When it comes tohorrormovies, the free streaming platformTubihas all the others beat regarding the amount of content on offer. This, however, is a double-edged sword, as while the platform offers a plethora of popular titles, countless indie and B-movies often get overlooked. Personally, I adore diving through the selections of Tubi’s catalog and going into films blind. While the results are not always stellar, you sometimes find gems that are certainly worthy of more fanfare.
Narrowing it down further to the sub-genre of horrorcomedy, spending some time with Tubi can result in finding hilarious gems that people just have not heard about. These 10 films deserve a wider audience and should certainly be added to our watchlist.
10’Crabs!' (2021)
A nuclear accident in a small coastal town leads to a slew of mutated horseshoe crabs wreaking havoc on its population. As the crabs make their way into the heart of the town after killing a few locals, it is up to a ragtag team of misfits led by child genius Philip McCalister to figure out a way to stop them. Thankfully, the teen has a plethora of gadgets and the trust of his friends to stop the mutated, violent crabs from taking over the town and beyond.
Mutated Crabs Infect an Entire Town
Crabs!lingered in development hell for quite some time, getting a relatively quiet release with a few showings at fests, garnering it a small following, but not touted much beyond that. This is a shame,as the horror comedy taps into the nostalgia of ’80s cinema with a kid genius at the center of stopping an invasion of creatures. Its tone here is playful, but it isheavy on gore, and even indulges in teenage flights of fantasy with an absurd ending that sees the battle against the mutated arthropod go global.
9’Highway to Hell' (1991)
Young and in love, Charlie Sykes (Chad Lowe) and Rachel Clark (Kristy Swanson) are on their way to elope in Las Vegas. Yet, when a cop pulls them over, they are surprised to find a demon that kidnaps Rachel and drags her directly to hell. Charlie follows the police officer down a portal and finds himself navigating a bleak landscape of lost souls to save the one he loves.
An Overlooked ’90s Trip Into Hell
From the director ofDrop Dead Fred,Highway to Hellhas a similar comedic tone, but goes on to be an insanely bizarre mash-up of genres. The movie is also a peculiar who’s who of talent, with some odd cameos like Ben Stiller in one of his first onscreen appearances, and Gilbert Gottfried as Hitler.Highway to Hellis a surprising gem, as the money and talent were there, but its limited success has pushed it into obscurity, championed only by a few.
8’Another Yeti a Love Story: Life on the Street' (2017)
Adam is an openly gay single father, raising his yeti son by himself. A dedicated father, Adam’s life is turned upside-down when his son is kidnapped to be sold into illegal trade. Teaming up with a heroin-addicted yeti sex worker and a stripper, the three head into the seedy world of underground yeti trafficking to save Adam’s son.
Highly Inappropriate Yeti Comedy
Technically a sequel, but don’t worry about that, the movie does a good job of filling the audience in on what they need to know and is a much more polished product than the original.Another Yeti a Love Story: Life on the Streetis the most Troma movie never made by Troma, a queer,punk-infused horror comedywith plenty of gross gags for those who like their comedy crass. Expect some purposeful gross-out humor that is not concerned about offending its audience.
7’Blades' (1989)
Police Chief Charlie Kimmel gets a series of bizarre reports about people being killed with a lawnmower at the Tall Grass Country Club’s prestigious golf course. Skeptical at first, Kimmel works fast alongside disgruntled staff and patrons of the golf course who conduct their own ‘maniac hunt’ to try to pin the killer so they can get back to enjoying the greens. Yet after a culprit is wrongly confused, the appearance of a demonically possessed lawnmower turns a big tournament into a field of death and grass clippings.
‘Jaws’ If It Were a Lawnmower
You would think a 1980s horror movie abouta sentient killer piece of equipmentwould draw in more of an audience, but the pay-off forBladesdoes not come until the film’s climax. Still, the premise gives some consistent humor throughout, and it is certainly worth the wait for the unforgettable showdown.Essentially an absurd parody ofJawswith the structure of a slasher, Blades is a great film to watch with like-minded horror fans willing to cheer on a killer lawnmower.
6’Chastity Bites' (2013)
High school feminist and blogger Leah Ratliff (Allison Scagliotti) has aspirations of working at the “HuffPo,” always one to stick her nose into everyone’s business for a potential scoop. This desire to unravel any and every potential unwanted happening at her school leads her to come across the immortal Countess Elizabeth Bathory, the historical figure known for bathing in the blood of virgins to maintain her beauty.
Poking Fun at Culture in the 2010s
Chastity Bitesis a few beats off from being insufferable, as it situates itself right in the emerging culture of 2010s progressivism in its most egregious and patient testing elements. Yet, the subject is handled cleverly, with Leah Ratliff hitting that balance of obnoxious and near-sighted activist and generally kindhearted individual that it is hard not to love the character, even when she shortens Huffington Post to “HuffPo” unironically. Poking fun at teen activism culture, yet not entirely insulting towards it,Chasity Bitesis a vampire slasher that is deceptively charming if you are willing to welcome it into your home.
5’All Eyes' (2022)
Allen finds himself out of work after an episode of his podcast, which focused on bizarre happenings, sees one of the fans calling in and showing that he had committed a crime. Wallowing in failure, Allen decides to head out on the promise of a large sum of money to witness a creature that a man has been monitoring. It is here he meets the recently widowed and eccentric loner Don, who begrudgingly brings him into his alien conspiracy on the bequest of his late wife’s admiration for Allen’s show.
Drama Taking a Sharp Turn Into Horror Comedy
All Eyesis a film that’s hard to convey how brilliantly comedic it becomes without heading into spoiler territory. Still,there is a turning point from serious drama to utter chaos that is gleefully absurd and violent. Todd Greenlee’s film is Indie horror at its finest, playing with familiar tropes to deliver an uproarious premise that will catch audiences off guard.
4’Motivational Growth' (2013)
Ian Folivor is a depressed and reclusive man in his 30s who spends all his time watching TV, choosing not to leave or clean his apartment for over a year. When Ian decides to commit suicide, he accidentally slips and falls, waking to a sentient mold in the corner of his bathroom that gives him commands on how to improve his life. Yet, the cost of happiness comes with a deadly price, and Ian starts to lose his grip on reality.
“The Mold Knows, Jack, the Mold Knows”
Motivational Growthis heavily influenced by Frank Henenlotter’sBrain Damage, even bringing in the voice talent of Jeffrey Combs, who is remarkably close to John Zacherle as the brain-eating parasite in the cult ’80s film in vocal cadence and delivery. The movie also deals with themes of addiction, brought on by a disturbing entity feigning friendship. Still, the movie is not just a carbon copy, taking its approach and breathing enough life into the concept to make for a highly enjoyable outing.
Meta humor, gore, occasional use of video game graphics, and a catchy score make Motivational Growth an engaging horror comedy with a lot of tricks up its sleeve. The inclusion of horror iconJeffrey Combs is a big bonus, and the movie’s quick spats of gore, along with the bizarre relationship between mold and lovable loser, are the biggest draws.
3’Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls' (2023)
Awkward wannabe occultist Marcus J. Trillbury, aka Onyx the Fortuitous, feels he has hit the wall as a fast-food worker with no prospects. However, when his idol Bartok the Great reaches out to him and offers him a stay at his mansion along with others to help him with a ceremony, he sees a chance to live the life he desires. After arriving at the mansion, Onyx and his companions slowly start to realize there is a secret plan afoot that requires their souls to work.
An Awkward Nerd Navigates Occult Horrors
Okay, let’s be honest here. Those tuning intoOnyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Soulswithout knowledge of Andrew Bowser’s created gothic weirdo will either gel with Onyx or turn off the film after a few lines of dialogue. The humor won’t be for everyone, yetthose who find themselves enamored with the social awkwardness and line delivery of Onyx may find their new favorite horror comedyas he bumbles through a demonic mystery. The acting here is whole camp, but also full of fun. There are some great creature effects, and the movie is a successful adaptation of the viral character created by Bowser, a rarity in taking online shorts and expanding them into a movie.
2’Trash Fire' (2013)
Owen Roberts (Adrian Grenier) is a troubled and cruel individual, scarred by his childhood, where he believes he caused a fire that led to the death of his parents and the disfigurement of his sister. Despite having a toxic relationship with his girlfriend Isabel (Angela Trimbur), Owen agrees to make amends with his estranged grandmother and sister after learning that she is pregnant. Yet no one knows the horrors that await at the awkward reunion.
Sometimes Giving Up on Family Is the Right Move
Director Richard Bates Jr. has always been just on the outside of popularity, with his first film, the horrific coming-of-age film,Excision, still among his most well-known works. Yet the rest of his filmography has the same dark humor and flashes of violence that have made him an endearing fan favorite for those in the know.Trash Fireis a challenging one to approach, as much of the film is just characters being overly cruel to each other, but for those who like to laugh at dark and dry humor, the movie is far from its namesake. The climax of the film is such an entertaining s*** show as well.
1’Don’t Let the Riverbeast Get You!' (2012)
Once-beloved student teacher Neil Stuart left his hometown after constant ridicule for talking about a creature known as the Riverbeast. But years later, after losing his job and his wife over his obsession, Neil returns to attempt to rebuild his life and once and for all prove the existence of the creature. Navigating a series of eccentric and weird small-town characters, Neil finds allies to finally confront the monster that ruined his life.
Small Town Monster Hunting
Comedian Matt Farley and director Charles Roxburgh have been making low-budget gems for decades now. Out of all of them, there are a few that stand out, withDon’t Let the Riverbeast Get You!being both a loving homage to creature features of the past and a means to deliver the dry, awkward humor of its creative team. One of the best parts about the film is that, no matter how silly things get, everything is played with a straight face. If you enjoy this one, Freaky Farley from Farley and Roxburgh is also on Tubi.
