Horror comedy is a tough genre to get right. Lean too much one way or another and you ruin the tone of the whole movie. Classics like Ghostbusters and Gremlins – as well as more modern examples like Shaun of the Dead and Cabin in the Woods – all stand out because they walk that tightrope effortlessly to deliver thrills and laughs. Fortunately, the genre is still alive and well, and I wanted to share some recent treats I’ve come across that I’ve really enjoyed!

Psycho Goreman finally answers the age-old question of “What happens when a kid controls an ancient demon from space?”

Psycho Goreman

Director/Writer: Steven Kostanski
Year of Release: 2021

Psycho Goreman is a trip and a half. Populated with what feels like Power Ranger villains on acid, we find a little girl (Nita-Josee Hanna) given too much power when she gains control of an ancient alien-demon, whom she dubs Psycho Goreman. This movie has a dial for how ludicrous it is, and it keeps getting turned up the entire film, and it’s in that realm of nonstop lunacy where the humor is found. While it feels more comedy than horror, the amount of gore and body-horror elements in it definitely give it a comfortable place in both genres. I also have to give it up to Hanna, who plays the little girl, Mimi. Her believable performance of a psychotic kid that basically bullies an ancient evil into submission pushes this movie to places you love to see.

Psycho Goreman is available to rent or purchase on VOD.

Low-budget zombie movie crew gets attacked by zombies? Yes, please.

One Cut of the Dead

Director/Writer: Shin’ichirô Ueda
Year of Release: 2019

Originally released in Japan in 2017 with a 2019 release on Shudder, One Cut of the Dead is a masterful horror comedy that has so many levels of meta storytelling piled on that it’s hard to keep track of what is really happening – and it’s that very chaos where the comedy shines. When a ramshackle low-budget film crew is filming a movie about zombies in an abandoned World War II facility, zombies actually attack the crew. I can’t really say much else without revealing the trick, but I can guarantee this movie will leave you impressed.

One Cut of the Dead is available on Shudder and to rent or purchase on VOD.

The first mistake the vampires had was thinking they could take the Bronx.

Vampires vs. the Bronx

Director/Writer: Oz Rodriguez
Year of Release: 2020

In the tradition of Attack the Block, Vampires vs. the Bronx has Miguel (Jaden Michael), Bobby (Gerald W. Jones III), and Luis (Gregory Diaz IV) dealing with a cadre of vampires who decide to use the Bronx to invade New York City. Deftly using vampires as a vehicle to comment on gentrification and race, Vampires vs. the Bronx surprisingly juggles social commentary, comedy, and horror without dropping anything.

Vampires vs. the Bronx is available on Netflix.

Fanny and Fred want you to stay quiet for this next story.

Scare Me

Director/Writer: Josh Ruben
Year of Release: 2020

Scare Me is a weird one, and I love it for it. During a power outage, two writers (Josh Ruben and Aya Cash) and the pizza delivery guy (Chris Redd) lock themselves in a cabin to tell stories, trying to scare one another. This movie somehow takes a magnifying glass to the act of storytelling, knowing when to drive deeper into the story to make the scene tense or to pull back for an incredulous laugh. It keeps you guessing, wondering if it’s all fun and games or if it truly is a horror movie.

Scare Me is available on Shudder and to rent or purchase on VOD.

Nic Cage just Nic Caging it up in an abandoned, haunted kids’ restaurant, like one does.

Willy’s Wonderland

Director: Kevin Lewis
Writer: G.O. Parsons
Year of Release: 2021

I had never heard of the term “Nicspolitation” before Willy’s Wonderland, but it’s a perfect term for these odd indie films that keep having none other than Nic Cage popping up in them. Though Willy’s Wonderland could have been a good movie without Cage’s presence, the sheer ridiculousness of him being in this movie and his perfect performance knocks it into greatness. Nic Cage is the nameless and mute protagonist (credited as The Janitor) who does battle with haunted animatronics at an abandoned kids’ pizza place. Yes, the plot transparently lifts from Five Nights at Freddy’s, but the insanity of Cage decapitating evil robots could only be found at Willy’s Wonderland.

Willy’s Wonderland is available to rent or purchase on VOD.