Film

Black Sheep

Other titles called Black Sheep: the 1935 film, the 1996 film.

A New Zealand horror-comedy about a man with sheep-inflicted trauma who must face down a murderous genetically-engineered flock. It's silly, gory, and exactly as committed to its premise as the title promises. Genuinely funny creature-feature that doesn't wink at the audience so hard it breaks its own neck.

TMDb rating2.9

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you relish splatter played for big, daft laughs, where a rural farce turns into a bloody siege and the gore is part of the joke.

Skip it if you flinch at animal peril or want horror that unsettles rather than amuses; the gags are loud, and the goriness is cheerfully relentless.

What it asks of you: Expect a lean 86 minutes that sprints from set piece to set piece, asking you to accept a silly premise and stay with the mess without taking it seriously.

If you liked this

Tremors1990

Giant underground monsters terrorising a small town, played with B-movie sincerity and genuine craft. Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward have real chemistry, and the creature design is inventive without becoming silly.

But It's deliberately paced and somewhat long; the creature reveal takes time. Some find the earnestness tedious rather than charming.

Tremors poster

Eight Legged Freaks2002

Giant mutant spiders attack Arizona. It's got Kari Wuhrer and David Arquette not taking themselves seriously, proper practical effects, and genuine set-pieces. Knows exactly what it is and commits completely.

But The creature effects have aged, and the human drama is thin. It's very much a Saturday afternoon movie, which some viewers find undernourishing.

Eight Legged Freaks poster

Evil Dead II1987

Raimi's horror-comedy masterclass. Bruce Campbell covered in blood and makeup, slapstick violence, imaginative gore, and an energy that never stops. It's chaotic and genuinely inventive, not just jokey.

But The tonal shifts can feel abrupt; it's less horror than slapstick with horror flavouring. The practical effects work is intentionally ugly and low-fi in places.

Evil Dead II poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Black Sheep

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Watership Down1978

Both films stake their entire premise on taking animals seriously as sources of horror and danger. Neither winks at the absurdity; the commitment is what makes them work.

An animated rabbit apocalypse that is genuinely terrifying—violent, bleak, and utterly serious about its premise. Like Black Sheep, it takes animals as protagonists without irony, creating genuine stakes and a haunting atmosphere.

But It's British and slow-paced, with a visual style that looks quaint by modern standards. The deliberate pacing will lose viewers expecting action; it's meditative, not thrilling.

Watership Down poster
More like this (8)

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil2010

A genuine subversion of horror tropes. Two hillbillies are mistaken for killers; the misunderstanding drives escalating chaos. It's clever without being smug, funny without losing tension, and Alan Tudyk is perfect.

But The premise is stronger than the execution; once you see where it's going, some scenes drag. It can feel like it's congratulating itself for the concept.

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil poster

Shaun of the Dead2004

Zombie comedy that actually understands zombies as a metaphor. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have perfect comic timing, the gore is satisfying, and it balances laughs and genuine scares without ever breaking character.

But It's British comedy at the core; if that rhythm doesn't land for you, neither will the rest. The romantic subplot can feel tacked on to some viewers.

Shaun of the Dead poster

Slither2006

Alien slugs turn a small town into body-horror chaos. James Gunn's directorial debut is visceral, funny, and beautifully grotesque. Michael Rooker is gloriously unhinged, and the practical creature work is stunning.

But It's genuinely disgusting—more graphic than most horror-comedies. If practical gore effects make you queasy, this will test you.

Slither poster

The Cabin in the Woods2012

A deconstruction of horror clichés that works as both satire and genuine scares. The final act is a hall-of-fame creature reveal, and it respects its audience's knowledge of the genre while still terrifying them.

But The premise is better than the execution; once you understand the concept, some of the mystery evaporates. The meta-commentary can overshadow the human stakes.

The Cabin in the Woods poster

Teeth2008

Vagina dentata body-horror played entirely straight. It's genuinely unsettling, darkly funny without announcing itself as comedy, and structured like a coming-of-age film. Jess Weixler is committed and vulnerable throughout.

But It's aggressively uncomfortable, especially early on. The tonal shifts between horror and social commentary can feel jarring; it's demanding of its audience.

Teeth poster

BASEketball1998

Trey Parker and Matt Stone made a sports comedy that's anarchic and genuinely inventive. If you're in its specific wavelength, it's endlessly quotable and absurdly entertaining.

But It's juvenile, aggressively so. The humour feels dated, and unless you're already a Parker-Stone devotee, the references and tone can feel exhausting rather than funny.

BASEketball poster

The Wailing2016

Both use genre—horror-comedy and folk horror respectively—to examine paranoia and what happens when a community turns on itself. The surface genre masks a deeper exploration of fear and isolation.

A Korean horror-mystery that spirals from a simple premise into theological terror. It's gorgeously shot, genuinely unsettling, and the final reveals recontextualise everything. Operates on dread, not jump-scares.

But It's nearly three hours and deliberately obscure. The ending is ambiguous in ways that frustrate rather than intrigue many viewers. It demands active engagement and repeat viewings.

The Wailing poster

Brain Damage1988

Both are uncompromising genre films from outside the mainstream that commit entirely to their central conceit. They trust the audience to accept the premise and find horror and humour in the same place.

Frank Henenlotter's surrealist body-horror comedy about a man possessed by a parasitic brain. It's grotesque, hilarious, and visually inventive in ways mainstream cinema never attempts. Genuinely transgressive without being pretentious.

But It's deliberately sleazy and gross; the practical effects are intentionally off-putting. It's a cult film for a reason—the tone and sensibility alienate most mainstream viewers immediately.

Brain Damage poster

People

Cast

Directing

Writing

Production

Recommended by