Katie Dippold’s new horror comedy Widow’s Bay is jam-packed with reverent references to the genre and hilarious horror homages. But she’s not the only horror enthusiast who works on the show!

Widow’s Bay takes viewers to the titular (entirely fictional) New England town that’s blissfully free from modern-day technology, reliable cell service, and — crucially — tourists. In hopes of drawing a bustling summer crowd, Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) invites a high-profile reporter to spend a weekend on the island. Much to Tom’s delight, Widow’s Bay is dubbed a destination as desirable as Martha’s Vineyard. But in trying to move his town forward, he’s forced to confront its dark history, ripe with chilling superstitions that he spent years dismissing as ridiculous tall tales.

Before the new Apple TV series dropped, Dippold — known for films like Ghostbusters (2016) and Haunted Mansion (2023) — revealed she took inspiration from genre greats like Stephen King, iconic thrillers like Jaws and Halloween, and acclaimed shows like Barry and Atlanta. She puts her own spin on classic tropes like Killer Clowns, Sea Hags, and more, but also slips in deep cut Easter eggs for horror aficionados like the show’s cast members to spot.

In the spirit of weekly Widow’s Bay haunts, DECIDER asked stars Rhys, Kate O’Flynn (Patricia), and Stephen Root (Wyck) to share the horror movies that made them fall in love with the genre. So if you’re looking for something to watch in between Widow’s Bay episodes, we’ve got you covered.

• Poltergeist (1982)

  Matthew Rhys’ first pick? Poltergeist, a 1982 classic written by Stephen Spielberg and directed by Tobe Hooper. The supernatural story pits a suburban California family against evil ghosts who abducted their daughter after communicating with her through the television. (As someone who watches TV for a living, let me just say, CHILLS.) The terrifying film stars Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Dominique Dunne, Oliver Robins, Beatrice Straight, Heather O’Rourke, and more. Like what you see? While Rhys shouted out the OG film, the Poltergeist franchise includes Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986), Poltergeist III (1988), and even a 2015 Poltergeist remake directed by Gil Kenan.

  WHERE TO STReam poltergeist

• The Omen (1976)

  Rhys’ second pick? The Omen! Written by David Seltzer and directed by Richard Donner, this 1976 supernatural horror starring Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Billie Whitelaw, and more follows a child named Damien who’s believed to be the Antichrist. No big deal! Like what you see? There’s also a 2006 remake directed by John Moore, starring Liev Schreiber, Julia stiles, and Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick.

  Where to stream The Omen

• Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

  The first formative horror film Kate O’Flynn chose was Rosemary’s Baby, a 1968 genre staple written and directed by Roman Polanski, based on Ira Levin’s novel of the same name. The psychological horror movie stars Mia Farrow as Rosemary Woodhouse, wife of Guy (John Cassavetes), who gets pregnant and becomes increasingly paranoid about her and her baby’s safety. Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Charles Grodin, and more also star. Like what you see? The film also inspired a two-party miniseries in 2014 starring Zoe Saldaña and Patrick J. Adams.

  WHERE TO STREAM RoSEMARY’s baby

• Jaws (1975)

  Rhys paid tribute to Widow’s Bay inspo Jaws with his third pick. The thrilling 1975 horror film based on Peter Benchley’s novel was directed by Steven Spielberg and starred Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Lorraine Gary, Muray Hamilton, and more. The story of chilling shark-infested waters inspired Jaws 2 (1978), Jaws 3-D (1983), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), and crucially (!!!) the new Apple TV series.

  Per Widow’s Bay production notes, “The creative team pays clear homage to Spielberg’s classic film, Jaws, which provided a timeless American backdrop with a hint of menace — a tone that the show aims to capture. ‘The pilot is playing off the character played by Roy Schneider, who was the chief of police of Amity Island,’ agrees [director and EP] Hiro Murai. ‘Loftis knows there is something wrong, but he can’t face the idea of being the mayor of a haunted island.'”

  Where to stream jaws

• Jason and the Argonauts (1963)

  As his co-stars fired off names of pivotal horror movies, Widow’s Bay‘s Stephen Root said, “You picked the good ones!” then added, “You know what scared me as a kid? What was the one with the skeletons fighting on the ship?” At first, Rhys suggested The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), which does feature skeletons, but the two realized that Root meant Jason and the Argonauts, a 1963 fantasy film directed by Don Chaffey and starring Douglas Wilmer, Todd Armstrong, Honor Blackman, Nancy Kovak, and more.

  “[It] frightened me more than anything,” Root recalled. “The way the skeletons would come up, the manic motion of them,” Rhys echoed.

  Where to stream Jason and the argonauts

• Return to Oz (1985)

  As the boys stressed over skeletons, O’Flynn came in with her final pick: Return to Oz. The 1985 fantasy film put a dark spin on Dorothy Gale’s formerly magical trip. Based on L. Frank Baum’s early Oz novels and directed by Walter Murch, the film starred Fairuza Balk, Jean Marsh, Pons Maar, Nicol Williamson, Deep Roy, Justin Case, and more. Per Decider, “This sequel took everything that was fun and sweet about The Wizard of Oz (the singing, the munchkins, Bert Lahr), threw them all away, and upped the terror factor. If a multi-headed evil queen wasn’t enough, I have one word for you: WHEELERS.”

  Where to stream Return To Oz

New episodes of Widow’s Bay premiere Wednesdays on Apple TV.