Horror and comedy are sometimes thought of as being at opposing ends of the genre spectrum but it doesn't have to be that way.
Alongside its original movies and truly scary movies, horror streaming platform Shudder has a nice little section reserved for horror comedy. Think parodies, tongue-in-cheek gore fests, and the type of films that can make you laugh even while they're grossing you out or putting your nerves on edge.
I've combed through the archives to track down the best horror comedies on Shudder, from Josh Ruben's highly entertaining Scare Me to the black humour of Alice Lowe's Prevenge...
What's it about?
Two writers take turns telling each other scary stories after the cabins they're staying in lose power.
Why should you watch it?
Scare Me is a great example of a very simple premise being executed perfectly. Josh Ruben's tale of an amateur writing growing increasingly jealous of his professional author cabin neighbor is brilliantly written and directed, splicing witty exchanges with cleverly conjured campfire vignettes that take on a life of their own when they're performed. And this one really is all about the performances as well as writing and directing, Ruben also stars in Scare Me alongside The Boys' Aya Cash and Saturday Night Live's Chris Redd, and the focus on storytelling means the trio have to break out their full range of (very impressive) acting talents.
There's laughter, there's tension, and although the actual scares are few, there's a creeping sense of unease that twists into something more in the film's final act.
What's it about?
A film crew attempts to shoot a low budget zombie movie in an abandoned factory.
Why should you watch it?
I can safely say that I've never seen a film quite like One Cut of the Dead. Shin'ichir Ueda's comedy horror (which is far more heavy on the comedy than the horror) is essentially a movie within a movie within a movie a Russian doll-style story about a crew making a shoestring zombie flick.
We spend the first half of the run time watching the zombie film itself, but things really get interesting in the movie's second half, when we zoom out (and back in time) to watch the director and the production crew putting the whole thing together.
If that explanation has left you feeling slightly confused, it might be for the best One Cut of the Dead is the sort of film that's hard to explain in words, but is probably more entertaining the less you know going in.
What's it about?
A small town in Australia is stalked by a man-eating boar.
Why should you watch it?
Boar may not appear in the comedy category on Shudder, but let's be honest here any film that features a hippo-sized monster pig going up against a former WWE wrestler has to be a little bit tongue-in-cheek.
Fortunately, Chris Sun's Boar is exactly that: a light-hearted popcorn-muncher that mixes some entertainingly crude dialogue with some truly ridiculous fight sequences.
The perfect film to watch with a group of friends and a few beers.
What's it about?
After being caught attempting to rob a cash machine, Kylie (Morgana O'Reilly) is forced to live with her mother under house arrest but it isn't long before she starts hearing noises in her childhood home.
Why should you watch it?
Where to start? I went into Gerard Johnstone's Housebound not really knowing much about it, and the film completely blew through any expectations I might have had. The script is consistently amusing, the story is entertaining, and the acting from O'Reilly's acerbic putdowns to the stumbling slapstick of her parole officer Amos (Glen-Paul Waru) is brilliant throughout.
Housebound cleverly weaves together a bunch of different genres, too, taking a central mystery and dressing it up with laughs, jump-scares, and a final act that's as twisty as it is exhilarating.
What's it about?
Guided by the voice of her unborn child, a pregnant woman stalks a group of strangers.
Why should you watch it?
From the very first sequence, in which an expectant mother visits a pet shop owned by a sleazy tarantula-enthusiast, I knew I was going to enjoy Prevenge. All the elements are there it's well shot, the script is sharp and funny, and the characters are larger-than-life enough to be entertaining while still being real enough to be disturbing. We have Alice Lowe to thank for this. As well as writing and directing the movie she also stars in it, playing the violent mother-to-be Ruth with the perfect mixture of vulnerability and brutality.
What's it about?
A video store owner takes on a new member of staff, who quickly gets an education in the fine art of horror movies.
Why should you watch it?
Scare Package is essentially seven miniature horror films for the price of one, an entertaining anthology from seven different directors that parodies every horror movie stereotype you can possibly imagine. Ridiculous gory deaths? Cheesy one-liners? The serial killer who won't stay dead? Each trope gets its own moment to shine in this delightful mish-mash, which is as much Cabin in the Woods-style satire as it is a love letter to the genre.
What's it about?
After a botched jewellery store heist, a ragtag getaway group falls victim to a coven of witches.
Why should you watch it?
The opening scene of lex de la Iglesia's Witching and Bitching, in which a gang of criminals disguised as street entertainers attempt to steal some gold rings, perfectly sums up the tone of the film. The whole sequence is spectacularly ridiculous you've got a man in a giant Spongebob costume taking on police, a small boy robbing a store alongside his father (dressed as a silver Jesus statue), and an entertainingly silly sequence in which the group attempts a bumbling getaway in an occupied taxi. To put it mildly, the action is hectic. And when the witches enter the fray, things get even wilder.
Although the movie's ending might be that little bit too out there for some, Witching and Bitching is an undeniably fun ride that combines amusing dialogue with a hectic melee of characters.
What's it about?
A film crew documents a budding serial killer's plans to butcher a group of teenagers.
Why should you watch it?
Behind the Mask isn't the first film to parody the many tropes of the slasher, but it still manages to add something fresh. Part mockumentary and part feature film, Scott Glosserman's debut is both a forensic breakdown of the classic serial killer flick and a sneaky reversal of what we expect going in, utilising some clever twists and turns to flip the film on its head for the final act.
There's also a fun, grandfatherly cameo from The Walking Dead's Scott Wilson as a "retired" serial killer who's been kind enough to take Leslie (Nathan Baesel) under his wing.
See the original post here:
Shudder's 8 Best Horror Comedies To Scare You AND Make You Laugh - Mashable India
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Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero