History Main / LightmareFuel

A SubTrope of MoodDissonance. Compare FauxHorrific, BloodyHilarious, and {{Bathos}}, which similarly involves a juxtaposition of the serious and the silly but with less emphasis on horror. Not to be confused with DaylightHorror, which is when genuine horror happened in broad daylight.

* ''VideoGame/PizzaTower'': The main trio of levels in the fifth world are all based around either horror or horror tropes, but with Pizza Tower's signature humor giving them all a twist. "Pizzascare" is a [[HalloweenEpisode Halloween-themed twist]] on the earlier "Pizzascape" level, "Don't Make A Sound" is a parody of [[KillerRobot killer animatronics]] (and more specifically, seems to be a nod to ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys''), and the latter half of "War" features an unnerving (albeit still amusing) twist on CloneDegeneration. And then there's the world's boss, [[spoiler:an utterly bizarre OddballDoppelganger that looks like something oozy trying to puppet a bootleg Peppino and failing at it]].

* ''Manga/FrankenFran'' runs on gore and giving characters terrifying AndIMustScream scenarios, but it pretty much plays it all for [[BlackComedy dark laughs]] and caustic satire. It helps that those who get it the worst ''usually'' [[AssholeVictim deserve it.]]

A work of this nature will sit around the center of the SlidingScaleOfComedyAndHorror.

* Lord Farquaad's first scene in ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' has him supervising a scene of horrifying ColdBloodedTorture on an unfortunate prisoner, waterboarding the poor bastard and ripping his legs off. Of course, the victim in question is an animated gingerbread man made of cookie dough, so it's [[PlayedForLaughs still funny]] instead of being horrible.

* ''Film/DungeonsAndDragonsHonorAmongThieves''. The scene in which the protagonists visit a spooky barbarian cemetery in the middle of the dark of the night in order to perform a spell to [[DeadPersonConversation resurrect the dead and ask them important info]]. What's otherwise a dark scene with great looking undead barbarians pulled off with PracticalEffects quickly becomes comedic when you can only ask four questions before they return dead and Edgin accidentally wastes his forcing the group to repeat the process, and some barbarians reveal that they have died in battle while being KilledMidSentence. And then there's the whole part in which they're frantically escaping from [[DragonsAreDemonic Themberchaud]]... who turns out to be a ''morbidly obese dragon''. It's equal parts terrifying and hysterical given how Themberchaud proves to be a SuperPersistentPredator despite his size, but he's nonetheless a ridiculously chunky dragon who at one point provides an IndyEscape via ''barrel rolling'' towards the heroes.

* ''Film/DungeonsAndDragonsHonorAmongThieves''. The scene in which the protagonists visit a spooky barbarian cemetery in the middle of the dark of the night in order to perform a spell to [[DeadPersonConversation resurrect the dead and ask them important info]]. What's otherwise a dark scene with great looking undead barbarians pulled off with PracticalEffects quickly becomes comedic when you can only ask four questions before they return dead and Edgin accidentally wastes his forcing the group to repeat the process, and some barbarians reveal that they have died in battle while being KilledMidSentence. And then there's the whole part in which they're frantically escaping from [[DragonsAreDemonic Themberchaud]]... who turns out to be a ''morbidly obese dragon''. It's equal parts terrifying and hysterical given how Themberchaud turns out to be a deadly SuperPersistentPredator despite its size, but he's nonetheless a ridiculously chunky dragon who at one point provides an IndyEscape via ''barrel rolling'' towards the heroes.

* ''VideoGame/BaldisBasicsInEducationAndLearning'' is supposed to be a StylisticSuck {{Parody}} of low-quality {{Edutainment Game}}s. When Baldi gets mad at you and the game [[SurpriseCreepy turns into a horror game]], he will chase after you with a ''ruler'' and if he catches you, he will JumpScare you and a black screen with a spinning fidget spinner (or some other item) appears. You'll meet absurd characters along the way, such as Principal of the Thing sending you to his office for [[DisproportionateRetribution running in the hallways]].

* Music/{{Eminem}}'s signature theme is making very funny songs about extremely dark topics. He's able to pull this off largely via his rapping techniques - it's hard to be so upset by violence when it's delivered in a bunch of [[LeastRhymableWord bizarre and unexpected rhymes]], [[PainfulRhyme contorted syllables]], and with [[TalkingToHimself silly voices for the horrified onlookers]].

[[caption-width-right:350:It's a ZombieApocalypse...[-[[JustForFun/RecycledInSPACE WITH RAINBOWS AND HUGS!]]-]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:It's a ZombieApocalypse...with rainbows and hugs!]]

-->-- '''Paquita''', ''Film/{{Braindead}}''

* ''Manga/FrankenFran''. It runs on gore and giving characters terrifying AndIMustScream scenarios, but it pretty much plays it all for [[BlackComedy dark laughs]] and caustic satire. It helps that those who get it the worst ''usually'' [[AssholeVictim deserve it.]]

* The climax of ''WesternAnimation/TheBadGuys'' has a psychotic MadScientist use the power of a meteorite to fuel his MindControl helmet and control numerous creatures all across the city, giving the creatures GlowingEyesOfDoom. He then uses the creatures to attack the Bad Guys in an attempt to leave them cold and buried. How do you make all of this kid-friendly? [[spoiler:You make the mad scientist and the creatures he controls ''guinea pigs.'']]

* ''VideoGame/PizzaTower'': The main trio of levels in the fifth world are all based around either horror or horror tropes, but with Pizza Tower's signature humor giving them all a twist. "Pizzascare" is a [[HalloweenEpisode Halloween-themed twist]] on the earlier "Pizzascape" level, "Don't Make A Sound" is a parody of [[KillerRobot killer animatronics]] (and more specifically, seems to be a nod to ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys''), and the latter half of "War" features an unnerving (albeit still amusing) twist on CloneDegeneration.

* The third season of ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'' ends with Jake and Holt being forced to [[spoiler:enter witness protection to avoid a mafia leader]]. On the one hand, the thought of abandoning everything you know, including your home, your job, your friends, and your NAME, whilst also having to act like everything is totally normal, is quite ominous. On the other hand.... they get sent to a nice, sunny suburb in UsefulNotes/{{Florida}}!

* Quite a few articles from the ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'' are simultaneously somewhat scary and ''hilarious''.

* Creator/BillCosby tells a story about a disembodied, mutant chicken heart that is Coming to Get You -- or rather, being a kid and listening to the ''Radio/LightsOut'' episode "Chicken Heart".

[[folder:Films — Animation]]

[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]

* ''Film/{{Beetlejuice}}'' essentially runs on this trope, raging from its depiction of the afterlife as a trippy CelestialBureaucracy with deceased workers that look both bizarre and unsettling (especially a man SquashedFlat by a car that ran over him and the explorer with the ShrunkenHead) to the people being possessed into singing Music/HarryBelafonte's cover of the ''Banana Boat'' song around the dinner table before it suddenly and jarringly ends with them being violently grabbed my monstrous hands emerging from their shrimp cocktails.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' takes place mostly in an EldritchLocation populated mostly by demons and monsters, but it leans much more towards comedy than horror.

* ''Film/TheInvisibleMan1933'' can be considered one of the earliest examples of this trope, as it isn't afraid of incorporating a good dose of humor with its scares. One moment you'll have Creator/ClaudeRains's Griffin moving the inkwell of the disbelieving official and splattering the ink in his face before violently killing him terrorizing those present, and how he throws everyone into ParanoiaFuel while he gleefully goes from [[LargeHam over the top]] to DeadpanSnarker in his murderous, megalomaniacal madness.

* ''Film/TheInvisibleMan1933'' can be considered one of the earliest examples of this trope, as it isn't afraid of incorporating a good dose of humor with its scares. One moment you'll have Creator/ClaudeRains's Griffin moving the inkwell of the disbelieving official and splattering the ink in his face before violently killing him terrorizing those present, and how he throws everyone into ParanoiaFuel while he gleefully goes from [[LargeHam over the top]] to DeadpanSnarker in his murderous, megalomaniac madness.

%%* There are more than a few moments of this in ''Film/{{Beetlejuice}}''.

* Similarly, much of the humor in ''WesternAnimation/ParaNorman'' revolves around [[DeathAsComedy dead people]]. Its funniest ''and'' scariest moment comes in the climax, where the ZombieApocalypse plot is played completely straight, with the brilliant twist that [[spoiler: [[{{Irony}} it's the out-numbered, terrified, and unarmed]] ''[[InvertedTrope zombies]]'' (plus the living [[GuiltByAssociation main characters]]) fleeing from the [[TorchesAndPitchforks vicious, bloodthirsty hordes]] [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters of living townspeople]]]].

** The scene where Ash's room [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_xJUQxE9tY starts laughing at him]] is probably one of the best examples of this trope in cinema. It's disturbing to watch this demonic force tormenting a likable protagonist, and to watch his sanity [[SanitySlippage fraying at the seams]] as he starts [[LaughingMad laughing along with everyone else]], and yet, at the same time, it's hard not to laugh ''with'' him thanks not only to the [[CrossesTheLineTwice ludicrously over-the-top carnage]] he's had to deal with over the past 24 hours, but also the hilariously cartoonish voices (especially that Porky Pig-sounding lamp) and the goofy special effects. Then it swings ''[[UpToEleven back]]'' to disturbing when Campbell's genuinely infectious laughter gives way to believably agonized howls of fear and exhaustion, and when he frantically blasts at something on the other side of the wall, not knowing [[NothingIsScarier what's waiting for him]] on the other side, that it's genuinely terrifying again. [[MoodWhiplash Sweet]] ''[[MoodWhiplash lord.]]''

* The third season of ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'' ends with Jake and Holt being forced to [[spoiler:enter witness protection to avoid a mafia leader]]. On the one hand, the thought of abandoning everything you know and pretending to be someone you're not, whilst also having to act like everything is totally normal, is quite ominous. On the other hand.... they get sent to a nice, sunny suburb in UsefulNotes/{{Florida}}!

* The climax of ''WesternAnimation/TheBadGuys'' has a psychotic MadScientist use the power of a meteorite to fuel his MindControl helmet and control numerous creatures all across the city, giving the creatures GlowingEyesOfDoom. He then uses the creatures to attack the Bad Guys in an attempt to leave them cold and buried. How do you make all of this kid-friendly? [[spoiler:You make the mad scientist and the creatures he controls ''guniea pigs.'']]