A new indie horror-comedy titled Bad Karaoke is gearing up for its world premiere at Tubi FrightFest, a London-based genre film festival, on August 30. The screening will take place at the ODEON Luxe West End, and the filmmakers have just released a trailer to build anticipation ahead of the event.
Directed by Chris Lightbody and Robert J. Steinmiller Jr., the film blends humor and horror in a story centered on a deadly karaoke machine. Lightbody co-wrote the screenplay with producer Spencer Yaras. The directors said in a statement that the concept was born from their own agonizing karaoke experiences over the years, which they joked nearly put them in an early grave. They noted that many people have shared similar near-death karaoke moments, and they wanted to explore that idea while attempting to say something meaningful about the state of new music. Instead, they quipped, they ended up making Bad Karaoke.
A Cast of Rising Talent
The film features a cast of emerging performers. Lexi Underwood, known for her role in Little Fires Everywhere, leads the ensemble. She is joined by Case Walker, recognized from The Other Two, and singer Kat Cunning, who appeared in Trinkets. The trio navigates a tongue-in-cheek narrative filled with bloody mayhem as their characters confront a supernatural threat tied to an ordinary-looking karaoke machine.
A Dive Bar Discovery Turns Deadly
According to the official synopsis, the story follows Emily, a keyboardist in a wedding band, who stumbles upon an old karaoke machine tucked away in the back of a dive bar. She initially assumes it will provide a fun evening of singing and bonding with her bandmates. However, the machine reveals itself to have a thirst for blood. Once the singing starts, the violence begins in equal measure.
The characters briefly believe they have found a way to outsmart the machine when an impressive vocal performance appears to spare a performer from harm. That theory is disproven almost immediately, leading to further horrifying deaths. The situation eventually shifts when a mysterious stranger arrives, offering the group a potential path to survival.