10 Subtle Movie Homages You Definitely Missed

This one is fairly in your face to the point where it might cross the line of being subtle, but the movies are so diametrically different that many people will have missed this one. As romcoms go, (500) Days Of Summer is smarter than most, even if it’s not quite as smart as it thinks. That said, it was still a surprise to see it nod to the 1957 Swedish film The Seventh Seal.

Like a lot of Swedish drama, The Seventh Seal is a dark and broody affair. The rather existential plot revolves around a man playing Chess with the Grim Reaper by the shore. As they play, they philosophise about the existence of God, the meaning of life and the purpose of death.

When Tom is feeling particularly low in (500) Days, he goes to a cinema and imagines himself in an old movie. One of the scenes has him on the beach playing chess, just like in The Seventh Seal. The only difference is his opponent is Cupid, symbolising the death of his relationship.

Perhaps (500) Days Of Summer is as clever as it thinks it is after all.