Horror comedy movies truly give audiences the best of both worlds. They have it all, running the gamut of raw human emotion in a way that elevates your movie night from a simple time-killer to a cinematic and social experience. When else do you get the opportunity to laugh at trauma? Find levity and joy in the face of fear? Not often! It’s a form of catharsis unlike any other. The rollercoaster of feelings you experience when watching a character flee from a horrific killer, only to outsmart him with a wise meta remark like, “Not in my movie!” is the greatest thrill.
Scares and laughs are a rare blend to find in cinema. Even more difficult, finding movies that encompass both genres that are worth spending the time to watch. This list captures the dry humor of figures like Sam Raimi and Aubrey Plaza, both of whom turn a scary watch into a fun time, mines newer treasures in the form of films like Fresh, Ready or Not, Freaky, and recalls timeless classics like Heathers, American Psycho, and even a wild card like Urban Legend.
Housebound takes on the classic haunted house trope and injects it with scenes marked by gags and impeccable timing. Sure, the film is technically a horror comedy, but the narrative is darker than you might expect. Kylie, a young woman sentenced to house arrest at her parent’s home, becomes convinced supernatural forces are in her midst. As the scares get worse, Kylie investigates the truth behind the house… and uncovers the unexpected.
Encountering zombies under any circumstance is usually not ideal, but for a director in the midst of filming a low-budget film about zombies, it’s terrifyingly convenient. Instead of running and hiding for his dear life, a director pushes his crew to hit record and document the ravenous, flesh-eating monsters.
Not exactly humorous, but this late ‘90s thriller is a hidden gem in the horror genre. Similar to Courteney Cox in Scream, this film also includes a relentless reporter—here played by Jared Leto—who tries to uncover who the murderer is on campus for his college newspaper. Even with the ridiculous premise, the combination of having Leto on his hunt and Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger) as a professor makes this film worth watching even if it’s not the most side-splitting of the bunch.
A recent release that will turn into a classic. Having no success with the modern day horrors of dating—aka dating apps—a young woman meets Sebastian Stan who plays a real lady killer. A man who has an appetite for exquisite taste—human meat!
Here, find a unique spin on the final girl trope following a bride on her wedding night trying to make it out alive in a game of hide and seek with her new in-laws. With laugh out loud moments, a strong performance from Samara Weaving as Grace—a newlywed who has the worst first night of marriage imaginable—and just a 90-minute runtime, your mind never wonders as you wait for what gory kill comes next.
The iconic line of “f*** me with a chainsaw” was born with this original mean girls plot from the ‘80s. Staring goth queen Winona Ryder who’s covering up murders and labeling them as suicides by blaming the stereotype of teenage depression, this black comedy grew a cult following as the story has developed to broadway and TV shows.
Let’s see Paul Allen’s card. Starring Batman (Christian Bale) and the Joker (Jared Leto), this satire will have you laughing at the most serious times. A legendary performance by Bale leaves you questioning if what you just watched actually happened and all the characters are too self obsessed to notice, or if it is an imagination from his inner turmoil.
Despite the name, this 2009 release is hilarious, clever, and a fun to watch film that constantly pushes your buttons. In true Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead) fashion, the odd sense of humor completely works—plus, Raimi shows he’s not afraid to take risks with the controversial ending.
A new adaptation of the ‘80s classic with the same little boy, Andy, and his cute doll, Chucky, who becomes overprotective and tries to kill anyone close to him. What makes this remake hold more weight than the original, though, is how Chucky learns to kill by picking up mannerisms from watching violent horror movies with Andy. Not only does Chucky play a huge role in the comedy aspect, but Aubrey Plaza playing Andy’s mom is on standby adding heaps more laughs.
No, it’s not Freaky Friday or Friday the 13th, it’s both! Freaky is the third movie directed by Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day) that makes a non horror premise, horrifying. Combining the storylines of Freaky Friday and Friday the 13th makes for another unconventional watch from Blumhouse Productions that actually works.
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010)
Not the usual black comedy. Instead of just scares and laughs, this film also has heart—teaching you not to judge a book by its cover. It dismisses common stereotypes, like there being an intimidating antagonist in most horror movies, and instead, the film makes you root for the main characters who are misunderstood because of their appearance.
What We Do In The Shadows (2014)
The poet Melissa Lozada-Oliva said it best when she tweeted: “Hocus Pocus is about a Virgin invoking chaos bc he is so horny.” It’s also a family movie about witches who steal children’s souls, and with the comedic (and musical) talents of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, there isn’t a dull moment.
So, Sleepaway Camp may not have intended to be comedic, but it’s a cult classic that’s funny as hell. Picture a campy (pun woefully unintended) version of Friday the 13th with less-than-good acting and a twist ending that you won’t soon forget. Listen to the How Did This Get Made? episode after you watch, for hilarious commentary by Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, and Jason Mantzoukas.
Young Frankenstein (1974)
Horror movie-obsessed Charlie discovers that his new neighbor (Chris Sarandon) is a vampire—and worse, his neighbor knows that Charlie’s aware of his true identity. Naturally, Charlie enlists the help of a washed-up actor who hosts his favorite late-night horror movie TV show (played by a perfectly bumbling Roddy McDowall) in order to slay the beast who’s ruining the neighborhood.
There’s nothing super funny about a movie in which a venomous spider preys upon a small New England town—a terror that for many of us is very real indeed. But while Arachnophobia may make your skin crawl, it’s also very funny; John Goodman’s turn in the film’s second act as a bumbling exterminator is great comic relief, providing plenty of laughs as spiders creepily dangle and crawl all over the place.
Long before he ventured into Middle Earth, Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson made his directorial debut with this crazy gorefest. When his cruel mother is bitten by a Sumatran Rat-Monkey (just go with us here), young Lionel is stunned to see her rise from the dead as a blistering, festering, cannibalistic monster. Can Lionel keep his zombie mother a secret from his new girlfriend?
The all-American zombie apocalypse film gets a hilarious update with this road-trip comedy that sees college student Columbus heading back home to see if his family is still alive. Along the way he encounters a gun-toting badass, Tallahassee, and a pair of plucky sisters Wichita and Little Rock. Oh, and Bill Murray, too.
Tim Burton’s comedy about the afterlife features a particularly manic performance from its star Michael Keaton. And while this movie about two ghosts (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) whose home is now “haunted” by a living family plays up the laughs over the frights, there are still plenty of super spooky moments—such as its exorcism-themed finale.
Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn (1987)
Bruce Campbell returns as Ash in Sam Raimi’s sequel to/sort-of-remake of his 1981 cult classic directorial debut. Immediately following the events of the first film, Ash and his girlfriend Linda take a romantic vacation… to a similarly creepy cabin in the woods. Naturally, all hell breaks loose—literally—when the ancient evil is unleashed once again and Ash must fight an army of demons in order to escape.
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
This bait-and-switch directed by Drew Goddard (who co-wrote it with Joss Whedon) begins as your typical horror flick: A group of unwitting college students go to a remote cabin in the middle of nowhere for a boozy, druggy, sex-filled weekend away, where monsters of varying sorts are waiting to pluck them off one-by-one. But it has a postmodern twist, turning this slasher film into a hilarious horror satire.
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
John Landis turned the werewolf genre on its head with this horror comedy, in which a pair of American tourists, David and Jack (David Naughton and Griffin Dunne), are attacked by a wolf in the English countryside. David, who survived, wakes up in a London hospital—only to be greeted by the undead apparition of Jack, who delivers the harsh news that David will transform into a werewolf during the next full moon.
Edgar Wright made his directorial debut with his horror spoof, one that was co-written by its star Simon Pegg. The titular Shaun spends his mediocre days shuffling to and from work, playing video games with his best friend, and pining for his recently estranged girlfriend. But that humdrum life is instantly spun out of control when a zombie apocalypse takes over London, forcing him to action to protect his best friend, his mother, and the love of his life.
Anna Grace Lee
Anna Grace Lee is an editorial fellow at Esquire, where she covers pop culture, music, and entertainment.
Lexi Carson
Lexi Carson is a writer from Orlando, Florida, with an interest in movies, music and culture.
Chantal Vaca
Chantal Vaca is a writer living in New York City.
