Monster movies typically seek to scare the viewer, but horror can also be used to make you laugh. Taking something that should be scary and giving it a ludicrous twist, can make scary things more palatable. Here are the Top 10 Horror Comedies, that are sure to tickle your funny bone.
10) Anna And The Apocalypse (2017)
It’s a horror-comedy, but also a musical, and a Christmas movie, set during a zombie apocalypse. What’s not to love?
Anna lives in the small town of Little Haven and is so used to blocking out the mundane world around her, that she completely misses the onset of the zombie apocalypse. But once the danger becomes evident, she and her friends must band together to hack and slash their way through the town, in the hope of finding safety. All while singing and dancing.
9) Snatchers (2019)
Teenager, Sara, decides to have sex for the first time. Then, in the space of a day, she’s nine months pregnant. She may not have a lot of sexual experience, but even she knows that is not normal – and neither is the thing that she’s about to give birth to. In fact, it’s not even human.
Snatchers is so much fun, mashing up horror, sci-fi and comedy, with snarky one-liners, sarcastic retorts and some laugh-out-loud moments of visual humour.
8) Zombeavers (2014)
This movie hits that sweet spot, where it’s so bad, that it’s actually good. Of course, it achieves that by not taking itself seriously. It’s about zombies. But the zombies are beavers. So, Zombeavers. It does exactly what it says.
To add to the fun, these beavers bite you and turn people into zombies, too. Zombies that are also a bit… beavery.
But the best thing about this movie, is the soundtrack. Specifically, the title song written specifically for the movie. So, when the credits roll at the end of the movie, be sure to stick around for that.
7) Evil Dead 2 (1987) & Army of Darkness (1992)
If we’re talking Top 10 Horror Comedies, then Army of Darkness definitely has to be included. But it doesn’t exist on its own, so if you are watching it for the first time, you’d better watch Evil Dead 2, first.
The Evil Dead franchise is a little odd, in that the first Evil Dead movie is a horror, the second is a horror with some comedy, and the third (Army of Darkness) is just an all out comedy horror. Once the franchise hit that spot, it just ran with it, leading into the horror comedy TV series, Ash Vs. Evil Dead – which is also great!
Evil Dead 2 is effectively a soft reboot of the first movie, but with some off-the-wall comic moments. It is about wise-cracking Ash Williams, who finds himself battling dark forces, at a ramshackle cabin, tucked away in the woods. Army of Darkness continues Ash’s tale, as he is removed from everything he knows (no spoilers).
6) Dead Snow (2009)
A group of medical students are taking a much-needed skiing vacation, at a snowy, mountainside ski resort. But their vacation becomes a horror show, as they and the locals, are attacked by zombies. Oh, and the zombies are also Nazis.
Yup, Nazi zombies! As if zombies weren’t bad enough, these ones are Nazis, too. Or maybe that should be; as if Nazis weren’t bad enough, these ones are zombies, too. Either way, double the evil for double the horror.
Obviously, this movie is crazy, with big helpings of gore and death.
Should I watch the sequel?
Totally, it’s more of the same. Dead Snow 2: Red Vs. Dead.
5) The Voices (2014)
Ryan Reynolds has become known for crazy humor, especially in the role of Deadpool. But before Deadpool, he showed us he was great at combining crazy and zany, in The Voices.
Reynolds plays Jerry, a mild-mannered, nice guy, who works in a bathtub factory and has a crush on his co-worker, Fiona. Jerry also has schizophrenia and his condition causes him to see and hear things that aren’t there. Most specifically, Jerry gets help and advice from his talking dog, Bosco, and his cat, Mr. Whiskers. His furry friends even help him get up the courage to ask out his crush. But when he’s stood up on his date, his madness begins to spiral.
The Voices is a great and somewhat underappreciated movie. Funny, but also occasionally horrifying, when you see the differences between the world Jerry sees and what’s really going on.
4) What We Do In The Shadows (2014)
This New Zealand mockumentary, written and directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, is a truly hilarious movie. Following the every day struggles of a group of vampires, sharing a house in modern day Wellington, New Zealand.
We are introduced to the vampires, each very much a stereotype of the different styles of vampire from classic vamp movies, and how they interact and conflict with each other, including all the nitty-gritty mundane hassles of living in a houseshare. Not to mention the hilarity of seeing these characters interact with their broader vampire community, as well as clashes with the local werewolf pack. The documentary style of it all, just makes it so immensely funny.
3) Zombieland (2009)
The zombie apocalypse has hit, leaving those disparate remaining humans to eke out some form of life, while trying to survive the zombie hoards that now dominate. Former college student, Columbus, has devised a thorough list of rules to ensure survival and these rules are his key defence for staying alive, as he tries to make his way home to his family in Ohio. Along the way, he connects with gun-totting Tallahassee, and sisters Wichita and Little Rock, all of whom have their own personal mission, that they’re trying to achieve. Working together, they just might be successful.
Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin, Zombieland is a super fun movie. Plus, it has Bill Murray in one of the best cameos, ever.
Should I watch the sequel?
Yes, definitely. Zombieland 2 is actually as good as the original.
2) Shaun Of The Dead (2004)
Zombies are the focus of lots of horror comedies. But the undisputed king of all those movies, is Shaun Of The Dead. It’s so good that it’s spawned numerous memes and gets quoted ad infinitum.
With the genius comic duo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and written by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, Shaun Of The Dead is a milestone in both horror and comedy.
The story is about Shaun, a directionless shop supervisor, who feels like the world is ending, when he gets dumped by his long-time girlfriend, Liz. As it turns out, the world is ending, as the shambling hordes of the undead take over the streets of London. Now Shaun and his idle best friend, Ed, must venture out to save their loved ones and, hopefully, put their feet up with a pint by the end of the day.
1) Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil (2010)
Landing in at number 1 on our Top 10 Horror Comedies, it’s Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil.
The most side-splittingly funny horror-comedy, possibly ever. It’s absolutely insane and rip roaringly hilarious. Starring Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine, who both give a performance that is surprisingly genuine, given the crazy nature of the story. This movie takes the trope of the killer, backwoods hillbillies and spins it on its head. It shouldn’t work, yet it does, mainly because it’s been done in such a brilliantly ludicrous way.
The woods are a dangerous place. There’s animals, weather, potential accidents – lots of things that could kill you. Including humans. Everyone’s heard about homicidal rednecks, living out in the forests and mountains, ready to kill any hikers or campers foolish enough to cross their path. A group of college students find themselves living in that nightmare, with two killer hillbillies stalking them. These hillbillies, however, are just trying to fix up their new house.
Honourable Mentions
Spontaneous (2020)
It’s a movie about randomly exploding teenagers. A love story, wrapped in the fear of sudden, unpredictable, gory death.
Young Frankenstein (1974)
A classic comedy horror, that never goes out of style. The American grandson of the original Dr. Frankenstein, travels to Transylvania and ends up getting into the family business.
Braindead (aka Dead Alive) (1992)
Long before Peter Jackson directed Lord of the Rings, he made Braindead. When an old woman is cursed by the bite of the hideous Sumatran rat monkey, it leads to an outbreak of the undead.
Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)
At the Shady Rest Retirement Home, who of the residents have odds stories to tell. One claims to be Elvis, while the other claims to be JFK. The two unlikely characters face off against a reanimated stolen mummy, who wants to feed on the soles of the nursing home’s elderly residents.
What are your favorite horror comedies? Let us know!
Want more horror? Check out our Top 10 Sci-Fi Horror Movies To Make You Very Afraid.
