“Kill Bill”! “Psycho”! All the Classic Horror Movie References in Sabrina Carpenter's 'Taste' Music Video

Sabrina Carpenter's "Taste" music video is a homage to some of horror cinema’s most iconic films

Sabrina Carpenter’s music video for her single “Taste” is a blood-soaked, horror-inspired piece of art that’s as playful as it is gruesome.

Costarring Jenna Ortega, the video takes viewers on a wild ride as the two engage in a violent — yet darkly comedic — feud over a boyfriend.

The video boasts a trove of classic movie references, pulling inspiration from some of Hollywood’s most iconic horror films, and reinvents them with playful twists. From the shower scene in Psycho to the eye-patch-wearing nurse from Kill Bill, Carpenter’s video nods to the genre’s best.

"Taste" begins with a parental and viewer advisory warning, cautioning that it contains explicit content of “graphic violence” — a warning not to be taken lightly. Still, rather than being outright terrifying, the video blends horror and humor, turning gruesome scenes into cartoonish spectacles.

Much of the video’s foundation is also a tribute to the darkly comedic mayhem of Death Becomes Her, in which Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn endlessly battle it out over a man after taking a potion that promises eternal life.

Here are all the movie references in Sabrina Carpenter’s “Taste” music video that make it a visual feast for movie buffs.

Death Becomes Her

One of the most prominent references in “Taste” is to the cult classic Death Becomes Her, a 1992 dark comedy starring Streep and Hawn. The video’s setting — a grand, eerie mansion — bears a striking resemblance to the iconic home in the film, where much of the movie’s action takes place. The mansion isn’t just a backdrop, it’s central to the narrative, much like in Death Becomes Her, where the opulent yet ominous home becomes a playground for the film’s outlandish events.

In one scene, Carpenter is thrown off a balcony and lands directly on a fence, where she is impaled by the posts, and left with a gaping hole in her abdomen. For those who haven’t seen the film, the hole reveal may be shocking, but fans of the 1992 classic won’t bat an eye as it’s a direct nod to Death Becomes Her, in which Streep and Hawn continually sustain absurd injuries and come back to life after ingesting a potion that promises eternal youth.

The reference remains as a throughline for much of the video, as Carpenter continues to be impaled and restored, including a shower scene where Ortega chops off Carpenter’s arm, only for her to be revived seconds later. As in Death Becomes Her, no injury is that serious.

By the end of the music video, Carpenter and Ortega seem to reach a point of solidarity and affection, echoing Streep and Hawn’s eventual decision to abandon their rivalry over a man for a friendship that will last all of eternity (literally).

The homage continues right up to the video’s end, where Carpenter and Ortega walk down the stairs after attending the boyfriend’s funeral. The scene mirrors the final moments of Death Becomes Her, in which Streep and Hawn walk down the church steps, now frenemies, still bickering despite their broken and decaying bodies.

However, Carpenter’s video takes a slightly lighter turn — rather than toppling down the stairs and losing limbs, the duo giggle and share a moment of camaraderie, hinting at their newfound bond.

Kill Bill

Another unmistakable reference in “Taste” is Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, evident in a scene where Ortega, donning a nurse’s outfit complete with an eye patch, bears an uncanny resemblance to Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah), one of the film’s most memorable villains.

Prior to the eye patch, Carpenter stabs Ortega in the eye with a knife in a particularly brutal moment, echoing Kill Bill’s unflinching approach to violence. The knife-in-the-eye is a nod to the film’s characters, who suffer severe injuries but continue their quests for vengeance nonetheless.

Child's Play

The Child’s Play series, known for its killer doll Chucky, also gets a nod in “Taste” as Carpenter uses a voodoo doll to control Ortega, manipulating her movements with a sinister glee — a scene reminiscent of the supernatural horror series.

However, the twist comes when Ortega reveals that she, too, has a voodoo doll of Carpenter, which she tosses into the fire, causing the "Espresso" singer to burst into flames.

Psycho

No horror-themed music video would be complete without a nod to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, and “Taste” doesn’t disappoint. In a scene where Carpenter marches into the mansion (knife in hand) and finds Ortega and her lover in the shower, she attempts to strike — a clear homage to the iconic shower scene from Psycho.

However, the scene doesn’t end with a lifeless body slumped over in the tub. Instead, it escalates into the ongoing violent exchange between Carpenter and Ortega, with the Wednesday star instead chopping off the “Espresso” singer’s arm.

Beetlejuice 2

The video doesn’t outright reference the upcoming Beetlejuice sequel, but it does hint at what's to come in the cult classic sequel. "Taste's" final scene features shots that bear an uncanny resemblance to the film’s first-look images of a funeral scene.

Beetlejuice 2, set to be released on Sept. 6, 2024, also stars Ortega as Astrid Deez, Lydia’s (Winona Ryder) daughter. 

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