
An aesthetic sensibility originating with queer artists and activists in the 1960s, the exact definition of camp is pretty hotly debated, it’s a sort of know-it-when-you-see-it concept. In-game, Ash maintains this spirit of humor with his voice lines, offering goofy little quips upon idling or being selected.īeyond straightforward comedy, Dead by Daylight and the world of horror in general is infused with campness. The Evil Dead franchise offers a masterclass of the horror comedy subgenre, swinging dizzyingly between slapstick and outlandish gore at the drop of a severed hand. Williams in Chapter 11.5: Ash vs Evil Dead back in 2019. Dead By Daylightĭead by Daylight’s most obvious push into comedy prior to Chapter 28.5 was the inclusion of Ashley J. As both the most riotous laughs and the most nail biting scares are achieved through playing on the uncanny, the unexpected, and the plain ol’ excessive. Their respective content is linked by their willingness to transgress. Just as a comedy establishes its set-up and punchlines, its horror counterpart offers suspense and scares. However, their conventions are more similar than you would initially think. To quote director Jordan Peele: “The difference between comedy and horror is the music.”Ĭomedy and horror are two genres which aim to produce two totally contrasting visceral reactions from their audiences. I would instead argue it’s his place in meme culture that makes his debut in DBD such an effective meeting of worlds.

Cage has undoubtedly made some stellar contributions to the horror genre in recent years with films like Color Out of Space and Mandy, yet the cult following the actor has developed over the years draws significantly from his early work in action movies. But while Nic Cage joining the trials may not have been on anyone’s bingo card, his appearance in DBD amounts to such an unexpectedly perfect partnership.Ĭhapter 28.5’s promotional content emphasizes Cage taking his rightful place within the ‘museum of horror’ that is DBD’s library of licensed content.

To some, the crossover even seemed like a hoax. Despite leaks ahead of the announcement of the Nicolas Cage half-chapter, it was still still news that totally blindsided the Dead by Daylight community.
