7 Horror-Comedy Fusions to Treat Yourself to This Weekend
On the heels of back-to-back hits The Menu (2022) and M3GAN (2023), horror-comedies are enjoying a rare moment in the spotlight. Linked in their goal of creating a visceral reaction, these genre-fusions can make us laugh and scream—making things a bit more interesting when it comes to traditional gore or sci-fi. In an otherwise terrifying situation, this special niche in horror gives off the comedic relief we sometimes so desperately need in otherwise intense, or scary, situations.
Please enjoy this list of horror-comedy fusions suggested by our editors:
Zombieland via IMDb.
Zombieland (2009)
Though only released a few years after Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead (2004), there is just something about Rueben Fleischer’s Zombieland (2009) that took the post-apocalyptic zombie comedy genre to the next level. For me, the film is a great pick for any occasion thanks to supreme acting talents Woody Harrelson and Emma Stone. Of course, Jesse Eisenberg and Abigail Breslin are great too, but I’m biased.
When it comes to the film itself though, I was always impressed by the movie’s style and the choice of highlighting “rules” throughout. Growing up, and even as an adult, I’ve had a soft spot for zombies. It likely started when I began reading The Walking Dead comics before the series was made into a hit tv show. Having the rules to live by, I thought it would be a lot more creative than just going out there and trying to simply survive. Sprinkled in comedy and laughs, each rule and occurrence flows seamlessly to the next without overplaying the bit for what it is or destroying the storyline altogether.
No, Zombieland is easy to watch and gives you the best of both worlds. It leaves you wanting to see the second, and if you have time for a double feature, then you should just keep the films rolling because Double Tap is just as fun.
Happy Death Day (2017)
A play on the “Groundhog Day” classic, Christopher Landon’s Happy Death Day follows college girl Tree (Jessica Rothe) as she desperately tries to figure out who her own killer is. Until that can happen, and as the story would go, Tree has to relive her final day over and over until the mystery is solved. Having only watched the movie for the first time a little over a year ago, I was pleasantly surprised with how enjoyable it was.
Happy Death Day via IMDb.
Similar to my other pick, Happy Death Day provides some genuine laughs, which I think is really important, especially if you’re chasing after a theme that’s been done in numerous movies and tv shows before. Despite the pressure to be different, this horror comedy is another easy watch with friends who might be on the fence about something “too scary.”
The Babysitter (2017)
Joseph McGinty Nichol’s (McG) 2017 film The Babysitter craftily brings the nostalgia of everyone’s favorite ‘80s-style slashers back to the screen with a modern-day twist. Centered around one 13-year-old boy, Cole (Judah Lewis) has a stereotypical crush on his babysitter, Bee (Samara Weaving). However, when his parents depart for the weekend, what is thought to be a fun few days spent alone together quickly turns sinister—literally.
After being told it’s time to go to bed on the first night, Cole overhears Bee and her friends downstairs. The common movie ploy has been witnessed in countless films, both of the horror genre and others. It’s usually where the hot babysitter has her boyfriend over for some secret alone time that’s not in a car or either of their own parent’s house. While I didn’t expect Bee to throw a small party, I definitely wasn’t expecting her (and her friends) to host a ritual for the Devil.
While the mix of horror and humor doesn’t always land, it is a refreshing and easy-to-watch horror piece to share with those who aren’t so acclimated to the drama. The ironic material will carry you through death scenes and debacles, leaving you to just sit back and enjoy the show.
Bride of Re-Animator (1990)
There’s a longstanding feud among certain horror circles about which is the better film—Stuart Gordon’s Re-Animator (1985) or Brian Yuzna’s 1990 sequel, Bride of Re-Animator. For my money, I tend to lean toward the latter. While Herbert West, played by the inimitable Jeffrey Combs in both films, is certainly an obsessive, mad doctor in the first film, Combs really unleashes himself in Bride, leaning into the madness—perhaps too far for some. Maybe Yuzna took a note from Sam Raimi’s “re-quel” Evil Dead 2 when he decided to double down on the comedic tone for this film. Whatever it was, it worked for me.
Bride of Re-Animator is insane, it’s chaotic, and at times, it doesn’t make any damn sense, but that’s all part of the charm. Backed by the makeup effects of legendary special effects artist, Screaming Mad George (who Yuzna yanked off of his own production of Society the year before) Bride of Re-Animator delivers loads of gore and limbs to spare.
Evil Dead 2 (1987)
While we’re on the topic of sequels cashing in on comedic undertones, Evil Dead 2. Where Raimi’s original film, The Evil Dead, had to carve out its audience from scratch, building its reputation by word of mouth, Raimi took the opportunity (and additional funding) to fine-tune his formula, resulting in a sort-of-sequel, sort-of-reboot follow-up that is now considered one of the greatest horror films of all time.
Evil Dead 2 takes a decidedly lighter approach to its story than its predecessor, though not at the expense of any of the violence and brutality. Instead, Raimi lets his lead actor Bruce Campbell shine with some of the best physical comedy you’ll ever see. Chock full of one-liners and iconic moments, Evil Dead 2 simply cannot be overlooked and is worth viewing, whether you’ve never seen it before, or you’ve seen it a hundred times.
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010)
Coming back to some more contemporary entries, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil has become something of a poorly kept secret in the horror-comedy genre. After debuting to strong support on the festival circuit, including awards at the SXSW, Sitges, and Fantasia film festivals, Tucker and Dale earned a disappointing box office on a limited theatrical release. Since it began making rounds on streaming services and developing its cult following, however, the film has become a modern standard by which other horror-comedies would be measured.
Jennifer’s Body via IMDb.
The film’s unique blend of teen slasher and simple buddy romp throws its competing narratives into a blender, creating a wild comedy of errors with laugh-out-loud kills that never get old. It doesn’t hurt that Dale (Tyler Labine) is one of the most likable teddy bears of a character you’ll ever see.
Jennifer’s Body (2009)
We’ve mentioned Karyn Kusama’s Jennifer’s Body in lists before, but what can I say? The maligned-on-release high school horror suffered at the box office and with critics, suffering from a marketing campaign that tried to capitalize on star Megan Fox’s Transformers fame. The result was an audience wholly unprepared for the femme-forward critique of the very culture they represented.
Thankfully, the film has undergone a reappraisal—myself included. Looking back, it’s amazing we didn’t catch on to the biting dialogue and subversion of tropes we were being treated to, but 2009 was a different time. Jennifer’s Body is a bloodier, more violent sister to Mean Girls that deserves to be watched and quoted with as much enthusiasm as the latter is.
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Throughout the decades, slasher film villains have had their fair share of bizarre motivations for committing violence. In Jamie Langlands’s The R.I.P Man, killer Alden Pick gathers the teeth of his victims to put in his own toothless mouth in deference to an obscure medieval Italian clan of misfits.