films and directors that have influenced @theweeknd's discography: a thread –

1) Stalker (1979) dir. Andrei Tarkovsky/The Knowing: one of the films main themes is that of desire and wish fulfillment, and the disillusionment that comes with it, a theme that echoes throughout Trilogy

2) the work of David Lynch: Abel's debt to Lynch is more the appropriation of themes, feelings & moods of Lynch’s overall work. possible references: Lost Highway (1997), Wild at Heart (1990), Twin Peaks (1990-1991). fun fact: Wild at Heart features Chris Isaak’s hit 'Wicked Game'

3) vampire imagery: besides the Nosferatu (1922) imagery in the Wicked Games video, he’s also expressed a strong affinity for Gary Oldman’s performance in Bram Stroker’s Dracula (1992)

4) the work of Stanley Kubrick: Kubrick’s ideas and imagery are present throughout The Weeknd's career. visual references to Eyes Wide Shut (1999) in the Secrets and Twenty Eight videos and The Shining (1980) reference in Price on My Head.

5) Blade Runner (1982) & The Matrix series (1999-2003): Kiss Land world is inspired by Blade Runner’s Los Angeles; metropolitan Asian influence, neon signs & futuristic skyscrapers. aside from aesthetics, The Matrix influenced Kiss Land’s industrial & contemporary rock noise

6) Saturday Night Fever (1977)/Can't Feel My Face: The film features John Travolta playing a store attendant who spends his weekends on the disco floor. He even makes an appearance in an Apple Music commercial with Abel, in the vein of Vincent Vega from Pulp Fiction (1994)

7) Mulholland Drive (2001) & Lost Highway (1997): Mulholland Drive features two women in Hollywood & also revolves around a car crash in Hollywood, similar to The Hills music video. also, The "Devil" character in BBTM videos loosely resembles the Mystery Man from Lost Highway

8) Wes Craven: the most celebrated reference on Beauty Behind the Madness, “The Hills” is a reference to Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes (1977). He also directed Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) & Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) which feature the iconic Freddy on fire scenes

9) Drive (2011) & The Neon Demon (2016): Drive, follows Ryan Gosling’s getaway driver and serves as a strong peg for Starboy’s vehicular focused segments. The Neon Demon presents contemporary ideas, such as materialism, vanity & exploitation. the film very closely resembles MANIA

10) In Sidewalks, Abel name-drops Kevin Costner who plays Elliot Ness in The Untouchables (1987). Additionally, he also name drops the 1982 Star Trek movie, The Wrath of Khan in Starboy

11) After Hours is The Weeknd's most cinematic project to date. The album title is a namesake of the 1985 Martin Scorsese film. The famous red suit character was influenced by Sammy Davis Jr.’s character in the film Poor Devil (1973). De Niro also dons a red suit in Casino (1995)

12) The aesthetic of the era is very reminiscent of Las Vegas movies such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) and Casino (1995). In the After Hours short film, Abel wears a nose bandage similar to Jack Nicholson's character in Chinatown (1974)

13) The In Your Eyes music video features Abel as a serial killer which is a reference to the homicidal characters in Dressed to Kill (1980), Halloween (1978) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

14) The fully bandaged face is a common trope in movies but the Too Late music video shows two models recovering from a plastic surgery session. This is similar to Steven Meisel's 2005 Vogue Italia shoot.

15) Actors in the Save Your Tears music video don masks and attend lavish Hollywood parties similar to Eyes Wide Shut (1999). Joker (2019) pays tribute to Taxi Driver (1976) & The King of Comedy (1982) - a cautionary tale of urban isolation graced in his song Faith

i decided to compile this list because oftentimes we forget what an incredible artist & cinephile Abel is. in no way is this a comprehensive list, i'm sure there's stuff missing. all due credits to eve_salmon on reddit and lilita on letterboxd.

i urge you to check this incredible post that goes in further detail: https://www.reddit.com/r/TheWeeknd/comments/iawgmk/a_cinematic_guide_to_the_weeknd_pt_1_trilogy_and/