Who doesn’t love campy movies? Some are decidedly comedic, others are more experimental with their genres, and some are simply too hard to define. However, campy movies are among the most entertaining and unique pictures in the business, and audiences will surely have a great time with them.
Luckily for them, Netflix has several great options within its impressive catalog. From camp staples that most people know about to more recent offerings that are certified camp classics in the making, these films are among the best examples of this remarkable aesthetic, and fans won’t regret spending their time on them.
10’Slumberland' (2022)
Jason Momoais quickly proving himself a daring performer, unafraid of looking silly. The muscular actor stars in the 2022 Netflix originalSlumberland, based on the comic book stripLittle Nemo in Slumberland.The plot revolves around a young girl who recently lost her father. Entering the world of Slumberland, she joins a peculiar character in a plot to retrieve an item that may reunite her with her father.
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Slumberlandmight be another conventional form of kiddy entertainment were it not for Momoa’s chaotic performance as the rebellious con artist Flip. Momoa embraces his campiest sensibilities, delivering a slightly unhinged but wholly entertaining performance that single-handedly elevatesSlumberlandto new and campy heights.
9’The Babysitter: Killer Queen' (2020)
Comedy and horror go together like birds of a feather; the 2020 Netflix originalThe Babysitter: Killer Queenis the perfect example. The film stars a large ensemble, includingJenna Ortega,Robbie Amell,Bella Thorne, andJudah Lewis, and follows teenager Cole Johnson, who must battle demonic enemies to survive.
A sequel to 2017’s unexpected hitThe Babysitter,Killer Queenis louder, dumber, gorier, and more self-aware of its ridiculousness. The film walks a fine life between campy meta-humor and utter absurdity, although a game cast saves it from being a trainwreck, turning it into a guilty pleasure instead.
8’Single All The Way ' (2021)
Gay rom-coms are becoming more frequent, although only a few have left a mark on audiences. 2021’sSingle All the WaystarsMichael UrieandPhilemon Chambersas two friends who pretend to be a couple for the holidays. Gay iconsLuke Macfarlane,Kathy Najimi, andJennifer Coolidgealso star.
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Single All the Wayis a movie that knows its audience to the tee. It delivers everything a gay Christmas classic should: romance, cheesy dialog, numerous jokes, and a hilarious, scene-stealing performance from Jennifer Coolidge.Single All the Waywill never be among the all-time best rom-coms, but it has a place secured in the annals of camp history.
7’Vampire Academy' (2014)
Based on the 2007 eponymous novel,Vampire Academystars a large ensemble led byZoey DeutchandLucy Fry. The plot follows two friends, a Dhampir training to be a guardian and a Moroi princess, who return to St. Vladimir’s Boarding School after a one-year absence.
Vampire Academyis not a good film. However, it sits firmly in so-bad-it’s-good territory, thanks to its unique mix of teen drama and supernatural fantasy. Deutch delivers a star-making performance, making a meal from the script’s clumsy dialogs and guidingVampire Academyinto the campy vibe it should’ve always aimed for.
6’The School For Good And Evil' (2022)
Paul Feigdirects a spectacular ensemble, includingKerry Washington,Charlize Theron,Michelle Yeoh, andLaurence Fishburne, in Netflix’s adaptation of the 2013 novelThe School for Good and Evil. The plot centers on two best friends who attend the titular schools only to find their fates reversed.
With a source material that embraces the spirit of camp,The School for Good and Evilgoes all-in on the aesthetic.The film failed to launch a Netflix franchise, but it’s not all lost. Feig’s love for camp, coupled with a pair of deliciously over-the-top performances from Washington and Theron, makeThe School for Good and Evila campy delight whose reputation will surely increase in the upcoming years.
5’Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga' (2020)
Will FerrellandOscar-nomineeRachel McAdamsstar in the hysterical comedyEurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. The plot centers on Fire Saga, an inexperienced but enthusiastic Icelandic singing duo who compete at Eurovision with disastrous results.
Elevated by the spectacular chemistry between Ferrell and McAdams,Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Sagaexcels as a loving homage to the popular show that inspired it. Like Eurovision, the film is campy and self-aware, unafraid to put itself in ridicule if it means keeping its audiences entertained; at that, it passes with honors.
4’Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square ' (2020)
The iconicDolly Partonhas done more for camp sensibilities than most other performers. In 2020, she graced Netflix with another campy delight,Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square. The film starsChristine Baranskias a wealthy woman seeking to sell her small town to a land developer, with Parton as an angel who helps prevent the ruthless sale.
The best campy movies are aware of their campiness, andChristmas on the Squareflaunts it with energetic and unabashed pride. With Baranski as the perfect Scrooge-like foil to Parton’s delightful angel, the film is a modern Christmas classic that isn’t afraid to be joyful, sweet, and shamelessly silly.
3’Diana: The Musical ' (2021)
Diana: The Musicalis among the most notorious trainwrecks in recent memory. The Broadway show starsJeanna de Waalas the late Diana Princess of Wales, with the musical chronicling her life, including her marriage to the Prince of Wales, played byRoe Hartrampf.
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Unintentionally funny and with a puzzling collection of songs,Diana: The Musicalis the epitome of a so-bad-it’s-good movie. Frantic and superficial, the musical is unintentionally campy, refusing to go in on the joke and paying dearly for it. However,Dianawill certainly live on in infamy, sharing a place in campy heaven alongside notorious turkeys likeShowgirlsandThe Room.
2’Burlesque' (2010)
Steven Antin’s 2010 musicalBurlesquestars Oscar-winnerCherandiconic singer-turned-actressChristina Aguilera. The plot centers on a small-town aspiring singer who becomes the unexpected star of a struggling burlesque lounge owned in Los Angeles. The film also starsStanley Tucci,Alan Cumming, andKristen Bell.
Any movie with a tagline like “It takes a legend to make a star” is bound to be a campy masterpiece.Burlesqueis dramatic, the movie equivalent of an over-the-top diva refusing to take the stage unless her room-temp water has exactly six drops of lemon. However, the film is confident enough to sell itself, thanks to Cher and Aguilera’s larger-than-life voices and an incredible supporting cast, including several camp icons.
1’Do Revenge' (2022)
Camilla MendesandMaya Hawkestar in the deliciously campy teen filmDo Revenge. A modernized version of Alfred Hitchcock’sStrangers on a Train, the film follows Drea and Eleanor, two high school students at a prestigious Miami school who team up to do each other’s revenge plots against those who harmed them.
Do Revengeis a campy classic in the making. Mendes and Hawke deliver wickedly funny and confident performances, embracing the film’s campy sensibilities and taking them to the next level. Instantly quotable and with a truly surprising twist,Do Revengeis a teen movie done right, a pastel-colored delight that will crush tired tropes and expectations under its sharp stiletto heel.
