5 Best Horror Comedies
Image Source: WXYZ
Of all the film genres, there is none more fluid than horror. It’s the only one that mixes with pretty much every genre. Mostly. It’s hard to mix horror and lighthearted romantic comedies. Probably. In any case, horror comedies are one of the more interesting mashups out there. Horror comedies can poke fun at the genre, create interesting characters, and put a great spin on it. Horror has been combined with comedy for decades, and we’ve seen some great ones. So, it’s worth looking at some of the great ones. In no particular order…
#5: French Extremity Cinema
Image source: Slant
This obviously references several films. Movies like Inside, High Tension, and Martyrs have been making audiences…
Looks at title again.
Wait...
RELATED:
5. Tucker and Dale vs Evil
Image source: Mubi
I admit that for the longest time I had no interest in this film. It just looked like something that I wouldn’t be interested in, despite both the critical acclaim and, more importantly, the recommendation from my girlfriend (now wife). One day I finally gave in and fired this one up and… yeah, I shouldn’t have waited so long. A lot of the most highly-rated horror comedies put a deconstructionist spin on the genre, and Tucker and Dale is a perfect example of that. We’ve all seen films where the innocent travelers are hunted by some evil people (Wrong Turn, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes, etc.) but this one puts the spin on it that it’s the college kids who are the evil ones, but they genuinely believe that it’s Tucker and Dale doing the killing. The kills are over the top but the chain of events leading up to them make just enough sense where you can see why the college kids see the two of them as the monsters, but Tucker and Dale just want to relax in the cabin that they’re building. It’s a tight, smart script with lots of laughs, great performances, and a ton of heart.
4. Cabin in the Woods
Image source: Slant
The best horror comedies are ones that are both funny and scary. It’s a very fine line that most films can’t walk, but when the right people make the right movie, you get perfectly mixed scares and laughs that lead to a great time. The Cabin in the Woods is a perfect example of that. It’s hard to talk too much about this movie because the only way to watch it is if you go in knowing absolutely nothing. Like Tucker and Dale, it’s incredibly smart, with an airtight script and its finale might have some of the best scenes of the century. I can’t say more without spoiling the film but trust me when I say that this film is well worth repeated viewings.
3. Evil Dead 2
Image source: IFCCenter
The first Evil Dead certainly had its laughs to go along with its terror, but nothing like its sequel. Starting out as sort of a quasi-remake of the first film, Evil Dead 2 puts the camp of Bruce Campbell on full display here and just lets him run wild. It’s the first film in the series where he’s the true heart of it all. Sometimes the film is scary and funny at the same time (such as a scene where everything in the cabin is laughing at him) and others it’s just funny. However, it all works out really well to create not only a highly received and memorable film, but one of the best sequels, horror or otherwise, of all time. Groovy.
2. Scream
Image source: Substack
I did the right thing and watched films like Halloween and A Nightmare on Elm Street before watching this film, and it really improved the viewing experience. The slasher genre had pretty much run its course by the time Scream came out, and Wes Craven’s second-best movie infused new life into the genre, kickstarting the third age of the slasher film and creating ripples that we’re still seeing to this day. It has great scares, such as its iconic opening scene, but it also has lots of laughs, whether you’re a horror buff or not. The scene with Jamie Kennedy drunkenly talking to Laurie Strode in Halloween and telling her to look behind her as Ghostface slowly comes up behind him is genius and makes me grin every time I see the film. While the sequels range in quality from worthy successors to weak guilty pleasures, none of them have the winning combination of wit, scares, intelligence, and humor that made the original instantly iconic.
1. Shaun of the Dead
Image source: KPBS
The first film in the “Cornetto” trilogy, Shaun of the Dead is one of those films that requires multiple viewings, with each one bringing a new detail or joke that you may not have picked up on the first time. While this zombie flick focuses primarily on laughs, it has moments of genuine terror, as well as excellent characters and performances. It would have been very easy to make Shaun and Ed caricatures with no real depth to laugh at, but there is real depth to them that a lot of other movies wouldn’t take the time to develop. This one is a comedy first and a horror movie second, but it excels at both. Head on down to the Winchester to give it a watch.
Horror comedies can be difficult, and there have been so many good ones throughout the years. Like the comedy genre just by itself, there isn’t one universal definition of comedy. The jokes in Scream aren’t like the jokes in Evil Dead. Lists like this are fluid, and there are very few wrong answers for anyone picking their own top five. If you’re looking for scares and laughs, these films are must watch cinema.
READ NEXT:
Latest News
Featured
