10 Hidden Comedy Horror Movie Gems You Need To Watch
6. Lunacy
This Czech comedy-drama revolves around troubled Jean, a man who's afflicted with a phobia of being institutionalised. After befriending an eccentric called the Marquis, Jean believes he can remedy his fear by spending time in a psychiatric ward.
Inspired by the works of Edgar Allen Poe and the Marquis de Sade, Lunacy is a surrealist mash-up, unlike any other. The camera work and editing is so surreal, it's difficult to tell what's real and what isn't.
Every scene transition is accompanied with stop-motion animation of dancing meat and disembodied tongues, just to remind viewers not to take the film too seriously, no matter how dramatic it gets. Although it's hard not to laugh at such surreal imagery, watching organs slop across the floor enhances the overall atmosphere of unease and discomfort.
Much like Inglourious Basterds' Hans Landa, the Marquis is a gleefully entertaining villain. Even though he behaves in a playfully mischievous manner, viewers are constantly reminded of the ineffable power the Marquis wields, making it impossible to relax every time the self-proclaimed nobleman is onscreen.
In a way, the Marquis perfectly encapsulates the horror-comedy genre, since it's difficult to know whether the audience should be laughing their heads off or be scared out of their wits while watching his demented antics.