As any good horror movie fan knows, there are many, many tropes which have been prevalent within the genre for decades. More often than not, it’s the depressing case of a directors lazily copying what has gone before. However, increasingly we’re seeing intelligent, innovative and inspired takes on familiar themes. This is a particular popular subject in anthology films, where there’s much more licence to run amok.
There are no film collections which epitomise this more than The ABCs of Death and VHS (and its sequels). There is, however, a new kid in town. Scare Package is a selection of humorous horror cuts from seven different directors (Hillary & Courtney Andujar, Anthony Cousins, Emily Hagins, Aaron B. Koontz, Chris McInroy, Noah Segan and Baron Vaughn). These vignettes are connected through the ministrations of Rad Chad’s Horror Emporium.
There’s much to like in Scare Package. The central story does a great job of marrying everything together and it’s full of great ideas and fresh takes. As is often the case with anthologies, some sections are stronger than others – the mix in experience of the directors sometimes shows. The strongest segments are Hagins’ Cold Open and Cousins’ Part IV: The Final Kill, but there’s something to enjoy in every one. If you like your horror with a large slice of humour, Scare Package will definitely be for you.
Scare Package is available exclusively on Shudder (US, Canada and UK) from 18 June.
