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Elf Trailer Has Been Re-Cut Into A Thriller And It’s Both Hilarious And Scary

Elf Trailer Has Been Re-Cut Into A Thriller And It’s Both Hilarious And Scary

It creates the narrative that Buddy is the way he is because he was ‘taken as a child’, ‘tortured’, ‘twisted' and 'broken'.

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

You all know Elf, the 2003 Christmas flick starring Will Ferrell as the lovably weird man-child Buddy the Elf, who answers the phone by asking people what their favourite colour is and douses his spaghetti in maple syrup and mini marshmallows.

He's a bit of a weirdo, sure, but he's completely endearing and means well - even when he leaves the cosy North Pole and arrives in the strange new location of New York City, which is noisy and brash. He instead manages to take it all in his stride, and remains the carefree elf that he was before.

However, now Mashable's YouTube channel CineFix has given the film a dark twist by re-cutting the trailer as a thriller. And it totally works:

Credit: CineFix / YouTube

Amusing and absolutely terrifying, all at the same time, ain't it?

In this alternative trailer, we see Buddy arriving in New York - much like we do in the original film. When he meets his dad, played by James Caan, he's met with a fair bit of hostility - again, just like in Elf.

However, whoever's cut this version has played up his dad's reluctance to embrace Buddy.

It also creates the narrative that Buddy is the way he is - you know, a bit 'different' - because he was 'Taken as a child', 'Tortured', 'Twisted' and 'Broken', as overlaid cards tell us dramatically in between clips.

Or, as his dad puts it, Buddy is 'certificably insane' - a line that's been taken straight from the actual film, but with all of the sinister music and alternative cutting, it takes on a slightly darker meaning that implies Buddy really has been tortured and 'broken'.

And where you'd normally get the whole 'From director Jon Favreau comes a festive film for all the family', you instead get 'From director Jon Favreau... Comes a snow spattered thriller'. Genius.

We're a big fan of trailer re-cutting, just showing what you can do with a bit of creepy music and re-mixed taglines can do.

In the past people have also unleashed their creative juices on the likes of Forrest Gump - which also becomes a thriller with a bit re-cutting and some different music, or it's even been made into a gangster movie.

Stanley Kubrick's The Shining also doesn't have to be the sinister horror it's usually known as, thanks to this surprisingly upbeat re-cut. Similarly, someone's also made Jaws into a family-friendly Disney flick, which is genius.

Featured Image Credit: Elf/New Line Cinema

Topics: Christmas, Film, Entertainment, TV and Film, Will Ferrell, Elf, Christmas, Film, Entertainment, TV and Film, Will Ferrell, Elf