We’ve all sat through a karaoke cover so agonizing it felt like an actual hate crime. Now, co-directors Chris Lightbody and Robert J. Steinmiller Jr. are taking that universal nightmare and turning it into a literal body count.
Making their feature directorial debut, Lightbody and Steinmiller have officially announced the world premiere of Bad Karaoke. It’s a pitch-black horror-comedy where an ambitious young band finds themselves locked in a battle for survival against a murderous, possessed karaoke machine. Safe to say, there’s a whole lot more on the line than a free round of pub shots.
The film stars Lexi Underwood (Little Fires Everywhere), Case Walker (The Other Two), and singer-actor Kat Cunning (Trinkets).
The Story
When wedding band keyboardist Emily discovers an old karaoke machine in the back of a dive bar, she thinks it will lead to a fun-filled night of singing and bonding with her bandmates. Unfortunately, this karaoke machine seems to have a thirst for blood. When the singing begins, so does the bloodshed. When an excellent performance spares someone, the crew thinks they’ve finally figured out how to beat it. Proven almost immediately wrong, it takes more horrifying deaths and a visit from a mysterious stranger to realize they may have a chance at survival after all.
Born Out of Off-Key Trauma
The directorial duo didn’t have to look far for inspiration—just down to their local dive bar.
“We were inspired to make this film after years of painful karaoke performances nearly put us in an early grave,” shared Lightbody and Steinmiller. “We found that many people have had near-death karaoke experiences, and we wanted to play with that idea, as well as say something profound about the state of new music. But instead, we made Bad Karaoke.”
Hey, self-awareness is key—especially when you’re serving up off-key slaughter.
World Premiere Details
If you’re ready to watch a microphone turn into a weapon of mass destruction, the film is set to make its grand debut in London at Tubi FrightFest 2026. The film will screen on Sunday, August 30 at 8:55 pm BST at the ODEON Luxe West End (Discovery Screen 2).
Warm up those vocal cords and grab your tickets before they sell out. Just don’t ask for a ballad.
