Game Over: 10 Iconic Horror/Thriller Movie References You Can Catch in Taapsee Pannu’s Horror Thriller

Game Over is a horror-thriller directed by Ashwin Saravanan of Maya fame. Taapsee Pannu, who has been winning adulations for her recent performances, is playing the main lead in the film. Made originally in Tamil and Telugu, Game Over is also releasing in the northern territories in a Hindi dubbed version. Apart from Taapsee, the notable names in the cast are Vinodini Vaidyanathan, VJ Ramya, Anish Kuruvilla, Parvathi T and Sanchana Natarajan. Game Over Movie Review: Taapsee Pannu’s Bravura Act Wins You Over in This Immensely Innovative Horror Thriller.

The movie is about how a girl who suffers from PTSD and is physically incapacitated is forced to fend for herself within her home, when a serial killer comes calling. However, Game Over is unlike any of the serial killer or home invasion movies you have seen, in the way its made and how it has written its lead character. (HUGE SPOILERS AHEAD) There is also a supernatural angle in the film involving a spooky tattoo. But above all, Game Over is less of a horror movie and more about how a victim, when pushed to her limits, comes out fighting her fears to be on top.

That said, for a subversive horror film, the director has filled in enough nods to other iconic horror movies. We have caught 10 such references in the list below, and if you have observed more than us while watching Game Over, do enlighten us in the comments section:

Psycho

In the opening scene, we see the serial killer watch his potential victim bath through a glass curtain. This is a nod to the iconic scene in Sir Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, where Janet Leigh's character was killed by a mysterious assailant in the shower. In the case of Game Over, though, the victim manages to complete her bath only to be killed later in the night.

Scream

When the killer gets hold of the movie's first victim, he mutilates her and places her on a chair. This reminds us of the scene when Drew Barrymore finds her boyfriend tied to a chair, disembowelled.

Rear Window

Taapsee Pannu's character being confined to a wheelchair and then staving off a murderer looks like a nod to James Stewart's condition in another Hitchcock classic, Rear Window.

Peeping Tom

The same year when Psycho came out, another horror film with similar themes ran into controversies for its perverse themes and brutal killings. Peeping Tom's release got fractured as a result, but the movie became a cult classic in the years that followed. The modus operandi of the serial killer videotaping his victims before killing them is a trope that Game Over borrows.

Tattoo

Although it is not explicitly stated, the killer in the film targets women who have tattoos on their bodies. This is perhaps a reference to the German film, Tattoo, that came out in 2002.

Friday The 13th

When we finally get to see the killer, he (or she) is wearing a hockey mask. And yeah, it is definitely a nod to Jason Voorhes in Friday the 13th franchise.

Hush

On the surface of it, Game Over has the feel of a home invasion movie, similar to Hollywood thrillers like You're Next and When A Stranger Calls. But it sure comes close to this terrifying thriller, Hush, where a girl who is physically challenged (in this case, deaf and mute) is hounded by a serial killer in her home. What's more, even the killer here likes to videotape his victim before getting to the business.

The Strangers

In a big reveal, we find out that there are not just one but three masked killers working together. And what's more, we never get to find out their identities, which is similar to the premise of The Strangers.

Happy Death Day

Game Over takes an interesting turn in the second half, when videogame tropes merge with the killer plot. Taapsee's character Swapna finds out that that tattoo on her hand has now become three, which becomes like the three lifelines in any game. So whenever she gets killed, Swapna gets spawned back to life at 11 pm until she figures out how to save her skin. Which is an idea taken from the 2017 film, Happy Death Day, where the protagonist relives her death day all over again till she deduces who her murderer is.

Phobia

Coming closer home, just like Swapna has PTSD issues because of a sexual assault in the past, similarly, Radhika Apte's character also has a similar predicament in this underrated thriller. Even she is scared of darkness within her house, just like Swapna has in Game Over.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 14, 2019 04:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).