You really know what to expect when the opening scene of a movie shows a drunk man tripping and landing on a karaoke machine, only to electrocute him. This also results in the woman singing seeing her eyeballs pop out of her head, which immediately ends her rendition of I only have eyes for you (get it?!) with one of them landing directly in a glass of beer. Directors Robert J. Steinmiller Jr. and Chris Lightbody previously said, “We were inspired to make this film after years of painful karaoke performances that almost put us in an early grave.” A scene well and truly set.
A cover band with a checkered history heads to their last (and potentially final) wedding concert, but the members decide to stop for drinks along the way. At the backwater bar, keyboardist Emily (Lexi Underwood) comes across a surprisingly sinister karaoke machine known as a “sing-a-ling.” Emily takes the machine with little reluctance from the people at the bar.
Once the group arrives at their Airbnb, the party ensues: booze, weed, and, of course, karaoke. Logan (Kevin Clayette) is the first to take on the karaoke challenge with a rendition of I’m sexy and I know it. The band enjoys the comedic, over-the-top performance, but not the machine. He states that the performance was poor and presents Logan with one of three ways to die. Confused, Logan accidentally makes a choice, leading to bloody and visceral consequences.
Despite attempting to stop the machine and being unable to leave the area, the remaining group members are forced to participate in a life-threatening round of karaoke where they must sing for their lives, each telling themselves, “I will survive.” There is no ambiguity about Bad karaoke– it’s an anarchic comedy-horror that has its tongue firmly on its cheek. This is perfectly illustrated when the first person to succumb to the “sing-a-ling” is told to “go away” after their heart bursts out of their chest.
Comedy and horror blend very well, with visceral blood, guts and gore effects harmonizing with farcical scenes of the group trying to clean the blood-soaked rental house while the owners wait at the front door. Actors do more than play their roles; each ridiculous setup is not played for laughs, but rather is treated as seriously as an acoustic rendition of Alleluia. One thing Bad karaoke does not lack originality, especially when it comes to choosing an object to own. Lamps, dolls, amulets and even people have been cursed by malevolent forces, but this is surely the first time a karaoke machine has been possessed by something more powerful than a series of ’80s power ballads.
Although the story is rather anarchic, there is thoughtfulness and sentimentality given to certain song choices by specific members of the group, which adds a refreshing depth. Each singer uses different strategies to defeat the machine. There are also subtle riffs on the friction between originality and creativity and familiarity and conformity. Even though most of the comedy is slapstick and chaotic, the filmmakers seem to be making a conscious effort to be inclusive, so it’s surprising to see a blind character become the butt of several jokes. These include the character unable to use a cane and crash into objects, despite having been blind for almost 15 years.
Bad karaoke it’s a bit like participating in real karaoke: it’s fun, light, shouldn’t be taken too seriously and is best enjoyed in a group, preferably with several drinks under your belt. It’s enjoyable and ridiculously fun, although actual karaoke generally tends to have fewer butt explosions. Generally.
Movie rating: 3.5/5
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Bad karaoke had its world premiere at FrightFest 2026.
