Villains (2019)

A couple breaks into an isolated house for an impromptu robbery, but what they find completely changes their next actions.

'Villains' is what they calle a dark comedy, with dramatic undertones. It has a subtle and dark humor, diverse and memorable characters and a group of well-chosen actors. The characters are well balanced, the term villain being chosen with a double meaning, representing exactly what you expect but also the fact that first impressions are deceiving. It's not a perfect movie, but it's perfectly suited to be enjoyed by fans of the genre or of the cast.

Directors:  Dan Berk, Robert Olsen   

With: Bill Skarsgård, Maika Monroe, Blake Baumgartner, Jeffrey Donovan, Kyra Sedgwick

Rating: 7.4/10

Wednesday (2022-)

Wednesday Addams is sent to Nevermore Academy - her parents' school - as punishment for dangerous activities.

"Wednesday" is a horror comedy series with gothic accents, a Tim Burton make, based on the characters from the Addams Family. Jenny Ortega's Wednesday is faithful to the original material, adding some personal charm and improvisation that must be fully appreciated. The style is characteristic of Burton, in a comeback that deserves to be mentioned and applauded. The plot is quite rich and the whodunnit captures the attention it deserves. The only disappointment is probably the parents, with few scenes, a bit monotonous dialogue, which pales when compared to the memory of the portrayal of Angelica Huston and Raoul Julia, unfortunately. Not by any of the actors' fault, just the writing.

Director:  Tim Burton   

Production:  Netflix   

Creator:  Alfred Gough, Miles Millar

Duration:  1 season of 8 episodes (45 minutes each)   

With: Jenna Ortega, Gwendoline Christie, Riki Lindhome, Jamie McShane, Christina Ricci, Emma Myers, Hunter Doohan, Percy Hynes White, Luis Guzmán,  Catherine Zeta-Jones

Rating: 8/10

Death Becomes Her (1992)

An actress who wants to regain her youth finds an immortality solution, but she is not the first to use the method.

'Death Becomes Her' is a successful dark comedy, which has not lost its charm over the years, working perfectly even when watched these days. Meryl Streep in particular but also Goldie Hawn portray characters who are out of their comfort zone brilliantly, and Bruce Willis is wonderful in the role of the neurotic depressive Ernest. The film abounds in black humor and unexpected, skillfully potentiated situations, providing a perfect gem for  the fans of the genre and beyond.

Director:  Robert Zemeckis      

With: Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, Bruce Willis, Isabella Rossellini, Sydney Pollack

Rating: 9/10

Freaks of Nature (2015)

In Dillford, the population is almost evenly divided into vampires, zombies and humans, and every day is full of conflict, but an alien threat calls for change.

'Freaks Of Nature' is a horror comedy with satirical influences that explores the human trait that seeks and finds reasons for conflict and separation. The idea is not necessarily original but it is developed in a rather original, funny and effective way. The main characters are well written, likeable and with their own back-story and development that blends naturally and pleasantly with the overall action.

Director:  Robbie Pickering   

With: Nicholas Braun, Mackenzie Davis, Josh Fadem, Denis Leary

Rating: 8/10

Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)

Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita and Little Rock continue their post-apocalyptic adventures with a new challenge: evolved zombies.

'Zombieland: Double Tap' is the sequel to a successful horror-comedy, 10 years after the release of the first. The first film is not extraordinary, so it is difficult to understand why the producers wanted another one, especially without having Bill Murray attached. Fans of expensive blockbusters asked for it, they got it and were satisfied with just a mediocre movie. Ehh, at least it has Woody Harrelson, and some almost-cameos worth mentioning: Rosario Dawson and Luke Wilson.

Director:  Ruben Fleischer   

With: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Rosario Dawson, Luke Wilson, Zoey Deutch

Rating: 7/10

Werewolves Within (2021)

A ranger moves to his new post in a small town in the mountains, close to wildlife and isolated, where dangerous events quickly arise.

'Werewolves Within' is a thriller-comedy with horror elements. It is adapted from a video game with werewolves, but focuses on extremely colorful and ranged characters, each displaying varying degrees of racism, ignorance and snobbery, or simply unmasked kindness. The film's charm comes entirely from the dialogue and the interaction of the characters, and the audience will notice small scenes perfectly choreographed for a maximized comic effect. A delight for a light evening

Director:  Josh Ruben    

With: Sam Richardson, Milana Vayntrub, George Basil, Sarah Burns

Rating: 9/10

Freaky (2020)

Millie and the local serial killer exchange bodies after a mythical dagger is used in her attack.

'Freaky' is a horror version on the classic body-changing comedy theme. Vince Vaughn is believable in the role of the killer but also in the one of the teenager who's trapped in an incompatible and inadequate body. The film is entertaining and funny, with a decent measure of ironic violence, but in the end, the viewer will not be able to stop feeling that there is an unpleasantly large portion of undiscovered potential for the subject matter.

Director:  Christopher Landon   

With: Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton, Celeste O'Connor, Misha Osherovich

Rating: 8/10

Suburban Gothic (2014)

Raymond returns to his parents' house after a series of personal failures, but discovers that it is haunted.

Suburban Gothic is a very nuanced black/horror comedy. The main character is an immature adult, a former victim of childhood bullying, but full of wasted intelligence, the main source of comedy, along with his heated arguments to his father, a personality that's completely incompatible with his own. Kat Dennings is welcome and very colorful as usual, but her character does not really bring anything extra to the story or the dialogue. The special effects are very dated but everything is obviously intentional, since the horror element is almost just a conversation starter.

Director:  Richard Bates Jr.    

With: Matthew Gray Gubler, Kat Dennings, Ray Wise, Barbara Niven

Rating: 8/10

Happy Death Day 2U (2019)

Tree is freshly freed from the time loop of the day she dies and, on the verge of discovering the original cause, gets trapped in a fresh loop.

A sequel to Happy Death Day, this film refreshes the original story with new ideas worthy of Doctor Who and Primer, intelligent in essence, but which somehow make the film lose some of the charm and comic originality of the first one. Happy Death Day 2U is therefore a worthy sequel that really changes the narrative and is worth a watch all on its own.

Director:  Christopher Landon    

With: Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Phi Vu, Suraj Sharma

Rating: 8/10

Ingrid Goes West (2017)

Ingrid, a stalker of people she virtually meets via Instagram, becomes obsessed with a new celebrity and changes her life to get closer to them.

A movie that should be a dark comedy, with a focus on ... the dark bit. Well done, well written, it correctly portrays virtual and social obsessions that many Internet users suffer of, mainly due to a lack of time spent on discovering their own self because of their obsession with what one's self should be according to the accepted fashion of the moment. Coherent until the end, the film manages to keep the viewers's attention and curiosity through interesting interactions and almost natural people. One should note Ingrid(Audrey Plaza)'s autistic robot-ism when her obsession isn't looking and the natural charm of Dan as portrayed by Ice Cube's son.

Directed by: Matt Spicer (screenplay co-author)

With: Audrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Wyatt Russell

Rating: 8/10

Preacher (2016-2019)

An unusual pastor with a bleak past turns his life upside down when his old love returns to his life and starts a long adventure to find God who seems to have left his post.

Filled with crazy and absurd ideas, Preacher will provide plenty of uninterrupted fun for fans, whether they want comedy, action or ridiculous situations. Expecting everything to have a deeper meaning, the entire series will unfold in front of the eyes without such satisfaction. Nothing remains holy, nothing is left without offence, all the characters are victims of weaknesses and defects, be they negative or positive characters. Just as colourful as the comic book it's based on, Preacher is visually pleasing and filled with gore-like horrors and gratuitous violence, which is only  a negative for the audience who chose this series by mistake.

Creators: Sam Catlin, Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen

Production: AMC

Featuring: Dominic Cooper, Joseph Gilgun, Ruth Negga, Graham McTavish, Pip Torrens, Noah Taylor, Julie Ann Emery, Ian Colletti

Rating: 9/10