Film

Treevenge

Name: Treevenge
Genre: Horror, Comedy
Released: 2008
Cast: Jonathan Torrens, Sarah Dunsworth, Maris Morgan, Jayden Taylor, Lex Gigeroff

A sixteen-minute Canadian short that reimagines Christmas trees as victims rising in revolt. Part slasher, part environmental fable, it's genuinely funny and wildly inventive—a horror-comedy that swings for the fences with pratfalls, practical effects, and real menace. Perfect for anyone who loves genre films that refuse to stay in their lane.

TMDb rating

3.4

If you liked this

Killer Klowns from Outer Space1988

Gleefully absurd sci-fi horror that treats ridiculous premises with full-throttle commitment. Clowns as genuine threat, ridiculous kills, and a tone that never winks at its own stupidity—just celebrates it.

But The practical effects are very much of their era. If you need sleek production design, this isn't it.

Black Sheep2006

New Zealand horror-comedy about killer sheep. Like Treevenge, it's genuinely clever about building dread from an inherently silly concept, with real gore and laughs in equal measure.

But The premise is so high-concept that if sheep horror doesn't intrigue you, you've probably already checked out.

Teeth2008

Body horror with a feminist edge and dark humour. Takes a transgressive concept seriously enough to scare you, funny enough to make you laugh at the audacity of what you're watching.

But It's genuinely unsettling about sexual violence in ways that aren't fun. The comedy never overwhelms the genuine menace.

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

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The VelociPastor2018

Both are short films (running just over ninety minutes) made for nothing that weaponise absurdity as genuine horror-comedy. They trust the audience to understand that a ridiculous concept executed with total sincerity is funnier and scarier than irony ever could be.

A priest transforms into a velociraptor to fight crime. Zero budget, absolute conviction, practical effects that charmed even sceptics. Made by people who simply did not care if anyone understood the vision—and that freedom is intoxicating.

But Genuinely inept in ways that aren't always enjoyable. The incompetence is part of the appeal, but only if you're into that specific energy.

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil2010

A horror-comedy that subverts slasher tropes by flipping perspective. Smart, warm-hearted, and finds real scares and real laughs without compromising either one.

But It leans harder on comedy than pure horror. If you came for visceral scares, you might find it too cosy.

What We Do in the Shadows2014

Mockumentary about flatmate vampires in Wellington. The energy is infectious, the gags land hard, and it understands that character work makes comedy land better than setups alone.

But Very talky. If you need constant visual gags rather than smart dialogue, it'll feel slight.

The Cabin in the Woods2012

A deconstruction of horror tropes that loves horror too much to betray it. Surprises come from understanding the genre inside-out, and it trusts the audience to keep up.

But Reveals its twist early. Once you know what it is, rewatching loses some momentum.

Slither2006

A creature-feature that finds comedy in disgust and body horror. Practical effects, genuine affection for B-movie DNA, and a commitment to the bit that's infectious.

But It's very gooey. Sustained body horror isn't everyone's lane, even when it's funny.

Gremlins1984

Spielberg-produced creature comedy that invented the template: cute things that shouldn't be cute, real destruction, practical effects that hold up, and genuine darkness under the laughs.

But Paced for 1984. Long stretches of setup that modern comedies would trim.

Rubber2010

A sentient tire kills people. It's conceptually bonkers, visually inventive, and asks you to feel genuine pathos for an inanimate object. A pure expression of an auteur doing exactly what they want.

But Wilfully obscure and alienating. If you're uncomfortable with challenge and weirdness, this will exhaust you.

Christmas Evil1980

Both use Christmas as a setting for inversion and violence. Where Treevenge makes trees the avenging victims, Christmas Evil makes Christmas iconography the weapon. Both understand that desecrating holiday expectations is horror fuel.

A man dresses as Santa and commits murders. A sincere, genuinely unsettling slasher that uses its December setting for real thematic weight, not just decoration. Weird, tense, and utterly unironic.

But It's a slow-burn. Long stretches of character work before the violence arrives, and when it does, it's more dread than spectacle.

Attack the Block2011

Both are films that centre the perspective of the dispossessed—in Treevenge, literal trees hunted for profit; in Attack the Block, working-class kids defending their neighbourhood. Both use genre to ask who gets to be the monster.

South London teens fight aliens. A sci-fi action film with real stakes, genuine wit, and a perspective you don't see in genre cinema. Made on a modest budget with total confidence in what it's saying.

But The South London dialect is thick. If you're not used to it, subtitles help, but the immersion requires effort to parse.