10 Horror Comedy Movies That Are Actually Pretty Scary

Horror comedies have to strike the right balance between laughs and scares, and only the best examples can still terrify audiences. Some of the best horror comedies satirize the tropes of the horror genre without ever committing to truly frightening the audience, but this isn’t always the cast.

Horror and comedy don’t intuitively seem like they should be a good match, since horror is inherently dark while comedy is often light and joyous. However, there’s more overlap than people often think, as both genres are all about surprising the audience.

10

Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

Edgar Wright’s Zom-Com Shows His Love Of Horror

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Horror

Comedy

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9/10

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9.1/10

Release Date

September 24, 2004

Runtime

99 minutes

Director

Edgar Wright

Writers

Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright

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Shaun of the Dead is the first movie in Edgar Wright’s Cornetto trilogy, with each movie satirizing a different genre. Shaun of the Dead deconstructs plenty of horror tropes, with references to a lot of classic zombie movies, in particular. While the focus is on the quick-fire comedy, there are one or two moments of genuine terror.

While the focus is on the quick-fire comedy, there are one or two moments of genuine terror.

The jokes in Shaun of the Dead maintain a rapid pace, even when Shaun and Ed are trapped in a pub surrounded by a horde of shambling zombies. The scene in which David’s intestines are ripped out is probably the most stomach-churning moment, but it’s followed by more of Wright’s snappy dialogue and visual gags.

9

An American Werewolf In London (1981)

John Landis’ Dark Horror Movie Is Boosted By Some Remarkable Practical Movie

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An American Werewolf In London

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9/10

9/10

Release Date

August 21, 1981

Runtime

97 minutes

Director

John Landis

Writers

John Landis

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    David Naughton

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An American in Werewolf is a finely balanced blend of horror and comedy, and there are many scenes which manage to be terrifying and hilarious at the same time. For example, after the werewolf emerges onto the streets of London, there’s a chaotic sequence in which cars slam into one another, people scream in terror, and police officers blow their whistles to no avail. It’s viscerally shocking, but John Landis sets a pace that gives it the same slapstick appeal as a Buster Keaton movie.

An American in Werewolf is one of the best monster movies of all time, which is an impressive achievement for a movie with so many funny moments. The practical effects are one of the big reasons why An American Werewolf in London can stand tall compared to more serious horror movies. The transformation scenes still have the power to make audiences squeal.

8

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

The Social Satire Conforms To Slasher Conventions

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7/10

9/10

Release Date

August 5, 2022

Runtime

95 minutes

Director

Halina Reijn

Writers

Sarah DeLappe, Kristen Roupenian

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Bodies Bodies Bodies has the same set-up as many other slashers and murder mystery horror movies, as a group of friends discover a killer in their midst and turn against one another to try and identify them. However, from this conventional starting point, Bodies Bodies Bodies shows that it’s a decidedly modern satire.

Mark Duplass and Robin Williams are edited next to one another against a bloodsplatter backdrop.

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The generational satire in Bodies Bodies Bodies pokes fun at the way that younger generations have constructed perfunctory, performative social regulations which serve more as a means to distinguish the in-crowd than to actually help people. The presence of a real threat highlights the emptiness of these rules, so the horror elements of Bodies Bodies Bodies have to be on point.

7

Jennifer’s Body (2009)

The Stylish Cult Classic Has Some Big Scares

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3/10

7.4/10

Release Date

September 18, 2009

Runtime

102 minutes

Director

Karyn Kusama

Writers

Diablo Cody

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It’s fair to say that Jennifer’s Body has a somewhat mixed reputation, but it also has a passionate cult following that its critical scores and professional reviews can’t capture. Megan Fox’s performance as a high school student who becomes a serial killing succubus is chilling at times.

Jennifer’s Body gets a lot of its best jokes from the dynamic between Fox’s calm, sadistic killer and Amanda Seyfried’s neurotic best friend. Their relationship also highlights the way that the film represents a clash between suburban mundanity and demonic, gruesome horror, which often goes further than most comedies. The movie’s enduring popularity has fueled recent reports of a Jennifer’s Body sequel.

6

Dead Alive (1992)

Peter Jackson’s Zombie Comedy Is Filled With Gore

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Fantasy

Release Date

August 13, 1992

Runtime

104 Minutes

Director

Peter Jackson

Writers

Stephen Sinclair, Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson

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    Diana Peñalver

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Dead Alive – also known as Braindead – is one of Peter Jackson’s early movies, while the director was making a name for himself with a string of strange comedies. Dead Alive is Jackson’s love letter to zombie horror movies, which have always been pioneered by aspiring low-budget filmmakers.

While Dead Alive is a hilarious social satire about a young man who gets in way over his head, it also has a reputation as one of the goriest movies ever made. The bloodshed demonstrates a grim kind of creativity on Jackson’s part, as he routinely finds new ways of shocking his audience.

5

Evil Dead II (1987)

The Sequel Is More Comedic Than The Original

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9/10

10/10

Release Date

March 13, 1987

Runtime

84 minutes

Director

Sam Raimi

Writers

Scott Spiegel

Producers

Alex De Benedetti, Irvin Shapiro

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The Evil Dead franchise has gone through some broad tonal fluctuations in its long history. While the first movie is more of a conventional horror movie and the later sequels rely on action, Evil Dead II strikes the perfect balance between horror and comedy.

Megan Fox as Jennifer stands in a blood-stained dress in Jennifer's Body.

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While people will have their own opinions about which Evil Dead movie is the best, Evil Dead II is beloved by horror fans and comedy fans. There’s plenty of riotous slapstick amidst the blood and gore, with some scenes resembling Three Stooges sketches. This comedy doesn’t distract from the genuine scares too much.

4

What We Do In The Shadows (2014)

The Vampire Mockumentary Lulls The Audience Into Relaxation

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Comedy

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8.5/10

Release Date

June 19, 2014

Runtime

86 Minutes

Director

Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement

Writers

Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement

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Before it was one of the funniest shows on TV, What We Do in the Shadows was a hilarious movie directed by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement. Set in New Zealand rather than New York, the movie otherwise shares a lot of similarities with the TV show, including the mockumentary format and plenty of deadpan wit.

What We Do in the Shadows uses the supernatural to tell a surprisingly pedestrian story about friendship. This means that it’s even more shocking when there’s a burst of genuinely nail-biting terror. The mockumentary format is great for visual jokes and situational humor, but it’s also a good way to create an immersive horror scene, as the camera crew flee for their lives.

3

Scream (1996)

The Franchise Has Always Balanced Its Two Genres Well

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Crime

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22

9/10

Release Date

December 20, 1996

Runtime

111 minutes

Director

Wes Craven

Writers

Kevin Williamson

Sequel(s)

Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4, Scream, Scream 6

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Scream deconstructs the slasher genre, with characters openly discussing the tropes that different movies use and relating that to their own situation. In order to earn the right to poke fun at slashers, Scream proves on multiple occasions that it can be just as terrifying as any of the classics. This starts in the iconic opening scene, as Drew Barrymore’s naive high schooler is watched by a masked killer.

The comedy of Scream is often used to relieve the excruciating tension of different scenes, but the humor wouldn’t really work if the movie couldn’t back it up with the right credentials. Scream tips more toward horror than comedy, but the cast has enough comedic talent to get laughs from anywhere. It’s proven to be a winning formula, and Scream 7 is on the way.

2

Zombieland (2009)

Zombieland Revels In Violence And Gore

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Adventure

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5/10

8.6/10

Release Date

October 2, 2009

Runtime

88 minutes

Director

Ruben Fleischer

Writers

Paul Wernick, Rhett Reese

Sequel(s)

Zombieland: Double Tap, zombieland 3

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Like so many other zombie movies, Zombieland trades in excessive gore and violence. The movie makes more than a few jokes about the extravagant kills that the characters are so proud of, which is a way to trivialize and therefore cope with the unending horror of their existence.

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Since Zombieland gets a lot of humor from undercutting the terror of a violent apocalypse, it’s important that this apocalypse is suitably horrifying. The juxtaposition of the hellish and the ordinary works so well because Zombieland would still be a great movie if the characters all took their situation seriously. The climactic battle at the amusement park is arguably the pinnacle of the film’s horror.

1

The Menu (2022)

Ralph Fiennes Balances Deadpan Humor With Intense Authority

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Thriller

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7/10

19

8.8/10

Release Date

November 18, 2022

Runtime

106 minutes

Director

Mark Mylod

Writers

Seth Reiss, Will Tracy

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Ralph Fiennes delivers a superb performance in The Menu, highlighting Chef Slowik’s mercurial genius and narrow-minded egotistical streak. His character is always in control of proceedings, which gets scarier and scarier as it becomes clear that his placid facade barely conceals his unhinged, misguided sense of retribution.

The Menu creates a creeping sense of dread, as the inevitable draws closer.

The Menu is structured to mirror Chef Slowik’s meticulously crafted dinner service. Each course comes with a new story, and more information is revealed about Slowik’s mind and the fate of his guests. This leads to a creeping sense of dread, as the inevitable draws closer. The ending of The Menu centers the absurd comedic image of the guests burning alive while dressed as s’mores, which underlines the film’s marriage of unpredictable horror and humor.