5 reasons Horror Comedies are the new success formula
Over the decades, the horror genre has comfortably made a safe space in Hindi cinemas. Earlier movies like Purana Mandir (1984), Tahkhana (1986), Purani Haveli (1989) and many others had similar sounding names and plots. The common elements were an ancestral haveli perched at the top of a hill with a lone watchman and a lady in a white sari flickering from the corner of the screen.
Gradually, the formula changed and we had Raaz in 2002 and Bhoot in 2003 with different conflicts and solutions. With the right doses of horror, these movies were successful in scaring the audience in more than one way.
Who’s the audience of horror comedies
Now the makers have roped in comedy with horror to make it consumable by a broader set of audiences. There’s a thin line between people who love to watch horror but fear to consume it all alone. Here this new genre of horror comedies helps in chilling. A trend that’s here to stay.
What’s the formula
This genre has a few comic moments either enacted by a separate comedian in the movie by the lead actors themselves. It has opened doors of entertainment for the whole family as opposed to only horror that targeted a specific niche.
This dilution has garnered more eyeballs from different sections of the society.
Low budget high earnings
Most horror comedies are shot in one place only with limited number of characters and surroundings. They are devoid of crowded malls, eating joints, groups of people etc to create spookiness. Hence these low-budget movies do decent business at the box office.
Do they have a storyline
The plot needs to be binding. Be it just the basics like introducing the ghost, affecting the family members and a saint helping out with sacred quotations. With horror comedy, the task is a bit difficult since along with scaring the audience, they need to enjoy the lighter moments of comedy. In the recently released films, Bhool Bhulaiya and Stree did a good job.
Are they here to stay
As the box office and trade pandits state, horror comedies can keep the audience glued until the end so they are surely here to stay for long.
Have you watched a horror comedy you want to recommend to us?
