Just about everyone who has been to a funfair, theme park, or carnival has been drawn in by the bright lights, the sounds of excitement and chiming bells, and the colossal rides that dare you to get onboard. Generally, they’re rather cheap forms of entertainment that bundle in naughty foods and ways to win prizes so that anyone can have a fun day or night at an event. So, which movies deploy these grandiose yet simple occasions the best?
Why Would a Story Head to the Funfair?
With so many rides, sounds, and sensations intrinsically tied to funfairs, theme parks, and carnivals, they’ve become terra firma for movie storytellers. We all know the small amusements that people can have there, with funfairs, particularly, often seen as low-cost and cute. It’s why the theme resonates so well in other forms of entertainment beyond film.
Bright colours, stuffed animals ready to be won, and the classic red-and-white-striped tent; these are all iconic and instantly recognisable symbols which are easy to draw from, making it a popular repertoire theme for other simple entertainment that’s often in need of new clothes, such as the Fluffy Favourites slot game. Complete with a bum-wiggling elephant that triggers free spins, it encompasses this perception that we all have of funfairs – they’re just good, wholesome, timeless fun.
Photo by Min An
The games of skill, the more daring rides and roller coasters, dunk tanks, bumper cars, and Ferris Wheels all offer classic fun for folks looking to enjoy themselves. So when characters in a movie head to the carnival or a theme park, we know that the aim is to bond over some fun and accessible games, and maybe even to come away with a prize or two.
Films that Leverage Our Funfair Affections
Many films see their stars head to these bombastic events, usually in films with some kind of romantic angle. And while the romance doesn’t come until later, 1988’s Big taps into the mysticism of the funfair by having the fortune teller-machine grant our protagonist’s wish to become big. In Sleeping with the Enemy from 1991, the joy that Julia Roberts’ character is experiencing with her new love interest at the fair is juxtaposed with her increasingly angry husband.
Adventureland also plays into this more romantic angle, with Jesse Eisenberg arriving at a run-down theme park for some droll work but ending up connecting with Kristen Stewart on the job. He would then jump into Zombieland, and while the films have similar names, they’re not linked. However, one of the big action sequences does take place at a fun fair, allowing the lovable setting to contrast with the flesh-hungry zombies swarming in.
That, rather nicely, segues into what is likely the most frequent use of funfairs in film. Horror movies love funfairs. When the lights go off and the smiling crowds dissipate, there’s plenty there to cause some scares. You’ve got a mirror room with dim lighting, clown figures that only look creepy without full lighting, and loud zany noises from the games. Killer Klowns from Outer Space went big on turning the perception of funfairs on its head in 1988, with the earlier Carnival of Souls (1962) and the later Us (2019) being two other fine examples.
We have a lot of sentiment for funfairs and their kin, and many moviemakers know exactly how to leverage these feelings to make an impact on the big screen.
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