Serious and dramatic blockbusters are all very well, but if you’re anything like us, sometimes you just want to watch a movie for fun. Luckily, filmmakers have your back, with some making movies that parody the genres they are based on or are just so bad they’re fun. Here are the best deliberately awful movies we love to watch.
Sharknado
When a tornado sweeps up sharks from the ocean and deposits them in flooded Los Angeles, a group of friends must fight to survive. Sharknado was never supposed to be a complicated movie, but it did a brilliant job of satirizing the disaster genre. It proved so popular that it started a franchise and a cult following.
Iron Sky
It’s the premise of Iron Sky that makes it so ridiculous, leaning heavily on various conspiracy theories and focusing on a group of Nazis who fled to the Moon at the end of World War II. Their descendants have built a space fleet and plan to return to conquer Earth. Unfortunately, they’re interrupted by an American crewed mission to the Moon, kicking off the movie’s events.
Hobo with a Shotgun
Originally just a fake trailer from the film Grindhouse, Hobo with a Shotgun is a black comedy action movie about a hobo vigilante hunting down criminals in Hope Town. A parody of B-movies from the 70s, it proved reasonably popular with critics and had a limited theatrical release.
The Toxic Avenger
Made by Troma Entertainment, a company known for low-budget horror-comedy, The Toxic Avenger was their first movie to be successful. When a bullied janitor falls into a drum of toxic waste, he mutates to become the titular Toxic Avenger, fighting crime and taking revenge on his bullies. It proved popular enough to start a media franchise with three sequels, a reboot, and a short-lived cartoon.
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
Satirizing B-movies, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes sees tomatoes become sentient and seek revenge against humans. Released in 1978, it has become a classic of the genre despite negative critical reception. Box office success led to three more movies in the franchise, with the final one, Killer Tomatoes Eat France!, being released thirteen years later.
Black Dynamite
The 2009 blaxploitation movie Black Dynamite parodies the genre, focusing on a former CIA agent trying to clear his community of a dangerous drug while also trying to avenge his brother. Ending in a fight against President Richard Nixon, Black Dynamite received positive reviews on release but flopped at the box office.
Dead Sushi
A Japanese comedy horror movie, Dead Sushi has the unique premise of a vengeful researcher creating a serum to mutate fish on rice into killer sushi. The daughter of a famous chef, Keiko (Rina Takeda), must team up with Sawada (Shigeru Matsuzaki) to defeat the sushi before it kills everyone at the resort.
Machete
Another one that started as a fake trailer in the movie Grindhouse, Machete, stars Danny Trejo as Isador Cortez, nicknamed Machete. After being betrayed by his Chief, Machete is contracted to kill a U.S. senator in what turns out to be a false flag operation. Over-the-top violence and non-stop action kept this movie in the same exploitation genre as Grindhouse itself.
Rubber
The horror comedy Rubber features an unusual enemy called Robert, a tire with psychokinetic powers that make people explode. Narrated by Lieutenant Chad (Stephen Spinella), it explores the concept of events happening for “no reason” and receives positive critical reception but never becomes a major hit with audiences.
ThanksKilling
ThanksKilling is a low-budget comedy slasher about a turkey that appears every five hundred and five years, leaving a trail of death and destruction. The movie was never intended to scare audiences, with its campy dialogue and weird premise designed to be funny. It has since had both a sequel and a musical adaptation.
Zombeavers
Made on a shoestring budget, Zombeavers is a horror comedy about a group of college students staying in a remote cabin by a beaver’s dam. Unknown to them, the beavers have been contaminated with toxic chemicals that have mutated them into vicious monsters that attack the group.
Kung Fury
The martial arts comedy short movie Kung Fury both pays homage to and satirizes the 80s action movies it is based on. Crowdfunded through Kickstarter, it goes all out to be as action-packed as possible, with the time-travel plot featuring Nazis, dinosaurs, and Vikings.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space
A group of aliens that look like clowns arrive on Earth and immediately try to take over, plotting to harvest the humans for sustenance. With practical effects throughout, Killer Klowns from Outer Space has some genuinely impressive scenes and received positive reviews on release despite failing to make back its budget. It has since gained a cult following.
FDR: American Bad***
FDR: American Bad*** is a comedy spoofing Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency. It has Roosevelt fighting werewolves from a wheelchair bristling with machine guns. The absurd premise and over-the-top action combine to make it a weird but enjoyable watch.
VelociPastor
When an ancient artifact infects pastor Doug Jones (Gregory James Cohan), he discovers that he now turns into a velociraptor when angry. In a horror comedy, VelociPastor sees Doug learn to use his power for good and set out on a journey to fight crime.
Repo! The Genetic Opera
Based on the 2002 opera of the same name, Repo! The Genetic Opera, it is set in a world where organ failure is common, and organ transplants are put on payment plans. Assassins hunt down recipients who miss a payment and repossess their organs for the next client. Although reviews were mixed, the catchy musical numbers and gore-filled plot were enough to make this a cult classic.
Mars Attacks!
Directed by Tim Burton, Mars Attacks! is a black comedy sci-fi movie based on the Topps trading card series of the same name. It begins with a fleet of Martian spaceships surrounding Earth, insisting they have come in peace before abandoning all pretense and attacking the nearby humans.
Slumber Party Massacre II
The first Slumber Party Massacre movie was a fairly straightforward slasher, but it was originally conceived as a parody of the genre. Slumber Party Massacre II sticks with this theme, taking the killer from the first film and reanimating him as a greaser, now armed with a drill-bit guitar. It was a box-office success and still has a cult following.
