Top 10 SNL Movie Trailer Parodies We Wish Were Real
#10: “The Beygency” (2014)
We know that people love Beyoncé. But there are some people who really love Beyoncé, to the point where anything short of glowing praise can be taken as an insult. That kind of intense fandom is the target of this horror trailer spoof. Andrew Garfield plays a man who finds himself a target after he makes a comment indicating that he doesn’t worship the ground Beyoncé walks on. While he stresses that he still enjoys her music, it’s not enough to let him off the hook. With a committed performance from Garfield and hilarious appearances from “SNL” cast members as well as “24” stars Kiefer Sutherland and Mary Lynn Rajskub, we’re “crazy in love” with this trailer.
#9: “The Group Hopper” (2014)
The success of “The Hunger Games” brought about other adaptations of dystopian YA fiction, like “Divergent” and “The Maze Runner.” “Saturday Night Live” couldn’t resist giving their take on the trend. “The Group Hopper” not-so-subtly points out the many tropes of the genre. Pete Davidson plays the hero, literally named “The Hero,” who’s going to lead his fellow downtrodden to glory. Even if you love the books and movies it’s mocking, you have to admire this trailer for how well it dissects their many clichés. And the effort put into host Bill Hader’s hair and makeup deserves at least one full-length movie.
#8: “The Apocalypse” (2013)
In the early 2010s, “Valentine’s Day” and “New Year’s Eve” used popular holidays as a backdrop for various stories involving A-list actors. “SNL” took that premise a few steps further with “The Apocalypse,” a fake trailer starring celebrities like Drew Barrymore, Ashton Kutcher, and Christina Aguilera, as well as the impending end-of-the-world. The best thing about this “New Year’s Eve” sequel trailer is how it’s clearly more about selling you on the star power than on the ridiculous premise. We also get to see Bill Hader’s pitch-perfect Alan Alda impression and Kristen Wiig’s take on both Drew Barrymore and Kim Catrall. We don’t know if we could sit through the movies it’s spoofing ever again, but this trailer is an end-of-the-world delight.
#7: “Bambi” (2015)
At this point, it seems like Disney will remake any of their animated classics. And a photorealistic take on “Bambi” is actually in the works. However, we don’t think it will be anywhere as audacious as this. In this trailer, Dwayne Johnson plays an adult Bambi, out for revenge against the hunters that took his mother from him. Joining him are the lovable woodland characters of the original film, played by Johnson’s “Fast and the Furious” co-stars, like Vin Diesel, Tyrese Gibson, and Michelle Rodriguez. There’s no good reason to mash up “Bambi” and “The Fast and The Furious.” But this trailer does it so well, we don’t have any complaints about it.
#6: “Brutal Marriage Movie” (2021)
Did you skip “Marriage Story” because it just looked a little too depressing? Well, this trailer parody will give you a pretty good idea of what that and other marital crisis dramas are like. Cut for time, this trailer stars Rami Malek and Heidi Gardner as a married couple who have fallen out of love. But rather than end things maturely, they instead prolong their misery. This trailer does a great job of portraying the intense shouting matches and crying common in these kinds of movies, and Malek and Gardner make a great dysfunctional couple. This trailer may not be wedded bliss, but it sure is funny.
#5: “Don' You Go Rounin' Roun To Re Ro” (2011)
Have you ever seen a movie that you desperately need subtitles for, despite it being in English? Then, you’ll crack up at this trailer, which spoofs British crime thrillers and the unique accents of their cast. Bill Hader stars as an Englishman trying to go straight after leaving prison, but who finds himself back in a life of crime. But this trailer is mostly about the hard-to-parse accents common in these kinds of films, with British host Russell Brand poking fun as well. We’re not quite sure what they’re saying, but we know exactly what they’re going for.
#4: “Give Us All Our Daughters Back” (2012)
Box office hits like “Taken” and “The Expendables” showed that actors well past middle age could still be convincing action heroes. And this trailer parody is a perfect send-up of these absurd premises. When all of their children are kidnapped, some determined CIA operatives spring into action, with predictably violent results. Among the aging action stars spoofed in this cast are Liam Neeson, Denzel Washington, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. There are plenty of explosions, gunfights, and angry phone calls delivered with impossibly husky voices. We don’t know if we find these guys intimidating, but they’re definitely amusing.
#3: “Djesus Uncrossed” (2013)
Quentin Tarantino movies are pretty easy to identify. While the acclaimed director didn’t make this trailer parody, we think he’d appreciate the effort. Like “Inglourious Basterds” and “Django Unchained,” this is a revenge story as historical revisionism, with frequent Tarantino collaborator Christoph Waltz playing Jesus Christ. Also in the cast are stars like Brad Pitt, Ving Rhames, and of course, Samuel L. Jackson. This trailer both spoofs and tributes the over-the-top nature of Tarantino movies, though without anywhere near their level of profanity. It might seem blasphemous to some, but we have to admit we find it hilarious.
#2: “The Midnight Coterie of Sinister Intruders” (2013)
Another director with an unmistakable style is Wes Anderson. But he yet hasn’t brought his flair for whimsy and elaborate set design into the world of horror. If he ever did, it would probably look something like this trailer, which stars one Anderson collaborator, Edward Norton, as another collaborator, Owen Wilson. There's something unusual going on next door, but it's hard to feel too intimidated when the colors are this vivid. Anderson fans and skeptics alike are sure to love this trailer, which covers everything from his ensemble casts to his love for all things vintage. This trailer might not be all that scary, but it’s still an absolute scream.
#1: “Grouch” (2019)
Think “Joker” was gritty? Try this trailer, which spoofs that villain origin story by making it into one about “Sesame Street’s” most lovable curmudgeon. David Harbour plays Oscar, a sanitation worker disillusioned with the crime and violence in his home of Sesame Street. So, he decides to give into the darkness and take refuge in refuse: becoming “Oscar the Grouch.” This trailer recreates multiple iconic moments from the “Joker” trailer with stunning accuracy and also reimagines beloved “Sesame Street” characters like Ernie and Big Bird with less family-friendly connotations. Wholesome? Not so much. Hilarious? Absolutely.