‘Survive the Night’ is a recently released novel by New York Times Bestselling author Riley Sager. It’s about a college student named Charlie Jordan who accepts a ride home from a man who may or may not be a serial killer. Since Charlie is a movie lover, they are several different film references throughout the book. Such as how you’d never know Vincente Minnelli was gay from the way he shot Judy Garland. Or a 1940s black and white movie where a character knocks out a car’s taillight to make it easier to follow. Below is the list of films referenced that are much more specific.
The Mummy(1932)
To be more specific, the original 1932 Universal horror classic that starred Boris Karloff. The plot concerns a mummy who comes back to life and tries to reunite with his lost love, who he believes has been reincarnated as a modern woman.The Mummywas later remade in 1999 with Brendan Fraser.
Gone with the Wind(1939)
This is the epic movie set during the American Civil War and Reconstruction. It concerns the romance between Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler. It also featured the first African American to win an academy award. In 2020,Gone with the Wind was released on Amazon and soared to #1shortly after.
The Wizard of Oz(1939)
The family movie that taught us that there’s no place like home. Winding up in a magical land by way of a tornado, Dorothy Gale is off to see the wizard and makes several new friends along the way. She also has to deal with a wicked witch known for defying gravity.
Citizen Kane(1941)
The film that has been heralded by many as the greatest movie ever made. It tells the life story of Charles Foster Kane as he rises from a young child to a wealthy newspaper baron. Find out what the mysterious Rosebud is if you don’t know it already.
Bambi(1942)
The Disney movie tells the tale of a young deer named Bambi. Who grows up in a forest, befriending a rabbit named Thumper and a skunk named Flower along the way. It also features one of the saddest parent deaths in a Disney movie besides Mufasa.
Like many original Disney movies,Bambi will be getting a live action reboot. Here’s to hoping it lives up to the original should we see that happen.
Casablanca(1942)
A film that, as time goes by, remains a classic. It involves a cynical bar owner named Rick trying to decide whether or not to help his lost love and her husband escape from the Nazis. It also depicts the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
The Magnificent Ambersons(1942)
Another film from Orson Welles, the man who co-wrote, directed, and starred inCitizen Kane. This movie is about the heir of the Amberson family who finds herself in the middle of the man she’s always loved and his widowed mother. What will happen next?
Shadow of A Doubt(1943)
A thriller about a young girl who starts to suspect that her beloved uncle is a serial killer. The uncle is played by Joseph Cotten, who appears in several of the films featured on this list. The name of the heroine inSurvive the Night, Charlie, is derived from both the uncle and niece in this movie.
Double Indemnity(1944)
This one is a noir film that tells a tale of both love and murder. An insurance investigator conspires with the wife of a married man to kill her husband and cash in the insurance policy. Naturally, things do not go perfectly according to plan.
Gaslight(1944)
This movie is a drama about a married couple. The film serves as the source of the term gaslighting. So as you might imagine, everything is not as it seems.
