13 Film Satire Examples That Mimic Their Own Targets

      These 12 movie satires both parody and embrace their subject matter.

      They mock a genre while effectively capturing its subtleties.

      As a result, they function both on a superficial level and as subversive critiques.

      Here are 12 movie satires that manage to do both.

      **Kentucky Fried Movie**

      The film that launched the careers of Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and David Zucker—who later created Airplane! and The Naked Gun—is Kentucky Fried Movie. It features a series of precise film parodies, poking fun at every popular genre of the 1970s.

      The most outrageous segment is a spoof of sexploitation films, which, at the time we viewed it, was likely the filthiest thing we had ever encountered. It includes a variety of shocking perversions and is rather explicit. While it’s certainly humorous, it also leans heavily into the salacious.

      It continues to leave us bewildered.

      **Robocop (1987)**

      Paul Verhoeven is a master of satires that achieve dual purposes. The Dutch director arrived in America in the '80s and was determined to surpass the excessive sex and violence he observed in American cinema.

      As a satire, Robocop stands out as a masterpiece—it appeals to audiences’ desires for tough-on-crime narratives while also highlighting that corporate, mechanized crime fighting may be more hazardous than the crime itself.

      It adeptly foresaw the potential dangers of AI-based law enforcement—who genuinely wants to be pulled over by a drone?—and arguably predicted the emergence of the for-profit prison system.

      At the same time, it’s an entertaining film about a half-man, half-robot trying to clear the streets of New Detroit. It remains one of our all-time favorites.

      **Scream (1996)**

      Written by Kevin Williamson and directed by renowned horror filmmaker Wes Craven, Scream deconstructs slasher films while simultaneously delivering expertly crafted thrills and kills.

      It transformed the horror genre for the better: after Scream, it became nearly impossible to create an unironic slasher film, as it mandated at least one character in every friends group to point out the tropes they must avoid.

      Even films that take a straightforward approach are now in some sort of agreement with the audience: we all recognize these tropes, but here’s how this film will subvert them.

      **Slumber Party Massacre (1982)**

      While Scream perfected the dual approach of slasher movie satire, Slumber Party Massacre was the first to do it. The original film in the franchise—comprising two sequels and a remake—was penned by lesbian feminist writer Rita Mae Brown, who aimed to parody slasher movies rather than celebrate them.

      Under the insightful direction of Amy Holden Jones, Slumber Party Massacre emerged as one of the finest slasher films ever made, while simultaneously being a clever satire of other popular films at the time, such as Friday the 13th.

      It also accurately reflects early ’80s Southern California—where we grew up viewing films we weren’t allowed to see.

      The sequel, Slumber Party II, ups the satire by introducing a villain (Atanas Ilitch) who dances like a cross between Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson and kills with a drill-shaped red electric guitar.

      **American Psycho (2000)**

      Another of our all-time favorite films, American Psycho serves as a sharp satire of 1980s yuppie culture while simultaneously presenting it in a rather glamorous light—aside from the chainsaw murders, of course.

      Christian Bale portrayed Wall Street serial killer Patrick Bateman in a decidedly uncool manner—“We viewed him as an alien who landed in the unabashedly capitalist New York of the ’80s and wondered, ‘How do I act like a successful male in this world?’” Bale once stated to MovieMaker.

      Despite his despicable behavior, Bateman sports impressive abs and has an eye for business cards. We don’t root for him, but he’s captivatingly entertaining to watch.

      **Tropic Thunder (2008)**

      Tropic Thunder isn’t merely a satire of war films; it critiques actors who take on over-the-top roles in their pursuit of recognition. One of the film's delights is its portrayal of actors in ludicrous roles while they play actors embodying ludicrous roles.

      The most extreme example is Robert Downey Jr. as Kirk Lazarus, an Australian Oscar winner who undergoes “pigmentation alteration” surgery to portray a Black character, Staff Sergeant Lincoln Osiris.

      Ben Stiller also shines as Tugg Speedman, who mistakenly commits too deeply to his role as “Simple Jack.”

      **Starship Troopers (1997)**

      TriStar Pictures

      Starship Troopers, another of Verhoeven's works, executes its satire so adeptly that some critics missed the point entirely.

      For instance, New York Times critic Janet Maslin dismissively