Dead Talents Society is a Taiwanese horror-comedy with an incredibly clever premise, even for the genre. In this story, when people die, they have the opportunity to work scaring the living, a path through which they can become urban legends in the mortal world and celebrities in the underworld. However, those who fail to gain relevance will be forgotten and disappear forever. The story follows The Rookie, a newly deceased girl, who must discover her talent with the help of a talent agent and a veteran diva. On the surface, it’s a very fun film with exaggerated violence that only serves to accentuate its sarcastic humor and self-awareness, parodying Asian horror cinema. However, it also serves as a poignant commentary on societies that worship celebrity and confuse exploitation with productivity and happiness (imagine having to keep working after you die). Winner of the Audience Award at Fantastic Fest 2024, it is one of the most underrated horror comedies in recent years.
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person is a fun Canadian film blending elements of horror and romantic comedy, comfortably fitting alongside films like Only Lovers Left Alive and What We Do in the Shadows. The premise is as dark as its title suggests: after witnessing a traumatic event as a child, Sasha (Sarah Montpetit), a 68-year-old teenage vampire, begins questioning the ethics of the vampire diet and refuses to kill to feed, opting instead for blood bags provided by her parents. She is then kicked out of her home to learn to fend for herself, and when she believes she will starve to death, she finds a solution in Paul (Félix-Antoine Bénard), a suicidal teenager willing to give her his life. However, she cannot bring herself to kill him before helping him fulfill his last wish, and the two embark on a mission across Montreal one night. With biting humor but a lot of tenderness, it's a film as macabre as it is fun and sweet, destined to become a classic in both vampire cinema and romantic comedies, even if its ideas aren't as sharp as its clever title might suggest.
'Shaun of the Dead' is the second movie by Edgar Wright (director of 'Scott Pilgrim Against the World') and a significant milestone in his career. It was his first movie to become popular among a large audience, the first movie of the famous and sensational Cornetto trilogy, and the first partnership between him, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, which he repeated several times afterwards. The movie became popular and earned a place in the imagination of geek culture due to its theme and skill with the genre, becoming a current classic of zombie films. It's no wonder, 'Shaun of the Dead' plays very well with the mix of comedy and horror, has brilliant visual jokes and a dynamic and intelligent editing. Edgar Wright is a visual comedian, and this movie was a laboratory for his experiments.
Abigail demonstrates why we should keep an eye on the director duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, especially when they have original material at their disposal (they also directed Scream 5 and 6, with mixed results). Abigail is a film that manages to balance the terror and tragedy of its characters with the absurdity of its premise, thanks to a clever script that plays with the conventions of vampire literature, careful direction, and a phenomenal cast (led by Mexican actress Melissa Barrera and Dan Stevens) that fully utilizes their roles. The plot follows a group of kidnappers tasked with a delicate job: to kidnap a millionaire's daughter for ransom. However, it all turns out to be a trap: beneath the guise of a 12-year-old girl, the victim is actually an ancient vampire who likes to play with her food. Like Ready or Not in its time, this film is self-aware, pushing its story and violence to the most absurd and fun limits without falling into self-parody. It won’t change the history of horror cinema, but it’s an excellent (and even stylish for a film of its genre, I dare say) choice for a fun time at the movies with friends.
