10 Best Horror Movies Set In Amusement Parks
1. The Funhouse (1981)
In 1981, at the very peak of the slasher movie boom, Universal Pictures sought out horror alum Tobe Hooper to make what is perhaps the ultimate amusement park horror movie.
The Funhouse tells the story of teenager Liz and her group of school friends as they dare to stay after-hours at a town carnival. Unfortunately they witness a murder and become the homicidal individuals next targets.
What makes The Funhouse work so well is that it dares to be so wonderfully weird at times, and of course, that means it will stick with audiences. A perfectly assembled ensemble cast is present and give performances ranging from the eerie to the overblown as assorted carnival workers.
Where the film really shines in its final act with the seemingly non-stop chase scenes through the brightly lit, smoky Funhouse... Eventually cornering us into an air duct, the movie time and again succeeds in making a petite villain that could be seen as laughable a frightening and even intimidating force.
The Funhouse no doubt still resonates with viewers today due to its basis in folklore. The film artfully works the legends of The Travelling Carnival And The Missing Children and The Boy Who Cried Wolf into its story. We all know these tales, but seeing them play out as part of a slasher film makes them harder to dismiss as merely tall tales.