Move Over, White Tank Top: 5 Horror Films Featuring An Iconic Yellow Cardigan
Yellow is often associated with sunshine, joy, summer, and a Coldplay song for those who had an alternative rock music phase in the early aughts. So, why are some of the saddest characters in the genre seen sporting yellow cardigans? More importantly, why are these the people driving the narrative to some pretty depressing conclusions? This occurred to me recently because I am a cardigan queen who watches a lot of shit. I also have a brain that notices costume pieces. I get stuck on sweaters and which color tank top is reserved for final girls. This means this fashion trend has kept me up at night. Which is I figured it was time to make it a streaming guide problem.
It would be easy to excuse this trend because many attractive people look good in this color. Or assume the costume pieces just caught the eye of the wardrobe head, and the choice was completely unintentional. That math would be easy enough. I would argue too easy after sitting with the characters who stand out the most. These people are heading towards depressing endings, carrying the heaviest burdens, and will never be the same if they survive. I think the costume designers are telling us something by putting the brightest color on the bleakest person. I have chosen five movies currently streaming to further unpack this phenomenon.
A Quiet Place: Day One (dir. Michael Sarnoski)
Costume Designer: Bex Crofton-Atkins
Where You Can Watch: Paramount+
Aliens attack New York, and the survivors learn you must be absolutely silent to survive. I love Sam’s (Lupita Nyong’o) yellow men’s cardigan. Not only does it have pockets and look comfortable, but it tells us a story. We know this dying woman has lost someone close to her and carries this item of clothing alongside her memories. Long before the reveal that it belonged to her dad, I knew the answer to the yellow question at the center of the movie. I knew this sweater was a key item from production photos, so when I saw her co-star wearing it in press kit pictures, I knew Sam would not be in any sequels.
So, it is unsurprising this knitted moment wove its way into her own terminal story. Sam knows she does not have much time left and is on a mission, aliens be damned. While that mission is bigger than the slice of pizza we were led to believe it is, it does not stop her from pushing forward against the odds. This is also why she signifies her time is up by passing it onto Eric (Joseph Quinn) like a cozy torch.
Monstrous (dir. Chris Sivertson)
Costume Designer: Morgan DeGroff
Where You Can Watch: Freevee, Plex, Sling TV, and Tubi
A woman and her son flee her abusive ex-husband, but find their new idyllic life is haunted by their trauma. Admittedly, Christina Ricci and her wardrobe do a lot of heavy lifting in this title. However, even though Laura (Ricci) lives in pastels, her yellow cardigan is the one that gets specific moments that support this weird trend. When we meet her, she is wearing the statement piece as she wakes up her son and literally drives them to their new chapter.
She is seen wearing it again toward the end when her Delululemon begins to cave in on her. She is forced to confront the awful thing that happened to her and push herself to continue living in the real world. More importantly, the cardigan becomes her ironic anchor, highlighting the agony she has tried to run away from the whole film. This statement piece signifies that it is time to, literally and figuratively, drive into her next chapter.
The Passenger (dir. Carter Smith)
Costume Designer: Eulyn Colette Hufkie
Where You Can Watch: MGM+ and Prime Video
A co-worker’s violent act forces a young man to confront his past and face his fears. Like most movies on this list, there are two characters at the heart of the story. We spend the film wondering about Benson (Kyle Gallner) and Randy’s (Johnny Berchtold) relationship. However, Benson is the one who shakes the table, puts on the yellow cardigan, and then literally drives the narrative for the bulk of the movie.
This notable fashion piece punctuates that his actions come from a place of sadness and that there’s more than meets the eye to Benson. It is also a constant reminder that he cares for his passenger, Randy, even while committing shocking crimes. The sweater assists Gallner in giving a textured and nuanced character where there could have easily been a one-dimensional asshole in the wrong hands. The fuzzy yellow jumper tells us the tragic story between the lines on the page. Especially, because it turns out he is driving himself to his own tragic demise and leaving us to wonder what could have been.
The Shining (dir. Stanley Kubrick)
Costume Designer: Milena Canonero
Where You Can Watch: Max
A family gets trapped in an isolated hotel with a sinister presence determined to end them all. We immediately feel for Wendy (played by the late and beloved Shelley Duvall). She is a woman trying to hold her small family together as she does the dance of a woman who is afraid of her husband. We watch her try to keep things light as if she can fix her him with enough smiles and hugs. While one of the things this movie has going for it is its aesthetic, Wendy’s yellow cardigan that appears about 47 minutes into the film is what sticks out to me from her wardrobe.
She wears this item right as the audience understands Jack (Jack Nicholson) is probably a lost cause, and this woman is about to be a single parent—if she and her son survive. We watch her do the job her husband was hired to do and seek out a lifeline via CB radio. She confidently struts in this piece with its whimsical patches as she unwittingly steps into who she has secretly always been. She might have been afraid to leave her husband as she ignored the voice telling her to take her kid and run. However, she is stronger than she gives herself credit for. She is a force to be reckoned with, even if the film version does not let her showcase it as clearly as the novel. Wendy is the woman who will eventually survive the night and drive herself and her son into a better life.
Talk To Me (dir. Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou)
Costume Designer: Anna Cahill
Where You Can Watch: Kanopy
A group of friends play with spirits via an embalmed hand but soon discover this is a much more dangerous game than they bargained for. We meet Mia (Sophie Wilde) after a heavy day of remembrance for her mother. She immediately slips on a fuzzy yellow cardigan and hops into a car to drive us into this tragic story. While this cozy number looks like something many of us would wear when needing comfort, it becomes more than that. It is her armor as she silently navigates her grief and isolation. It helps her sell her lie that she is fine, and it is even on her person when she invites the evil spirit in and changes her entire trajectory.
I also noted that she was wearing her safety outfit when she allowed evil into her body. The presence leaves a stain on the very fabric of her soul while she is basically wearing a fashionable blankie. Importantly, Mia wears yellow shirts afterward, but she never puts this piece on again. Not only that, she never wears anything cozy again. It works to highlight that she’s picked up a passenger as she drives to her inevitably depressing ending.
I followed this yellow thread that connects these five movies together before realizing just how much these characters have in common. However, now I cannot stop wondering how many other sad characters wearing yellow cardigans are driving their horror movies. I wish more people would interview costume designers. Because I want to know what they would say about these yellow badges of tragedy adorning these poor souls.
Have you also noticed the saddest horror characters are rocking yellow cardigans? Or have you noticed other odd genre fashion trends? Then find me at @misssharai so we can talk about it.
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