Destroy All Neighbors (2024): Musical mayhem and undead laughter now on Shudder

Appearing now on Shudder, Destroy All Neighbors is a dark comedy with ultra-strong elements of horror and a unique premise sure to baffle and bemuse. The cast, featuring Jonah Ray Rodrigues, Alex Winter, and Kiran Deol, has a mix of talent and familiarity. Jonah Ray Rodrigues is known for starring in Mystery Science Theater 3000. Alex Winter is widely known for playing Bill S. Preston Esq. in the Bill & Ted franchise. Deol is known for appearing on the NBC/Hulu comedy Sunnyside and ABC's Modern Family.

The synopsis of Destroy All Neighbors? It's a twisted and humorous storyline with a focus on a musician's journey intertwined with accidental murders and undead chaos. Jonah plays William Brown, a musician who is trying to compose a prog rock masterpiece, but continually gets annoyed, disturbed, and threatened by an obnoxious and creepy neighbor, Vlad (Winter). The combination of practical effects and a well-known ensemble cast may contribute to the appeal of the film, especially for fans of the splatter-comedy genre. If you enjoy dark humor, gore, and unconventional storytelling, Destroy All Neighbors could be an entertaining watch.

Personally, I liked it, and I know people read positive reviews and sometimes think, "Yeah, right, it probably sucks, and this reviewer is probably getting paid to say that..." Well, those checks never arrived, baby! I actually just like this movie, and may very well give it a rewatch when the mood is right, maybe I'll try pairing it with some prog rock masterpiece and see if it syncs up with this, just as people do with Dark Side of the Moon and the Wizard of Oz. (Then again, I am probably too lazy for that).

Are there any weaknesses to Destroy All Neighbors?

I try to write balanced reviews, so if a review is mostly positive, I'll try to think of some possible pitfalls, keeping in mind not all viewers share my tastes. What I can say is that, if you do not like oddball, random humor, and gory horror comedies overall, you're probably not going to fall in love. Destroy All Neighbors is definitely on the goofy side, so you probably won't be shivering in your boots while watching this one. That seems like a possible legitimate gripe someone might have if they are looking for more hard-hitting scares. Other than that, I keep wanting to call it Destroy All Monsters, thanks to the Godzilla franchise.

That being said, I'd like to think the vast majority of horror fans will likely be okay with this one. There is a bit of a story to it, but it's not overwhelming. Also, even though some will surely compare it to 1980s horror flicks (especially horror comedies), I wasn't dragged too deeply into some nostalgia overdose remorse phase after watching this. It has enough of a "now" feel, and doesn't seem overly obsessed with installing homages to previous horror films every 10 seconds (though, honestly, that doesn't always ruin a movie). But I'll shut up now. Go ahead and check out Destroy All Neighbors!

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