“Knights of Badassdom” is a horror-comedy that tells the story of a group of live-action role-players (LARPers) who are drawn into a supernatural adventure. The main character, Joe, is a hapless thirty-something who regularly participates in epic LARP battles with his best friend Eric and a few other friends.
One day they discover an old book with occult symbols and decide to use it at their next LARP event to spice up the game. In the process, however, they discover that the book is actually magical and accidentally summon a demon called Abominog. This demon begins to actually kill the LARP players and the group must now fight for their survival.
The film is notable for its absurd ideas and bizarre scenes. Some of the mad ideas include a heavy metal singer trying to defeat the demon with his music and a character who mistakenly thinks he is invulnerable, which leads to some hilarious moments. Another absurd scene is when the LARPers take a lot of drugs to be braver, which leads to a number of crazy behaviours. Moreover, there is a dwarf character who refuses to get out of his costume even when threatened by the demon.
The film skilfully plays with the clichés of the LARP genre and parodies them in a humorous way. The characters, who normally act out their fantasy, are put into a real, dangerous situation and have to learn to behave like real heroes. In the process, not only the characters but also the conventions of the genre itself are taken for a ride.
