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Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)
Less a horror movie than a comedy of errors, Tucker and Dale vs Evil lovingly satires the teen slasher genre with aplomb. Sending up hixploitation films like Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Wrong Turn, the titular characters are not fearsome rednecks but just a pair of sweet-natured country boys that are unfairly stereotyped by a gang of judgemental, yuppie teens. When Dale rescues college girl Allison from almost drowning in the lake nestled by his recently purchased, remote cabin in the woods, her ignorant friends try to “save” her from someone they perceive as a hillbilly monster.
Sure enough, their rescue attempts result in horrific deaths, which only makes the surviving teens more assured that they are up against bloodthirsty, homicidal hillbilly killers. Plenty of laughs and buckets of blood ensue. Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk expertly anchor this horror-comedy, imbuing it with the right amount of heart so the film’s message of not judging a book by its cover lands without being overly treacly. This one is a blast.
Malignant (2021)
Also streaming on HBO Max, Malignant is almost begging to be seen as a double feature with Barbarian. Like Barbarian, Malignant has a truly batshit twist that also echoes Basket Case and must be seen to be fully appreciated. But let’s just say, this movie turns on a dime from being a fairly standard modern horror flick into deliriously silly, balls-to-the-wall lunacy.
Director James Wan is wild for this one, and not everyone will love it, but those that do will find it to be one of the most fun, out-there twists of the decade. Does the film have anything particularly interesting to say? Not really, but let the craziness wash over you, and you’ll be cackling at delight when Gabriel finally makes his presence known.
Scream (1996)
A generational touchstone that changed the slasher genre and expertly capitalized on ‘90s irony, for better or worse bringing the idea of self-aware characters to the mainstream, Scream is campy, funny, and horrific. Wes Craven is a horror maestro and he elevates this satirical whodunit with genuinely unsettling kills, including the film’s deliciously brutal opening fake-out. Many have spilled ink over the ways in which Scream changed the game, and the film inspired a trail of imitators that still lingers to this day.
Still, Scream settles on an expertly pitched tone between slasher send-up and the genuine article, and its endearing cast makes it an enticing rewatch even after you know all of its moves. Horror, comedy, and tantalizing twists all in one, there’s a reason Scream endures.
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