Guilty pleasure movies are the perfect remedy following a long working day (or week), or just when you're tired of watching movies that take themselves too seriously. Movies that allow the audience to switch their brains off and enjoy what they're watching purely for the entertainment value are a necessary counterbalance to those hard dramas or philosophical sci-fis that require the viewer's full attention.
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Child's Play (1988)
The horror franchise that made Child's Play became an instant cult classic after its release in 1988 and gave the world the now-iconic horror-movie villain, Chucky. In the film, the harmless-looking doll is gifted to a boy by his mother as a birthday present, though they soon discover that Chucky is haunted by the spirit of a serial killer, and begins to go on a murderous rampage.
The Child's Play films (of which there are many, including a 2019 reboot) all deliver on the entertainment front, providing enough grisly horror to satisfy fans that are tuning in for the violence, alongside a ludicrous plot that's good for some giggles. While Chucky might not be scary enough to haunt one's dreams, he's still an icon for a good reason. There's no other horror-movie villain like him.
Final Destination (2000)
The Final Destination series kicked off in the year 2000, bringing with it an original concept that horror fans could get behind. The film follows a group of friends who cheat death, only to later discover that 'death' is not done with them, and begins to kill them off one by one, in some highly creative ways.
While there have been many horror films where the villain can't be seen, none had tackled the idea of fate itself turning against the protagonists until Final Destination. What really sold audiences on the film was not the concept so much as the inventive death scenes, which makes this one an excellent choice for some guilty pleasure viewing.
Ghost Rider (2007)
Based on the Ghost Rider got the long-awaited film treatment in 2007 with Nicolas Cage in the lead role as Johnny Blaze, a stuntman motorcyclist who sells his soul to the devil to save his father's life. In return, he receives hellish powers and becomes the devil's servant.
Ghost Rider falls into the so-bad-it's-good guilty pleasure viewing category. It's full of cheesy dialogue, sub-standard performances, and some questionable CGI. Despite that, the film is still a lot of fun and offers just enough entertainment value by way of action and cool character design for viewers to sit through and enjoy.
The Green Inferno (2014)
Horror maestro, Eli Roth's The Green Inferno saw his cast of student activist characters head to the Amazon jungle where they're confronted by a local tribe with a taste for flesh. The film starts off relatively lighthearted as the audience gets acquainted with the characters, and in classic Roth style, things turn really dark really quick for them.
Gory horror movies can be difficult to watch and are extremely unsettling when done right. However, the gore in The Green Inferno is so over-the-top that it's hard not to laugh at every sight of it. This is no slight to the director, though, as he's clearly having fun with this one and the audience will too.
The Babysitter (2017)
The Netflix Original film The Babysitter takes the classic trope of a boy in love with his babysitter and turns it into an entertaining and violent horror-comedy ride. The boy gets in over his head after defiantly spying on his babysitter after his bedtime, to discover that she is a murderous occultist that soon sets her sights on him as her victim.
Director McG takes the film's plot and fully exaggerates his depiction of the events, making for a ridiculous and enjoyable guilty pleasure viewing experience. It's a far-fetched film that offers the cheapest of thrills, though it may still have parents wondering about the vetting process when interviewing their next potential babysitter.
Tusk (2014)
For Tusk is the way to go for a guilty pleasure movie night. Justin Long plays a podcaster who travels to Canada to meet a mysterious recluse with a love for Walruses. Long's character gets more than he bargains for when he finds himself on the receiving end of a human-walrus-hybrid transformation.
The film was mostly shunned by fans and critics, though it's easy to understand why with a premise this ridiculous. Body-horror movies tend to have a niche following, and even Kevin Smith's name wasn't enough to get this film seen by a large audience. Nevertheless, for a horror movie with a slightly different twist as well as elements of humor, viewers should do fine with Tusk.
The Perfection (2018)
Another must-see Netflix Original is the twisted The Perfection. Set in the classical music world, a former child prodigy with a troublesome past seeks out the current star student at her old music school and they soon become friends. The pair then head down a dark and disturbing path, full of twists and turns.
The Perfection excels in keeping the audience guessing all the way through to its shocking climax, and the journey to get there is full of unsettling, and often gory moments. It's those moments as well as some of the ludicrous twists that make this film a guilty pleasure treat, though it can, and likely will cause viewers a lot of discomfort.
Candyman (1992)
He may not be as popular as Freddy, Jason, or Chucky, but the hook-for-a-hand Candyman is a Candyman released in 1992 and became a cult classic, spawning two sequels, as well as an reboot in 2020 from producer Jordan Peele.
Candyman is essentially a classic slasher-horror; the kind that always makes for good guilty pleasure viewing. What sets it apart from other films in the genre is the supernatural/mythical element, which gives it a scarier edge, and its nuanced treatment of race. The thought of accidentally summoning a murderous soul is one that may cause a sense of dread in viewers.
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010)
In the most hilarious case of mistaken identity, two hillbillies on vacation at their run-down mountain cabin are mistaken for murderers by a group of college students in Tucker and Dale vs Evil. The two well-meaning friends find themselves in a comedy of errors where the college students are inadvertently killed off one-by-one.
Tucker and Dale vs Evil takes the killer-hillbilly trope and twists it around in an attempt to reverse the stereotype. It's full of laugh-out-loud comedy and the two protagonists are impossible not to like. The humor is clever and the death scenes are ingenious, making for a well-rounded, unique entry into the horror-comedy subgenre.
The Evil Dead (1981)
The ultimate cult classic horror movie, Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead is guilty pleasure viewing at its finest. The film follows a group of friends who visit a remote cabin in the woods for a getaway and discover an ancient book and audiotape, which hold the power to summon demons. And summon the friends do, and it drives them crazy and murders them one-by-one.
What makes The Evil Dead so special is just how effective it is at telling its story on a minuscule budget, and it features a charismatic star in Bruce Campbell. It's also darkly comical, making the many brutal, practical horror scenes easier to stomach. Its over-the-top violence and quirky leading character make this one of the better guilty pleasure horrors out there.
