‘Alma & the Wolf’ and 6 More Horror Movies Written and/or Directed by Members of The State
The State was known for their absurd comedy, but members of the comedy troupe have also dabbled in horror in the years since their show went off the air.
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For me, The State was the best sketch comedy show ever produced. Yes, even better than the likes of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Key and Peele, In Living Color, and every other show in the genre (though The Kids in the Hall is a close second to The State).
The members of The State are: Thomas Lennon, Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Ken Marino, Joe Lo Truglio, Kevin Allison, Robert Ben Garant, Michael Patrick Jann, Todd Holoubek, and David Wain. Since their show’s relatively brief run on MTV from 1994 to 1995, most of the members of the cast/comedy troupe have gone on to have successful careers in the entertainment industry. Some have focused on acting, while others gravitated towards roles behind the camera.
After watching the trailer for the upcoming psychological/supernatural horror movie Alma & the Wolf, I noticed that Michael Patrick Jann is the director. I knew that Jann directed horror/thriller films before, so I got curious. I decided to look up every member of The State to see how many horror movies the members of the troupe either wrote or directed. Listed below are the results of that search.
Horror/Thriller Movies Written or Directed by Members of The State
Alma & the Wolf (2025)
Alma & the Wolf stars Ethan Embry (That Thing You Do, Empire Records) and Li Jun Li (Sinners, Babylon). It’s about a small-town deputy whose son goes missing while he’s investigating a mysterious wolf attack. Michael Patrick Jann directs, and his fellow State member Kevin Allison is featured in the film in a prominent role.
Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)
Calling Drop Dead Gorgeous a “horror” movie is a stretch, but it is a crime thriller mockumentary, so that’s close enough for this list. Plus, it’s too good not to mention. Michael Patrick Jann directed this film about the dark side of a small-town beauty pageant. The cast is fantastic, featuring Kirsten Dunst, Kirstie Alley, Amy Adams, Ellen Barkin, Denise Richards, and many more, including Thomas Lennon of The State as the voice of the fake documentary’s documentarian.
Organ Trail (2023)
In a desolate area of 1870s Montana, Abby is the sole survivor of a slaughter that took the lives of her parents and brother. Abby manages to escape her family’s killers, but she isn’t done with them. Abby wants back her family’s horse that the outlaws took, and if she can get some revenge in the process, then so much the better. Michael Patrick Jann directed Organ Trail, and Thomas Lennon appears in a small role.
Outpost (2022)
While dealing with the emotional fallout of a traumatic and abusive relationship, Kate takes a job watching for forest fires at an outpost deep in the forests of Idaho. She wants to be alone, but the isolation is starting to mess with her mind… or is there something really going on in these woods that she needs to worry about? Outpost was written and directed by The State member Joe Lo Truglio in his feature directing debut.
Hell Baby (2013)
Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant wrote, directed, and co-star in the horror-comedy Hell Baby. The movie is a goofy spin on the possession/demon child genres of horror. The story, though, is secondary to the goofs and gags. The cast is stellar for this style of comedy, featuring Rob Corddry, Leslie Bibb, Keegan-Micahel Key, Paul Scheer, Riki Lindhome, and Kumail Nanjiani, as well as Michael Ian Black and David Wain of The State (and Stella).
The Veil (2016)
In The Veil, Jessica Alba plays Maggie, a documentary filmmaker investigating a religious cult’s mass suicide that happened twenty-five years ago. Maggie takes the sole survivor of the incident, Sarah (Lily Rabe), back to the site of the incident, and it isn’t long before they experience strange phenomena. They also locate undiscovered footage of the cult and its leader, the charismatic Jim Jacobs (Thomas Jane).
Jessabelle (2014)
Sarah Snook (Predestination, Run Rabbit Run) is Jessie, a woman who moves in with har estranged father after an accident that killed her fiancé, caused her to have a miscarriage, and left her in a wheelchair. Soon after she moves in, Jessie is haunted by the presence of a malevolent spirit that is tied to a mystery concerning Jessie and her family.
