The Pickup Truck That Dominates Horror Movies
We’re getting well into spooky season. Because of that, many of us are going to start getting into the mood by watching some horror movies. Horror as a genre isn’t exactly associated with cars, or even vehicles of any kind. But there are a surprising number of things with four wheels that appear in horror movies. Some also appear more than others. Among those, there’s one that seems to show up much more than anything else.
Just Like Many Other Movies, Horror Flicks Need Vehicles In Them Somewhere
Loads of movies need vehicles in them somewhere. That’s whether they’re actually being driven or ridden in by the characters, or just in the background to help set the scene. Horror movies are no exception to that. A huge variety of different vehicles have appeared in horror flicks, from muscle cars to big rigs. As with many other kinds of movies, vehicles appear as part of the general scene in horror flicks. But there are several instances where a major part of the story involves the characters driving and/or riding in cars. Sometimes, the evil monster is the car itself!
Certain Vehicles Seem To Appear More Than Most In Horror Movies
Within that wide variety of different vehicles that have shown up in horror movies, there are some that have appeared quite a lot more than most. In fact, there’s one in particular that’s appeared more than any other. How do we know about this? Because an actual study’s been done to tally up how many horror movies certain vehicles have been featured in. This study was carried out by Vertu Motors in the UK, examining both individual models and manufacturers as a whole.
What’s the vehicle that’s appeared more than anything else? It’s actually something you’ll see on pretty much any street corner if you live in North America, as well as less frequently elsewhere. In fact, it’s one of the most quintessentially American vehicles of all time!
The Ford F-Series Pickup Truck Is An American Automotive Staple That Horror Directors Seem To Love
According to Vertu Motors’s study, the Ford F-Series pickup truck appears in more horror movies than practically anything else with wheels. F-Series trucks have appeared in 13 different horror films over the years—significantly more than the other vehicles listed on the study’s top 10. That also helped make Ford the most-represented manufacturer in horror flicks, with a total of 113 different appearances across movies and models. That’s also a clear margin ahead of all the other manufacturers in their top 10 list.
Typically, F-Series trucks appear in the background in horror movies. They’re usually part of setting the scene, and not a major part of the plot or any important sequences. But there are exceptions to this. The opening sequence of Stephen King’s Maximum Overdrive prominently features a dump truck variant of a 1968 Ford F-Series. The 1997 TV movie Trucks also features a super-rare Ford F-700 variant in a “the car is the monster” role.
Ford clearly knows about this, too. To promote the F-150 Raptor R in 2022, it created a horror-themed short film. Titled “Scary Fast”, it was directed by Lauren Sick (a writer and director who has directed horror projects in the past, as well as other commercial work for Ford) and pays homage to the 1970s grindhouse movies that many horror fans love. All the imagery definitely seems to fit the snarling, supercharged V8 character of the F-150 Raptor R!
Why Would Horror Movie Directors Like The Ford F-Series?
Since it’s appeared so much in the horror genre, why do the directors of these movies like these trucks the most? Well, that comes down to a few different reasons. Surprisingly, for a genre that isn’t always rooted in reality, those reasons are quite believable.
It’s Ubiquitous In North America
Perhaps one of the most obvious reasons why Ford F-Series trucks appear in so many horror movies is that they’re just absolutely everywhere in the first place. So many horror movies are set in North America, where F-Series trucks (both modern and vintage) are dime-a-dozen. It makes sense, then, from a purely realistic standpoint, that F-Series trucks would be absolutely everywhere in a horror movie’s universe. That’s whether that movie is set in the present day, or some decades in the past.
With the Ford F-Series being a normal, benign truck that everyone would encounter everywhere in North America, it can also set things up for some fun twists. For example, nobody would suspect a good country boy driving an old F-150 to be a murderous monster. As well as that, nobody would typically expect an F-Series truck to be the car in a “the car is the villain” scenario. There’s nothing inherently evil about an F-Series truck. It’s a workhorse of America, driven by a lot of people who do no harm.
It’s Known For Being Rugged
The Ford F-Series trucks have always had a reputation for being rugged and reliable. That’s especially the case with the heavier-duty variants that are built more for utility work than as lifestyle trucks. That means they can go pretty much anywhere and do pretty much anything. This would be ideal for any horror movie setting that’s out in the middle of nowhere, or in an apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic world. The characters in a horror movie could trust their F-Series truck not to break down, or get bogged down when the going gets tough.
Its Practicality Can Come In Handy
As well as being rugged and reliable, F-Series pickups are also very practical. In a horror movie universe, that realistically makes a lot of sense too. All that carrying space and carrying capacity is great for carrying all the tools and weapons around that you’d need to survive in some kind of apocalyptic situation. Or, alternatively, it could be used as a great way to carry some dead bodies around…
It Isn’t The Only American Pick-Up That Frequently Appears In Horror Movies
When it comes to American pick-up trucks, the Ford F-Series isn’t the only one that shows up multiple times in horror movies. The study also notes that Chevrolet’s C/K Series trucks appear quite frequently as well. The C/K series ranks fourth on the list, with appearances in 8 different movies. This includes Dusty, the blue 1971 Chevrolet C10 that plays an important role at the end of the original 1974 version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
A Few Other Classic American Nameplates Also Routinely Show Up In Horror Flicks
The Ford F-Series and Chevrolet C/K Series are far from the only slabs of automotive Americana that regularly show up in horror movies. It seems like the genre as a whole is predisposed to featuring classic American models and nameplates. Once again, this makes a lot of sense with how so many horror flicks are set in America.
Vertu’s study named the Ford Crown Victoria as the second-most common horror movie vehicle, with appearances in 9 different movies. This is due to how common the Crown Vic has been as a police car in North America – it’s the perfect vehicle for any kind of law enforcement to be driving in the movie. Third place goes to the Cadillac Fleetwood, with the same number of appearances as the Chevrolet C/K trucks. This car seems to be more common in modern horror films, appearing in movies like the critically acclaimed Get Out, It Follows, and the more recent adaptation of Stephen King’s It.
The Ford LTD Country Squire is also a regular in the horror world, with 7 appearances in different movies. These are usually background appearances. But it does include Brad and Janet driving an oh-so-suburban wood-paneled example in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. So is the Ford Mustang, with 6 different horror movies featuring one of America’s most enduring sports cars. This includes a 1966 example being driven by the protagonist in Misery.
Sources: Vertu Motors
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