Film

Attack of the Killer Donuts

Name: Attack of the Killer Donuts
Genre: Comedy, Horror
Released: 2016
Cast: Kayla Compton, C. Thomas Howell, Christine Nguyen, Michael Swan, Justin Ray

A chemical accident animates a batch of donuts into murderous pastries, and a small-town crew must stop the carb-based carnage. It's silly B-movie horror that knows exactly what it is—think *Gremlins* crossed with a Sugar Rush nightmare. Perfect if you want gore, laughs, and zero pretension.

TMDb rating

2.1

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love cheap, cheerful creature features that wink at their own silliness, where a rubber-suit monster and a deadpan small-town cast are the whole point and the gore is a joke.

Skip it if you need a tight, serious horror film, since this one runs on broad slapstick and sight gags, and its low budget shows in the effects and the pacing.

What it asks of you: It runs about ninety-eight minutes and rarely slows down, so it asks you to go with its goofy energy rather than lean in for dread or character depth.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Gremlins1984

The template for cute-things-go-wrong horror-comedy. Mogwai wreak havoc with the same anarchic glee as killer donuts, and Dante nails the tonal balance between genuine scares and absurdist fun.

But The pacing drags in the middle, and some of the creature effects show their age badly. It's also genuinely darker in places than the premise suggests.

Tremors1990

A creature feature that prioritizes wit and character over spectacle. It's absurd—giant worms in Nevada—but treats the premise with deadpan seriousness, which is exactly the energy Killer Donuts is reaching for.

But Slower than you'd expect. Long stretches with no action, just people talking and problem-solving. If you want constant movement, this will test your patience.

Food Fight2008

Giant food monsters attack a town—it's nearly identical in concept and energy. The practical effects are charmingly low-budget, and the cast leans into the madness without winking at the audience.

But Production quality is notably worse. The dialogue is clunky, pacing stutters, and it genuinely tests whether you're in on the joke or just watching something incompetent.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Attack of the Killer Donuts

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Cemetery of Splendor2015

Both treat a seemingly comic premise (whether absurd or abstract) with complete emotional seriousness, creating unease through the gap between form and content.

Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul's dreamy, meditative film about a mysterious sleeping illness in a small town. It sounds nothing like Killer Donuts—it's slow, poetic, beautifully composed—but shares a core idea: the surreal invading the mundane, ordinary spaces becoming uncanny, a community confused by an invisible threat.

But It's slow cinema. Nothing happens in conventional ways; there's no plot, barely dialogue, and it asks you to sit with mood and confusion. Impatient viewers will find it pretentious and boring.

Eight Legged Freaks2002

Giant spiders terrorize Arizona with the same B-movie sincerity. Likeable characters, genuine danger mixed with humour, and enough practical spectacle to feel like real stakes.

But Plays it straighter than Killer Donuts; there's less overt comedy, so it can feel uneven if you're looking for consistent laughs.

Killer Sofa2019

A murderous piece of furniture stalks a woman through Auckland. It's weirdly inventive within its constraints, genuinely funny, and has a scrappy indie charm that matches Killer Donuts' spirit.

But The novelty can wear thin over ninety minutes. Once you've seen the sofa attack people repeatedly, the joke starts stretching.

The VelociPastor2018

A priest transforms into a dinosaur and fights ninjas. It's aggressively committed to being ridiculous, the practical effects are hilarious, and it never explains itself—which is exactly the point.

But It's genuinely incoherent. Plot threads go nowhere, continuity doesn't exist, and some viewers will find it unwatchable rather than charming.

Rubber2010

A sentient tire rolls through the desert killing people. It's genuinely weird, unpretentious, and refuses to explain its own premise. As a statement of "what if we made a movie about something completely stupid?", it's oddly inspiring.

But It's deliberately obscure and frustrating. Long stretches of nothing happening, and the murder scenes lack the catharsis or momentum you might want.

The Morning Show2019

Both use genre (horror vs. workplace drama) as a container for character chemistry and situational chaos. The pleasure is watching competent people improvise under pressure.

A dark comedy-drama about chaos and ego at a live TV show, where every day brings new disasters and impossible problems that the team somehow solves. Like Killer Donuts, it's ensemble-based, fast-paced, and finds humour in escalating absurdity—but trades blood for workplace politics.

But The tone whips around unpredictably; it's never sure if it's comedy, drama, or satire. Some episodes feel sincere in ways that undercut the fun, and the show becomes increasingly heavy-handed about #MeToo themes.

What We Do in the Shadows2019

Same tonal DNA: supernatural threat treated as mundane inconvenience, genre tropes deployed for character comedy, ensemble work prioritized over plot.

Four vampires navigate modern life in New York—absurd premise played with deadpan perfection. Mockumentary format, enormous heart beneath the comedy, and the cast's commitment to treating ridiculousness as routine. It's what Killer Donuts is aiming for, just with better resources and sharper writing.

But The US version lost some of the original's bite (the New Zealand film is sharper). Also, by season three, it relies heavily on guest stars and celebrity cameos rather than core character dynamics.