Best Horror Comedy Movies
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
After hitting it big on British television, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright jumped to the big screen with Shaun of the Dead. The film, whose title is a play on the popular zombie movie Dawn of the Dead, tells the story of Shaun, a man who tries to win back his ex-girlfriend during a zombie outbreak. While the movie is hilarious, it’s also just a genuinely good zombie movie. The result is equally funny, scary and even a little heartbreaking at times. Focus Features
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
An American Werewolf in London is a dark comedy that tells the story of an American named David backpacking across England who gets attacked by a werewolf and becomes cursed. After waking up in a hospital almost a month after the attack, David finds himself haunted by his friend Jack who was killed during the same attack. While the movie features some genuinely scary scenes, including a painful-looking wolf transformation, David’s interactions with Jack and the ghosts of his other victims add some truly dark humor to the horrific tale. Polygram Pictures/Universal Pictures
Get Out (2017)
Get Out is terrifying because so much of it feels so real, and that’s also what makes it so darkly funny. From quips like Rose’s father saying he’d vote for Barack Obama for a third term to being told that Black is “in fashion,” we have all met performative allies whose intentions are less than pure. Jordan Peele perfectly balances real-life terror and humor with hyperbolic horror to create a modern masterpiece, even if he’s a bit modest about it. Blumhouse Productions
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
Horror movies tend to follow certain tropes. The Cabin the Woods combines all of these tropes into one hilarious mess. A group of college students spends the weekend at a cabin in the woods, only to find out that monsters lurk in literally every corner. The story takes some truly wild turns and it turns out, the cabin is much more than it appears to be. Fans of this movie insist that it should be watched without spoilers, but it’s safe to say that horror movie fans will find a lot to laugh at in this movie. Lionsgate
What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
Before turning Thor into one of the funniest Avengers, Taika Waititi teamed up with Jemaine Clement to create What We Do in the Shadows (which eventually spawned an amazing spinoff TV show of the same name). The film is a mockumentary following a group of modern-day vampires as they live in a suburb near Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. Naturally, having lived for hundreds of years, the vampires struggle to fit in with the modern world. It turns out, finding victims to feed off of can be very difficult for a vampire that wants to keep a clean room. Resnick Interactive
Fresh (2022)
Fresh should be mandatory viewing for any man who doesn’t understand how terrifying it can be to just exist as a woman. Sebastian Stan is the perfect combination of sinister and charming, while Daisy Edgar-Jones is the perfect combination of terrified, vulnerable and empowered. This one isn’t for the squeamish, as it can be quite gory, but everything from the pacing (the first act comes, quite cleverly, even before the opening credits) to the dialogue nails it. Hyperobject Industries
Teeth (2007)
Teeth stars Jess Weixler as a teenage girl named Dawn with vagina dentata—which is exactly what it sounds like. The 2007 movie shows, like Fresh, how women are put into frightening and threatening situations often, as well as sending up slut-shaming without trivializing sexual assault or abuse. Think of it as the ultimate revenge tale for survivors. Roadside Attractions
Ready or Not (2019)
It’s always stressful for newly married couples to integrate their families, which is especially true when that family is likely a group of devil worshippers. Samara Weaving stars as Grace, a bride who is forced to spend her wedding night playing a deadly game of hide-and-seek in Ready or Not. Much of the film’s humor comes from the wealthy family members finding out that they’re terrible at hunting and killing a human, due to their complete lack of actual talent or ability. 20th Century
Fido (2006)
Fido is a commentary on nuclear weapons, classism, capitalism and police states—and, on top of it all, a very funny zombie spoof. Look for parodies not just of zombie movies, but of 1950s sitcoms and even Lassie. TVA Films
Goosebumps (2015)
Back in the ’90s, Goosebumps was a hugely popular series of horror novels for children written by R.L. Stine. Since each book in the series told a new and unrelated story to the others, adapting the franchise into a movie was always going to be a difficult task. Instead of trying to adapt one story, this Jack Black-led film is about the actual Goosebumps franchise. Black stars as Stine, who has hidden himself away in a small town in Delaware. It turns out, the monsters he uses in his stories become real after he writes about them. When his secret gets out, evil lawn gnomes, evil dolls and other bizarre monsters are unleashed upon the town to create hilarious mayhem. Sony Pictures Entertainment
Death Becomes Her (1992)
Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn star in this dark comedy as two aging frenemies who discover the secret to immortality. Unfortunately, they quickly discover that not dying has its disadvantages. Director Robert Zemeckis has a lot of fun with this concept, having the two immortal (but not indestructible) women get into some devastating fights. Bruce Willis also stars as a reconstructive mortician that the two women rely on to fix the damage to their undying bodies (and over whose affections they feud), which results in some truly impressive special effects and hilarious banter. Universal Pictures
Evil Dead 2 (1987)
Sam Raimi’s first movie, The Evil Dead, was a low-budget gorefest that generally took itself seriously. When it came time to make the sequel, however, Raimi decided to make it a completely absurd and slapstick comedy. Bruce Campbell returns as Ash, the lone survivor from the first movie. Unfortunately for him, the evil in the woods is still awake and wants to steal his soul. Much of the movie is Campbell pratfalling alone in a cabin, and it turns out, that makes for a pretty funny film. Renaissance Pictures
Jennifer’s Body (2009)
For some reason, a lot of people didn’t realize how hilarious Megan Fox can be until she guest-starred as Regan on New Girl. However, those of us who saw her in Jennifer’s Body back in 2009 knew she was in on the joke. Starring as the titular Jennifer, a local band (featuring a wonderfully on-the-nose Adam Brody) sacrifices her to Satan, not realizing she isn’t a virgin. From there, Jennifer raises Hell and becomes a literal maneater instead of a figurative one, while her “Needy” friend (Amanda Seyfried) tries to pick up the pieces and avert disaster. Dune Entertainment
Krampus (2015)
Everyone knows who Santa Claus is, but until recently, most people stateside had no idea about his dark counterpart. Instead of rewarding good kids with gifts on Christmas, Krampus punishes bad kids. That punishment, by the way, involves unleashing monsters upon their friends and family. Krampus tells the story of the Engel family, a family struggling to stay sane during the holidays. After a fight causes one of the kids to rip up his letter to Santa, the family soon finds themselves under attack by a variety of festively-themed monsters. Legendary Pictures
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 (1986)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a gritty and low-budget horror movie about a group of teens encountering a family of cannibals while traveling through Texas. The movie introduced Leatherface and is considered a classic by many horror fans. While the film definitely left the door open for a sequel, director Tobe Hooper decided to make a comedy as the follow-up. This film stars Dennis Hopper, a former Texas Ranger hunting the family of cannibals as revenge for killing his nephew. Hopper’s ranger decides that in order to fight a chainsaw-wielding killer, he too must learn to use the tool as a weapon. This results in a hilarious scene where he practices at a chainsaw store in front of a very confused salesman. The Cannon Group
Piranha 3D (2010)
For tourist towns, spring break can be a nightmare. There’s nothing scarier than a swarm of drunk and horny college students descending up normally quiet beaches. That is, except for a literal swarm of prehistoric piranhas. Piranha 3D came out not too long after Avatar made 3D movies popular again. Unlike James Cameron’s film, Piranha doesn’t attempt to build immersive visual landscapes to wow the audience. Instead, it just has a lot of fun by constantly throwing 3D, fanged fish and their victims directly at the audience. Dimension Films
Ghostbusters (1984)
Bill Murray is an absolute creep as Peter Venkman, and combined with real-life believer Dan Aykroyd as Ray, the inimitable Harold Ramis as brainiac Egon, Ernie Hudson as working-class hero Winston, Annie Potts’ sassy Janine and Sigourney Weaver as the wise and poised Dana Barrett, the cast is magical enough to elevate some at-times crude humor to make Ghostbusters (1984) a classic. Plus, who doesn’t love marshmallows? Columbia Pictures
Ghostbusters (2016)
The performances are a big part of what makes Ghostbusters (2016) work. While the story may seem a bit underdeveloped and relatively low-stakes at times, Leslie Jones delivers a criminally underrated performance, Melissa McCarthy is predictably great, Chris Hemsworth is hilarious as the dimwitted secretary, and the opening scene featuring Zach Woods was a fantastic introduction to the film as a whole. Ghostbusters (2016) is also one of the best uses of 3D in movies: If you were lucky enough to see it in a 3D showing, it felt like the ghosts were coming right at you, which made for a particularly enjoyable experience in the theater. Columbia Pictures
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
Paul Rudd’s ageless charm helps keep Ghostbusters: Afterlife from feeling too nostalgic or wistful for the original. The film honors Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) in moving ways, and the film centers around family—whether birth or chosen—making it more sweet than scary, but with just enough silliness (and Easter eggs!) to keep it from going into saccharine territory. Columbia Pictures
Young Frankenstein (1974)
Mel Brooks is the kind of the spoof. In 1974, he took on classic monster movies with Young Frankenstein. Dr. Frederick Frankenstein longs to free himself from his family’s reputation, even going as far as to insist that his name is pronounced “Fronk-en-steen.” After returning to his family’s castle in Transylvania, however, he discovers that he too has a talent for reanimated dead bodies. The creature he creates, however, is less of a monster and more of an imbecile that can’t remember the words to “Puttin’ on the Ritz.” 20th Century Fox
Beetlejuice (1988)
What happens when we die? Well, according to this Tim Burton movie, the afterlife is less “heaven and hell” and more “paperwork and rule books.” Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis star as a recently deceased couple who find themselves tasked with haunting their old home. When the new owners prove to be too much for them to handle, the couple calls upon Beetlejuice (the ever-flawless Michael Keaton), a bio-exorcist (he gets rid of the living). It turns out, this was a mistake as Beetlejuice is more trouble than the living. Warner Bros.
Zombieland (2009)
Zombieland has a stellar cast—Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin and Jesse Eisenberg are hilarious and charming together—and as much bite as it does laughs. Everything from Columbus’ rules for survival to that cameo to the overall apocalyptic banter make the end of the world seem not so bad. Columbia Pictures
Warm Bodies (2013)
Warm Bodies is essentially Romeo and Juliet with zombies instead of feuding families—and it works. Nicholas Hoult stars as “R,” a zombie who can almost speak and feels alive through eating brains and consuming the memories of his victims. He meets Julie (Teresa Palmer) and his heart beats again for the first time since he turned about eight years prior. Of course, there are a lot of complications to this romance—including R getting shot by her boyfriend and, you know, the difficulties of being undead—but the message remains: A life without love is, well, inhuman. Lionsgate
American Psycho (2000)
Here’s one videotape you’ll never want to return. With a supporting cast including Reese Witherspoon, Jared Leto, Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe and Chloë Sevigny, Christian Bale kills as Patrick Bateman, literally and figuratively. From murdering to the tune of Huey Lewis and the News to rampages over business cards and restaurant reservations, American Psycho is a chilling yet riotous send-up of yuppie culture, greed and narcissism. Lionsgate
Slither (2006)
James Gunn pays tribute to classic sci-fi horror movies with Slither—one of the film’s characters is even named after Kurt Russell’s characters in The Thing and Big Trouble in Little China. The movie also features frequent Gunn collaborator Michael Rooker, as well as his then-wife, The Office star Jenna Fischer and Elizabeth Banks. Universal Pictures
Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil (2010)
Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil tells the story of what happens when you mix accident-prone hillbillies with classist college kids and authorities who believe urban legends. Bloodshed ensues over misunderstandings, but the laughs outweigh the body count. Magnolia Pictures
Scream (1996)
If you aren’t a horror fan, the original Scream may not register as funny to you—but for fans of classic slasher flicks, it’s a riot. From the opening scene with a doomed Drew Barrymore on, the film is clever, self-referential and as humorous as it is horrifying. Miramax Next, check out the best and worst classic horror movie remakes ever.
