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 ᴅᴇᴀᴅ (2004)

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

Shaun of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ is the first movie in Edgar Wright’s Cornetto trilogy, with each movie satirizing a different genre. Shaun of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ 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.

The jokes in Shaun of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ 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

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

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.

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

It’s fair to say that Jennifer’s Body has a somewhat mixed reputation, but it also has a pᴀssionate 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

ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Alive (1992)

Peter Jackson’s Zombie Comedy Is Filled With Gore

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

While ᴅᴇᴀᴅ 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 ᴅᴇᴀᴅ II (1987)

The Sequel Is More Comedic Than The Original

The Evil ᴅᴇᴀᴅ 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 ᴅᴇᴀᴅ II strikes the perfect balance between horror and comedy.

While people will have their own opinions about which Evil ᴅᴇᴀᴅ movie is the best, Evil ᴅᴇᴀᴅ 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

Before it was one of the funniest shows on TV, What We Do in the Shadows was a hilarious movie directed by Taika Waiтιтi 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 ᴅᴇᴀᴅpan 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

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

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.

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 ᴅᴇᴀᴅpan Humor With Intense Authority

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 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.