‘American Horror Story: 1984’s Trailer Is Loaded with Slasher References

We finally know the killer at the center of American Horror Story: 1984 and he goes by the name of Mr. Jingles. Ryan Murphy has released the official trailer for the ’80s slasher-themed season of AHS, and it has just as many short shorts and screams as you would expect.

By the very virtue of 1984 taking place in a summer camp, this new season was already giving off some serious Friday the 13th vibes. But this latest trailer throws in more than a few nods to classic horror movies. After a steamy opening scene, Cody Fern’s character, clad in pastel workout wear, invites his friends to join him at a new gig in a local camp. Irresponsible teens becoming camp counselors screams Friday the 13th, but a group of teens driving together to a mysterious cabin in the woods? That’s Evil Dead right there, all the way down to the cabin’s dilapidated, triangular roof.

On their way to the camp, earring-adorned Cody Fern then teases Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, and DeRon Horton’s characters about an escaped killer who slashes people’s throats. Warning dumb teens in a car about possible murder is basically right out of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre‘s opening scenes. And that mass murderer being an escaped convict from an insane asylum? That’s essentially all of Halloween and its multi-picture quest to force Michael Myers to control his rage. Then there’s the I Know What You Did Last Summer connection. On their way to the camp our teen heroes seemingly hit a stranger but claim they found him on the side of the road. Dead body that may not be dead? And is almost certainly these kids’ faults? We know how this one ends.

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So who is the knife wielding killer terrorizing this camp? Based on the ghost stories in this trailer, there’s a very good chance this mass murderer is Mr. Jingles. All we know about this madman right now is that Mr. Jingles broke out of the insane asylum and is a serious threat. Also, the killer AHS keeps cutting to has a ring full of keys. Jingling keys. That can’t be a coincidence. Mr. Jingles has got to be our foe.

Out of the announced cast, there are only two actors who could be Mr. Jingles: Matthew Morrison and John Carroll Lynch. Based on his experience as Twisty the Clown and John Wayne Gacy, we’re guessing Lynch will be playing another murderer this season. But what exactly does this mean for the continuity of the AHS universe at large? We know Twisty the Clown was alive and killing in the 1950s thanks to Freak Show. Is it possible that this murderer lived to kill again in the ’80s, but this time under a different name? Is this an immortal killer situation, like Michael Myers in the Halloween movies? Or this is another alternate universe deal? Twisty the Clown — a killer who was very real in Freak Show — was a fictional comic book character in Cult. Is that happening again?

And in the very likely event Lynch really is playing Mr. Jingles, where does that leave Matthew Morrison and his short shorts? Our money is on Morrison being the mysterious stranger those crazy kids ran over. Just look at the hand similarities!

There are so many other questions this trailer inspires. Which lady is Emma Roberts’ character kissing in the beginning? Can it please be Billy Lourd’s character? They have similar earrings. Who is the creepy guy at the end promising everyone they’re going to die? Is this whole season going to have a soundtrack as rad as this trailer? Seriously it feels like we’re in Night Trap or another intentionally cheesy horror video game. But one thing you don’t have to wonder is whether or not Decider is going to be watching this new season. Check out the trailer above.

American Horror Story: 1984 premieres on FX Wednesday, September 18 at 10/9c.