, lore, etc. Given that this is a game built on a multiverse I figured I’d share which horror franchises I feel are evoked by certain killers, and ask that you do the same. Obviously, licensed characters will be left out because they originate from outside the game rather than are inspired by. Also, there may be spoilers for some movies.
Trapper - My Bloody Valentine: I know everyone else says Friday the 13th, and while I agree he and Jason share some similarities I think of MBV. If you remove the entire Valentine’s dance plot then this could be a perfect inspiration for Trapper given the mine setting and even the look of the killer. Potential spoiler: the connection between the killer and his dad while very loose also fits Evan. When I see Trapper I think of this movie.
Hillbilly - Texas Chainsaw Massacre: did I even need to mention this one? This is probably the closest to a straight-up rip-off that exists in the game. For a long time I felt like having Hillbilly and Cannibal in the game was redundant but after a while I softened and felt that, while they are incredibly similar, there’s enough variation to justify both of their existences.
Nurse - Silent Hill: hospitals in general are a very common horror trope so obviously nurses have a place in the horror lexicon. When I saw Nurse for the very first time though it wasn’t an old horror movie I thought of but a video game and its film adaptation. I swear if I had never played this game and you showed me her in-game portrait and asked me to identity where it came from I would have said Silent Hill even more so the film version.
Doctor - Dr. Giggles: horror and general spookiness runs in my blood and I was around 11-12 when I first saw this movie. As I mentioned before, hospitals and the like are very popular horror tropes. Doctors in general are something that most people fear so it’s easy to turn what should be a caregiver into something monstrous. The Doctor reminds me of this film because of his maddening laughter and overall insanity more than anything else. These two doctors are very different but I can’t help but think maybe the devs got some inspiration from this film.
Spirit - The Grudge: I’ve always been of the belief that our beloved Spirit actually has more characterIstics of a Westernized malevolent ghost than your typical onryo. Still, it’s easy to see she was inspired by the latter. Ju-On was one of those movies that really helped endear Japanese horror to Western audiences. While Ringu may have been an inspiration too (we did get Sadako after all) Rin’s appearance from her blue skin to her possessed hair and disturbing movements remind me of Kayako. Her overall lore about being a victim of cursed lineage also feels somewhat reminiscent of the Grudge and how that curse travels.
Legion - Eden Lake: I’ve heard that Scream was the original inspiration for the Legion and while that makes sense Eden Lake is the movie I think of when I see them. The Legion are, essentially, just a group of amoral teenagers who get off on violence. They’re the epitome of parental fear in relation to unruly teenagers who listen to rock music and have nothing better to do than cause trouble. This kind of fear is the very essence of Eden Lake and the way these teens are prey to groupthink is so fitting of the Legion.
Oni - Onibaba: I’ll admit that this one is kind of a stretch as the story of the film is so vastly different from the lore of Kazan. Onibaba, however, is one of those older movies that presented horror in a different but effective way and while overshadowed by its contemporaries (ie Ju-On, Ringu, etc) still manages to burn its imagery into your mind. It’s my belief that this movie is responsible for popularizing the “demon samurai” motif and whenever I see Oni’s mask I think of this film.
Blight - The Fly: two scientists who, in a sense, become addicted to their discoveries which results in a monstrous transformation. It’s clear that the two are very different and I don’t even think the devs took any inspiration from The Fly but Talbot certainly reminds me of Jeff Goldblum’s character in the 1986 version of this film. Blight has always kind of looked insect-like to me and the way his face drips off as if his jaw fell loose reminds me of the body horror transformation in this film.
Twins - Basket Case: conjoined twins is another horror trope that has risen and fallen throughout the ages. On that note, if the devs weren’t inspired by Basket Case in creating Victor then I would be absolutely shocked. This one scared the crap outta me when I was little and for that reason I am always a little bit afraid of the Twins.
Trickster - We Need to Talk About Kevin: first of all, this is another stretch as Trickster is such an original character but believe me it’s there. Second of all, I’m going to try to make this comparison with as little spoilers as possible because if you haven’t watched this movie you should. Is it about a K-pop star? No, it’s about a seemingly ordinary teenage boy and that’s what makes me connect the two. Two sociopaths who are good enough at maintaining their disguises that no one ever suspects them of their evil except for the two who are closest to them and then it’s a totally twisted mind game as they must question their suspicions of someone they are supposed to know and love especially when showing your hand could mean big trouble. Yun-Jin is the Tilda Swinton to Ji-Woon’s Ezra Miller.
Artist - The Birds: before I actually watched this movie about 5 years ago I thought the concept was sort of silly. But that’s Hitchcock - he took something we see everyday and know not to fear and turned it into a form of winged terror. Every time I am swarmed by a murder of the Artist’s crows I can’t help but think of the Birds and the scene with all the children running as the various birds swarm and attack. Like Hitchcock, DBD took something some people don’t find at all frightening and made me both genuinely afraid and in love.
Skull Merchant & Singularity: Predator & Alien: I’m grouping these two together because I think they’re similar enough in my comparisons. It’s been pointed out that SM may have been meant to be Predator considering the similarities. The weapon on her arm, the mask, the use of technology to hunt people, original animations that seemed like they were meant to have been invisible or camouflaged, even the Brazilian setting as the original film took place in a Guatemalan jungle. It’s also led me to believe that maybe the same is true of Alien as the Singularity has some similarities as well - his overall stature and design, an alien world with a crew of humans that get slaughtered, the fusion of AI (which exists as a secondary antagonist in Alien) and alien DNA. Alien and Predator have been crossed over so it makes sense that we would get a killer similar to the Xenomorph right after one like the Predator.
So what do you guys think? Am I off-base on some of these or are my feelings somehow right? What killers do you think were inspired by other horror films or, if not, are coincidentally similar enough that you think of them when playing against a certain killer?
Comments
-
I actually think Singularity is closer to Ash than Xenomorph but I agree Alien as a movie feels like the inspiration.
0 -
I get carried away 🤓
0 -
This one's probably a stretch, but I wanted to come up with something for Philip, so here it is:
The Wraith feels similar to the monster from A Monster Calls, in a way (which isn't really a horror movie, but with a giant creature and the ever-present themes of loss and soon-to-arrive death, I feel like it's similar enough for this purpose.)
They share a similar aesthetic, the monster being a literal tree who takes a humanoid shape when it wants to.
But I feel their habits and even motives can share some subtle similarities, especially if one's willing to imagine Philip outside of the Entity's influence.
They both have a recurring habit that seems habitual and/or compulsive. The monster appears to the boy at a specific time barring one occasion (which I'll get to later) while the Wraith literally has no choice but to ring his bell to cloak and uncloak. The latter can be easily dismissed as a mandatory gameplay mechanic, but even in a different genre of horror completely separate from game rules, I feel like Philip would still adhere to this ritual. Because of the why behind it.
It's been speculated that the Wraith rings his bell to warn survivors of his approach. In his past, he rang his father's bell to signal danger, but now he himself is the danger, so he warns others that he's coming. Even with his ultra rare addon that silences his bell, he still goes through the motions of ringing it. I relate many killers' ultra rare addons to the Entity and its hold over them, so I think it's rather symbolic that while the Entity can and will prevent the Wraith from signaling to his victims his approach, Philip, either in a last act of defiance and/or his humanity refusing to be completely erased, he still rings that bell, however silently.
The above is just speculation, really, but it's widely accepted that the Wraith is one of the most morally aligned of all the killers, having a tragic backstory as opposed to him just deciding he wanted to torture and kill people.
The monster from A Monster Calls is similarly benevolent. Its appearance to and recurring presence with the boy is all in an attempt to help him cope with what will without question come to be the loss of his mother, as well as being a key part in the boy's ability to let go of his guilt and not be forever dragged down by his grief.
Back to the monster's "schedule" of appearing at a set time, it only breaks this routine when the boy exclaims to it, "I need you now!" Obviously, in a 4v1 slaughter game, there's going to be no opportunity for the Wraith to canonically have a similar deviation from his norm. But if he wasn't so strictly bound by the rules of the Entity, I could absolutely see him only breaking from his ritual when someone needs him and is desperately crying for his help. The Wraith's entire purpose of ringing his bell (assuming the speculation has any merit) is to help survivors by warning them. If in a different world where he wasn't an emotional vampire's plaything, what little we've seen of Philip just screams to me that he would similarly cause discomfort to himself (because compulsions are a menace to try and break away from) if it meant helping someone or sparing them a terrible fate like his.
So uh, yeah, those are my thoughts. Because Philip would absolutely be a benevolent monster if it weren't for the Entity and you can't convince me otherwise. X3
0 -
I think Wraith was inspired from Predator.
- Cloaking invisibility with a shimmer and snarls.
- His weapon is a skull and spine.
- All his perks are tracking perks (one of which includes glowing blood and another even called "Predator").
2 -
Tbh I never thought Trickster could be inspired by or related to We need to talk about Kevin, but now that you mention it, it's pretty clear. In all fairness, I haven't played much with Trickster yet and all I've read about him is his basic background (which is enough to see the relation).
Not entirely sold on the Artist, though. I saw Hitchcock's movie as a kid, almost 20 years ago, so I may not remember it very well, but the feeling I got from that movie hardly resembles the Artist's power imo, though I can understand why you think of it as an inspiration. I mean, yeah, they're birds, but... Nah, I can't feel it.
I haven't watched most other films you mention, so I can't comment on those. Skull Merchant does give some Predator vibes, while Singularity is much farther off from Alien imo.
What do you think about Hag, Huntress or Deathslinger? Is there any horror movies you think might draw inspiration from?
0 -
Legion just reminds me The Purge movies.
1 -
That’s something I didn’t think about but it makes so much sense!
0 -
Not all of my examples are things I believe inspired the devs to make the killers. Some just remind me certain movies. I don’t think they took inspiration from WNTTAK but I think it’s cool the way they’re related and seeing Trickster reminds me of that movie. The same is true of the Artist. Im not saying they based her off of the Birds - although I do feel that movie is the God of bird horror - but she definitely makes me think of said film when I’m swarmed and being chased.
0 -
That makes sense! I was never a big fan of that franchise but their masks definitely make me think of it.
0 -
I thoroughly enjoy "Basket Case" and see the connection, I'd like to think The Twins may also have received inspiration from "Kuato" in "Total Recall"
1 -
Singularity is very reminiscent of Virus (1999), particularly how it's a mixture of machine and human body parts and the way it speaks:
It's nothing like Alien.
0 -
IMO the chapter is similar to Alien because the two antagonists of that film are an AI and an hostile alien lifeform and Singularity is a combination of those two. The story is a space expedition that leads to a slaughter as the AI (which, in Alien, deems human life as nothing more than expendable) is “awakened” by some kind of alien form. I’ve never seen Virus so I don’t doubt the similarities but the End Transmission definitely gives me Alien vibes. Im not saying it was the inspiration or that they’re even incredibly alike but it’s what I think of.
0
