It's the best of both worlds: heart-pounding suspense and belly-aching laughter. It's called the horror comedy, and it's a genre hybrid that, when executed correctly, marries goosebumps and giggles to cathartic effect. Over the decades, we've been treated to gateway scares suitable for the whole family, master classes in gonzo gore, and even beautifully dark animated fables made for adults only. Here, we're rounding up our favorites for your viewing pleasure.
From the darkest corners of haunted houses to the silliest realms of the undead, the following selection of the best horror comedies of all time offers tons of scary fun from the comfort of your couch, queen-size bed, bean bag chair, wherever. And when you're done here, be sure to check out our single-genre roundups too. From the scariest horror movies of all time, to the best comedy films of all time, to totally '80s movies we all need right, you'll never stumble into a show hole again.
1
Beetlejuice
Fun fact: The stripe-suited star of Tim Burton's ghoulishly hilarious afterlife romp doesn't show up until about 45 minutes into the action. Crazy, right? Played by Michael Keaton, everyone's favorite lewd bio-exorcist didn't need a ton of screen time to really leave his mark. Bring on the sequel!
2
Bodies Bodies Bodies
For a horror film that meets the moment, queue up Bodies to the third power. A macabre watch as brazenly clever as it is thrilling, Halina Reijn's American debut wears the A24 stamp. So you can bet you're in for a stylish, genre-defying flick with a cast, narrative, and vibe as satisfying as its body count.
3
Extra Ordinary
Buckle up for silly encounters of the supernatural kind from Irish directing duo Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman. Behind the wheel is Rose, a small-town driving instructor whose ability to see dead people gets her tangled up in a rock star's Satanic ritual. If it sounds crazy hilarious, that's because it is.
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4
Freaky
The body-swapping comedy is nothing new. Soaking the subgenre's dynamic narrative in bloody carnage, however, is. Such is the case with Blumhouse's Freaky. It stars Kathryn Newton and Vince Vaughn as a high school senior and serial killer who change places, lending their arcs to hilarity, chaos, and mayhem.
5
Fresh
If by some miracle you aren't privy to the delicious reveals in Mimi Cave's delightful debut, then keep it that way; it's fun to go into this thriller starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan blind. Only bit we'll say: These two follow up their grocery meet-cute with an overnight trip that has no expiry date.
6
Ghostbusters
Made up of three parapsychologists plus a skeptic who answered a job ad, this crew tackles slimers, specters, and any other spooky spirits they’re hired to battle while making audiences hee-haw along the way. It’s funny, only mildly scary, and the perfect gateway horror for little ones warming up to the genre.
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7
Gremlins
You know the Mogwai rules: Don't get them wet. Don't expose them to bright lights. And don't feed them after midnight. Of course, as we all know, rules were made to be broken, and that's just what the protag of this '80s holiday classic does, unleashing a throng of demented gremmies that are out for blood.
8
Happy Death Day
Like all great time-loop movies, Happy Death Day unsnarls its mystery over the course of its reel without feeling redundant. Led by Jessica Rothe, the film follows her character, Tree, down a rabbit hole of never-ending kills. To break the cycle, she has to not only right her wrongs but solve her own murder.
9
House
When director Nobuhiko Obayashi yelled action, he unleashed a truly bizarre fantasy that will forever be known as the craziest haunted-house movie of all time. A deranged fever dream of disembodied heads, bleeding mirrors, and trippy ghosts, this J-horror classic about seven schoolgirls battling evil in an old manor is a master class in bonkers macabre.
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10
Jennifer’s Body
Feminist horror from director Karyn Kusama and writer Diablo Cody, Jennifer's Body is finally getting its flowers. Pummeled by critics who initially chalked the film up to fanboy bait, this teen scream about a bloodthirsty cheerleader is a genius take on female empowerment, sexuality, and autonomy.
11
Little Shop of Horrors
Creature features come in all shapes, cultures, and genres, from Japan's groundbreaking Godzilla, to Cronenberg's The Fly body horror, to Spielberg's family-friendly Gremlins. Here, we have a toe-tapping musical extravaganza about a florist and the bloodthirsty plant demanding more than sunlight and rain.
12
One Cut of the Dead
From Warm Bodies to Zombieland, zom-coms flourished in the 2010s. But here's one you may have missed. A shoestring-budgeter whose brilliance is nesting inside a Matryoshka-like narrative, Shin'ichirô Ueda's cult fave starts out as a single-shot zombie flick, but it's after that 37-minute take when the real surprises begin.
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13
Ready or Not
Samara Weaving stars in this marital thriller as a bride whose wedding day evolves into a nightmare to remember. Hunted by her new in-laws for reasons we'll let you discover on your own, she fights to survive the night. A clever mix of dark humor, inventive kills, and girl power, it's one to watch on repeat.
14
Scream
"Liver alone." "Bam! Bitch went down." "I never thought I'd be so happy to be a virgin." The only thing better than the hilarious quips in this Craven classic that reinvented the slasher genre for a new generation is the cast (Neve Campbell, Rose McGowan, Matthew Lillard, Jamie Kennedy) delivering them.
15
Shaun of the Dead
One third of Edgar Wright's Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy, this zombie romp comes first. It's followed by Hot Fuzz, and then The World's End, and each entry in the anthology series is fantastic, but our fave has to be Shaun of the Dead. A play on the Romero classic, it's a witty brew of British humor and genre magic.
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16
Juan of the Dead
Speaking of Shaun, have you met Juan? He's leading a similar motley crew battling a horde of flesh eaters. Set in Havana, this action-horror-comedy hybrid turns the parody up several notches and morphs its zombie apocalypse into a Cuban thrill ride that is entirely its own.
17
The Blackening
Co-writers Tracy Oliver (Harlem) and Dewayne Perkins (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), along with director Tim Story (Queens), deliver a hilarious gem about a group of friends whose vacay turns deadly. And though the jump scares are solid, the real genius lies in the provocative dialogue and shattering of genre tropes.
18
The Menu
When you're not consumed by The Bear, we recommend digging into another foodie thriller, this one with a lot more bite. About an abusive celebrity chef (played by Ralph Fiennes) whose final dinner service will blow its diners away, Mark Mylod's razor-sharp comedy is five-star entertainment.
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19
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Filing this campy classic about two clean-cut teens who stumble into the fantastical world of Dr. Frank-n-Furter under "Horror Comedy Musical" doesn't do it justice. Rather, this vibrant and immersive experience is a rite of passage for some, a ritual for others, and a celebration of self-expression for all.
20
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil
The sweetest little splatter movie you ever did see, this comedy of horrors spins a yarn around two country bumpkins, Tucker and Dale, who haphazardly take out a group of vacuous co-eds one by one. The kills are gory, the satire is thick, and the charm is so infectious.
DeAnna Janes
DeAnna Janes is a freelance writer and editor for a number of sites, including Harper’s BAZAAR, Tasting Table, Fast Company and Brit + Co, and is a passionate supporter of animal causes, copy savant, movie dork and reckless connoisseur of all holidays. A native Texan living in NYC since 2005, Janes has a degree in journalism from Texas A&M and got her start in media at US Weekly before moving on to O Magazine, and eventually becoming the entertainment editor of the once-loved, now-shuttered DailyCandy. She’s based on the Upper West Side.
