Bubblegum Horror: The Forgotten Genre By Kayla Doria Ward

By Kayla Doria Ward

Bubblegum Horror is a horror subgenre I’d forgotten existed until rewatching Lisa Frankenstein this spooky season. I love the neon 80s visuals and cheesy, rom-com-esque dialogue. In fact, when describing Bubblegum Horror, that is my go-to explanation. Imagine Y2K rom-com visuals mixed with the disturbing or unsettling storyline of a traditional horror or thriller.

Some films lean farther into one niche than others. Final Girls leans heavily into cheesy dialogue and scenarios, yet the story still follows a traditional slasher blueprint. The Loved Ones is a gruesome horror with cute paper crowns and colorful lights as a disguise.

I found Bubblegum Horror to not have a definitive label when researching a root definition. I believe you can categorize many movies as Bubblegum Horror, as long as you are specific about their subcategories.

One definition I found interesting, though not entirely applicable to the genre as a whole, is a comment by user M_O_O_O_O_T on Reddit: “I've heard the term 'bubblegum' applied to music before, specifically very commercialized pop that tries extra hard to have the widest possible appeal, & often geared toward people that aren't really music fans on the whole.

Going by that logic, I'd say it would be similar - very commercial, unoffensive, & not at all challenging. Basically something you could throw on any time without having to pay much attention. I guess the horror equivalent would be PG stuff aimed at teens for the most part - big franchise stuff ; Twilight, Underworld, Resident Evil maybe?”

While this could be a solid subcategory within the genre, I don’t believe it encapsulates the genre as a whole. Lisa Frankenstein is technically a Horror movie, given the main character's love interest is a rip of Frankenstein's Monster. That's right: NOT Frankenstein, Frankenstein's Monster. But I wouldn’t put it in a traditional Horror subgenre like Monster/Creature or Comedy because of its glittery, neon-bright front.

That said, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite Bubblegum Horror films that deserve love, whether or not they follow all or some of the genre's rules. In no particular order, of course. I won’t make you scroll to the bottom of the page to judge my favorite.

1. The Love Witch (2016)

The film follows Elaine, a modern-day witch who is fixated on finding the storybook man of her dreams. In classic witch fashion, she brews potions and performs spells, but they unfortunately work too well. Men become way too obsessed and fall for her faster than a bad date who still texts good morning. Men who fail to live up to Elaine’s standards are inadvertently killed, one by one. Until she seems to have met her perfect man, a homicide detective named Griff. But her past and trauma may catch up to her before she is able to pursue the ideal relationship she’s always dreamed of.

I remember discovering this during the 2020 lockdown and thinking I'd found a 60s gem because of the visuals. From the set design to the dialogue, it's all so dreamy and nostalgic.

2. Hausu/House (1977)

A classic that I probably watched way too young. The film follows seven Japanese schoolgirls who start summer vacation by taking a trip to one of the girls, Gorgeous, aunt's countryside home. Gorgeous is trying to avoid her new stepmom and dad, as she is upset at the thought of her dad replacing her deceased mother. When they arrive at her aunt's, the trip doesn’t seem like much of a distraction. The girls start witnessing events that make the house seem supernatural and downright creepy. It quickly takes a turn when the house proves to be more than just a creepy death trap.

Of any film on the list, this is definitely the most visually interesting and borderline psychedelic in some scenes. I don’t think many films pair a plot and visuals like this. Imagine mixing Alice in Wonderland visuals and The Grudge's loose plot.

3. Jawbreaker (1999)

The film follows three popular girls, Courtney, Jules, and Foxy, who accidentally murder their best friend with a jawbreaker. Instead of confessing to the murders, Courtney, the “mastermind” behind the prank, convinces the others to cover it up. Jules becomes increasingly guilt-ridden and starts to distance herself from Courtney and Foxy. Meanwhile, the pair is forced to dress up the “quiet, socially awkward” girl to replace Jules in the clique after she sniffs out their little secret.

The best way to describe this is a twisted baby of Mean Girls and Heathers. Personally, I think it has the same visual and plot charm as Clueless. Maybe I am just grouping 90s/2000s era movies, but that is all I could think of when rewatching. Overall, if you love 90s coming-of-age teen movies but wish they had a bit of Scream added in, I think you’ll enjoy this film.

4. The Final Girls (2015)

This one is probably my favorite on this list because of its stacked, niche cast. Taissa Farmiga, Adam DeVine, Thomas Middleditch, Alia Shawkat, and Nina Dobrev. Cmon! This film follows Max, a grieving teen who lost her mom, Amanda, the scream queen of the 1986 slasher Camp Bloodbath. At an anniversary screening, Max and friends are sucked into the slasher and forced to play along with its plot to make it to the end of the movie. The movie is riddled with cheesy slasher tropes, and the friends start to subvert them to guide the characters to safety. But as the title suggests, will there still be a final girl in the end?

This definitely leans into the comedic, satirical side, but this helps the visuals/set when the group enters Camp Bloodbath. It is great for fans of classics like Friday the 13th and 80s summer-camp horror. I’d also recommend it to horror gamers. It reminds me of The Quarry, but with free-roam and free will instead of the game's fixed choices.

5. Tragedy Girls (2017)

Another stacked cast including Alexandra Shipp, Josh Hutcherson, Austin Abrams, Jack Quaid, and Brianna Hildebrand. The film follows two girls, Sadie and McKayla, who are dying to achieve social media fame on their true-crime blog, Tragedy Girls. When they commit a messy murder of the “viral” popular guy Toby, they kidnap the small-town serial killer on tips to go down in true crime history. As they gain massive followings, they struggle to juggle being killers, reporters, friends, and newfound fame without blowing their cover.

If you grew up watching BuzzFeed movies or any influencer-made movie starring Lia Marie Johnson, this is right up your alley. Don’t expect a groundbreaking movie going into it, and you’ll have a great time. It is very 2010s awkward campy, but in the best way possible.

6. Greener Grass (2019)

I’m not sure why this film gave me such an unsettling feeling when I was younger, but after a rewatch, I can’t believe how absurdly amazing this film is. The film follows mom best friends, Jill and Lisa, as they exist in a perfectly polished suburban nightmare. Everyone in town wears braces for perfect teeth, drives golf carts but is always late because of four-way-stop manners, and the pair constantly mix up husbands because everyone is so similar and perfect! But when Jill “gifts” her newborn to Lisa at a Little League soccer game, she slowly starts to question the world around her. Without giving away all the absurd events that drive her to her wits' end, Jill does end up breaking four-way stop etiquette in the end.

This film's style and plot aren't for everyone. It might seem confusing and sloppy on the surface, but I love its over-the-top commentary on suburban hell. The visuals are so bright and colorful that you can’t help but laugh or smile most of the film. Give it a fair shot if you like the weird charm of liminal spaces; I think you’ll find the visuals to be as interesting as Backrooms.

7. The Loved Ones (2009)

The film follows Brent, who is abducted by Lola and her father after rejecting her invitation to the upcoming dance. When Brent wakes up tied to a chair in her basement wearing a tuxedo, the night unfolds into a brutal, psychopathic prom.

Of all the films on the list, this one definitely sticks closer to horror than bubblegum. As brutal and demented as it is, it's a great Australian indie to check out if you’re into other horrors like Would You Rather (2012) and Funny Games (1997).

Sources

Costa, I. Her Campus. Glittery and Gorey: How bubblegum horror is taking over the genre. Her Campus at JMU.

https://www.hercampus.com/school/jmu/g/

Ecstatic_Disk_6877. (2024). Bubblegum horror? [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/horror/comments/1lw5ct3/bubblegum_horror/