Have you ever watched a slasher movie and thought, I know what would improve this—some Disney Channel original songs! Probably not, but that new-found curiosity can be quenched by Stage Fright. Directed by Jerome Sable, Stage Fright is a Canadian horror musical that combines all the well-known tropes of the slasher subgenre with all the corny nostalgia of Camp Rock. It revels in its ridiculousness, with huge ensemble numbers that indulge in cliché lyrics as well as acknowledging the stereotypes of musical theater. Yet, this doesn’t mean it forgets the horror element, with gory kills that incorporate the stagey setting. It tackles an unusual cross-section of interests and is an absolute treat for musical theater and horror fans alike.
‘Stage Fright’ Is a Horror Love Letter to Theater Kids
Stage Fright is set around a theater camp’s production of The Haunting of the Opera (a clear reference to one of the longest-running musicals of all time, The Phantom of the Opera). The Demi Lovato of the situation is Camilla (Allie MacDonald), who is working in the camp kitchen (just like Mitchie from Camp Rock) with her brother. A prologue shows the pair’s mother, Kylie Swanson (Minnie Driver), playing the lead in The Haunting of the Opera on Broadway. However, after the show, Kylie is brutally stabbed by a killer wearing the same mask as the show’s antagonist. Now being raised by Kylie’s ex-lover, Roger (Meat Loaf), who runs the theater camp, Camilla cannot pass on the opportunity to take the role that her mother originated.
The dynamics of the camp mirror are as ruthless as Wall Street, with bribery and blackmailing used to gain power and insight. Through this, Stage Fright is packed with self-deprecating humor, poking fun at the absurdity and almost cult-ish atmosphere of theater camp while also acknowledging what an important and safe space it can be for outsiders. This is epitomized in “Where We Belong,” the musical number sung by the campers—aptly named the center stagers—as they arrive at the camp. It is styled as a big dance extravaganza, but the happy tune is juxtaposed with lyrics about the cruel reality of these kids’ lives outside of camp. Lyrics such as “I got beaten up a dozen times for singing Stephen Sondheim’s rhymes” and “That wasn’t school bullies that was my dad” immediately set the tone of the movie and welcome the audience into the self-aware comedy.
‘Stage Fright’ Utilizes Its Theater Setting in Its Kills
Stage Fright has the tricky task of finding the balance between two widely different genres, and it succeeds by going full throttle with both. The dance numbers are extravagant and over-the-top, but so are the death sequences. These scenes are genuinely gruesome, with squeamish close-ups of limbs breaking. And, as the killer is devoid of a signature weapon, the kills are not restricted to a particular method or MO. However, what makes Stage Fright’s kills all the more memorable is the way they utilize the theater camp setting. Too often in the horror genre, a movie will have an isolated environment rife for creativity only to revert back to the standard weapons. Stage Fright avoids this trap.
There is careful humor in Stage Fright, with the killer borrowing the sinister taunting from Ghostface in Scream. They toy with their victim, constantly maintaining complete control of the situation with one-liners such as “break a leg,” which have cruel double meanings. This gives the killer personality and a vibrancy that blends perfectly into the eccentric environment. Having a silent stalker archetype for the killer in Stage Fright would’ve clashed too much with the movie’s tone. Allowing the killer to be a bit goofy and fun is what facilitates blending slasher with musical theater.
Stage Fright has all the gleeful energy of a Disney Channel original movie; the petty drama and melodramatics that make the likes of Camp Rock so nostalgic and entertaining. It contrasts this energy with a killer who hates musical theater but still gives him songs to express his hatred. The way it leans into its absurdity is what gives it leeway in its pitfalls. It is completely bonkers and was made for that niche cross-section of individuals who love both horror and musical theater.
Stage Fright is available to rent on Apple TV in the U.S.
Watch on Apple TV
