Comedy Horror 'Bad Karaoke' World Premiere at Tubi FrightFest

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A karaoke machine with a taste for blood will take the stage at Tubi FrightFest this summer. Bad Karaoke, the feature film debut from Chris Lightbody and Robert J. Steinmiller Jr., will have its world premiere on Sunday, August 30, 2026, at the ODEON Luxe West End in London.

The horror comedy stars Lexi Underwood of Little Fires Everywhere, Case Walker of The Other Two, and singer and actor Kat Cunning of Trinkets. The film follows an aspiring band whose night out turns violent when an old karaoke machine demands more than off-key confidence and drink-ticket enthusiasm.

Bad Karaoke brings music horror to FrightFest

Lightbody and Steinmiller Jr. co-direct the film, with Lightbody also serving as co-writer. Spencer Yaras co-wrote and produced the project, while Steinmiller Jr. also serves as producer.

The premise starts with Emily, a wedding band keyboardist, who discovers an old karaoke machine in the back of a dive bar. What begins as a chance for a fun night of singing and bonding with her bandmates quickly changes course. Once the music starts, the machine reveals a sinister appetite. A strong performance may save a singer, but a bad one can have deadly consequences.

The setup gives Bad Karaoke a genre-friendly hook: a familiar social ritual turned into a survival test. Karaoke already carries a built-in sense of risk, public embarrassment, shaky pitch, questionable song choices. The film pushes that anxiety into full horror-comedy territory.

The directors found terror in bad performances

The filmmakers framed the project with a knowingly absurd sense of humor, pointing to years of karaoke nights as the spark behind the film.

“We were inspired to make this film after years of painful karaoke performances nearly put us in an early grave. 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.”

That neatly sets the tone for the movie’s announcement. The film appears to lean into the shared dread of being trapped in a room with a terrible rendition of a popular song, then imagines the punishment as literal.

Bad Karaoke screening details at Tubi FrightFest

The world premiere will take place during Tubi FrightFest at the ODEON Luxe West End.

Screening detail	Information
Film	Bad Karaoke
Festival	Tubi FrightFest
Date	Sunday, August 30, 2026
Time	8:55 p.m. BST
Venue	ODEON Luxe West End
Screen	Discovery Screen 2

The announcement also notes that streaming links are available for review consideration. Reviews remain embargoed until the premiere.

Cast and filmmaker interview opportunities

Several members of the creative team and cast are expected to attend the premiere in person.

Scheduled attending interview opportunities include:

• Chris Lightbody

  
  

Co-director and co-writer

• Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.

  
  

Co-director and producer

• Spencer Yaras

  
  

Co-writer and producer

• Lexi Underwood

  
  

Cast member

• Case Walker

  
  

Cast member

• Jenna Karan

  
  

Cast member

Kat Cunning is available for virtual interviews.

What to expect next

With its world premiere set for FrightFest, Bad Karaoke enters the festival circuit with a clear, crowd-friendly concept and a cast that brings television, film, and music audiences into the same room. For horror-comedy fans, the appeal is simple: one bad note could be fatal.