10 Horror Movie Musicals You Simply Have To See

The first of two Darren Lynn Bousman directed horror musicals on this list, The Devil’s Carnival is in many ways, similar to The Lure. It adapts classic stories, this time Aesop’s Fables, and turns them into something else. The something else in question is absolutely demented this time around.

Turning Hell into a literal carnival and unleashing circus-themed torture on its’ inhabitants, Carnival moves from infernal set piece to demonic dance number with Bousman’s characteristically bold visual flair. Each character represents one of the fables, and again in typical Bousman style as we saw in the Saw movies that he helmed, they Do Not Have A Particularly Fun Time. Some really stomach-churning scenes of torture and violence, combined with the way that the inhabitants of Hell are clearly having a blast inflicting such pain, aren’t softened by the bombastic music. In fact, the soundtrack almost enhances the terror.

Despite being one of the more graphic horror musicals, and certainly more menacing in tone, it still maintains a gleeful sense of twisted fun that makes the viewer feel like they are watching a circus performance rather than a film.