Christopher Landon has established himself as a reliable presence in the horror-comedy genre. Though his name might not be widely recognizable, some of Landon’s movies are, having directed Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones, Happy Death Day, and Freaky. Most of the movies that Landon has directed can be categorized as horror, though they also frequently incorporate comedic elements.

Son of Michael Landon, who played Charles Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie, Christopher Landon followed in his father’s footsteps in the film industry. He started his career co-writing the scripts for Another Day in Paradise and Blood & Chocolate before his breakthrough came by co-writing the 2007 thriller, Disturbia, heavily inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. Landon became a major creative voice behind the Paranormal Activity franchise, writing several sequels before directing one. Since then, he’s helmed a number of notable horror comedies and has emerged as one of the genre’s most important filmmakers working today.

8

Burning Palms (2010)

Landon’s Directorial Debut

Christopher Landon’s directorial debut, as is the case with most filmmakers, is widely considered his worst movie. It’s one of the few times he’s ventured outside the horror genre, functioning more as a satirical thriller. As producer Oren Segal describes it, Burning Palms is “a John Waters version of [Robert Altman’s] Short Cuts,” following five interconnected storylines about Los Angeles stereotypes, as each character confronts taboos and often faces a darkly humorous fate.

Though it was Landon’s first film, Burning Palms features some notable stars, including Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez) and Oscar nominee Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl). Despite its intriguing premise and strong cast, Burning Palms was panned by critics for lacking depth, sensitivity, and emotional engagement, with many critics calling it offensive or superficially provocative. It failed to make much of an impact at the box office, grossing just $3.2 million against its $5 million budget, and holds some of Landon’s career-worst Rotten Tomatoes scores at 38% and 35%.

7

Scouts Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse (2015)

Landon’s Lesser-Known Horror Comedy

The 2015 zombie movie might be one of Landon’s lesser-known, and arguably weaker, horror comedies. The film follows three Boy Scouts who, with the help of a cocktail waitress, band together to protect their town from a zombie invasion and discover the true meaning of friendship in the process. The cast includes Tye Sheridan, Logan Miller, Joey Morgan, Sarah Dumont, and David Koechner.

Like most of Landon’s earlier movies, Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse received mostly negative reviews from critics. The movie doesn’t quite match the wild promise of its тιтle, ending up as just another run-of-the-mill zombie comedy that leans too heavily on clichéd Sєx appeal. The movie was released during an influx of zombie comedies trying to imitate the earlier success of Zombieland in 2009. However, for those looking for just that, it could be a fun time.

6

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014)

The First Paranormal Activity Movie Landon Directed

After writing the first three sequels for the found-footage horror franchise, Landon finally took over as director for 2014’s Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones. The spinoff follows a new character, Jesse Arista (Andrew Jacobs), a young man who becomes the target of a malevolent enтιтy and must uncover its true intentions before it takes complete control of him.

It’s one of Landon’s few directorial outings in which he’s been held back by the confines of an existing franchise, albeit one he helped build, and it clearly shows. While its new setting brings a bit of freshness to the franchise, The Marked Ones lacks the steady suspense necessary to make the movie feel worthwhile. However, like most Paranormal Activity movies, its box office success is undeniable, making over $90 million against its budget of under $10 million.

5

We Have A Ghost (2023)

Landon’s Overlooked Netflix Film

We Have A Ghost is one of Landon’s movies that may have flown under the radar due to its Netflix release in 2023. However, once again, We Have A Ghost does feature several notable stars in Anthony Mackie, David Harbour, Tig Notaro, and Jennifer Coolidge. Based on the 2017 short story “Ernest” by Geoff Manaugh, the film follows a family who find a ghost in their new home and become overnight social media sensations. However, when they begin investigating the apparition’s mysterious past, they attract the attention of the CIA.

What is essentially a comedic take on Paranormal Activity, the movie does represent some of what Landon does best. However, indicated by We Have a Ghost‘s mixed reviews, it struggles to make the most of its entertaining premise and skilled ensemble, resulting in an uneven homage to haunted house horror movies of the 1980s. Landon takes a swing toward sentimentality, and despite some awkward writing, We Have A Ghost has just enough heart to possibly bring a tear to your eye.

4

Happy Death Day 2U (2019)

The Sequel To 2017’s Happy Death Day

Getting into the bread-and-ʙuттer of Landon’s filmography, Happy Death Day 2U represents one of his better works. A sequel to his 2017 hit, the film continues following Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe), who once again finds herself stuck in a time loop – this time in an alternate version of her reality. Israel Broussard, Rachel Matthews, and Ruby Modine also return to reprise their roles.

As a sequel, Happy Death Day 2U ups the original’s comedic and sci-fi elements. However, like most sequels, it doesn’t quite match the original’s clever novelty. It also failed to match the original’s box office, making just $64 million against its $9 million budget. However, fans of the first film should still find plenty to enjoy. It’s still one of Landon’s stronger works and the first entry on this list with a Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes (72%).

3

Happy Death Day (2017)

Groundhog Day Meets Scream

One of his best works, Landon’s 2017 slasher features a time-loop premise, described as Groundhog Day meets Scream, following a college student who is murdered on the night of her birthday, but begins reliving the same day repeatedly until she discovers her killer’s idenтιтy. Happy Death Day brilliantly plays with slasher tropes by adding a darkly comedic sci-fi twist, elevated by Jessica Rothe’s breakout performance. The movie was a mᴀssive sleeper hit at the box office, making over $125 million against its small $4.8 million budget.

For Happy Death Day, Landon took inspiration from iconic slashers like Scream and Halloween, time-loop movies like Groundhog Day, and 1980s comedies like Sixteen Candles and Back to the Future to create, in his words, a “fun, silly horror movie.” However, Happy Death Day is more than that, as it was Landon’s first film to comment on the age of social media.

2

Freaky (2020)

A Twist On Freaky Friday

While Happy Death Day was Groundhog Day meets Scream, Landon’s 2020 slasher is a twist on Freaky Friday, following a teenage girl (Kathryn Newton) who accidentally swaps bodies with a serial killer (Vince Vaughn), and has just 24 hours before the switch becomes permanent. Katie Finneran, Misha Osherovich, Celeste O’Connor, and Alan Ruck also star in supporting roles.

Once again, in Freaky, Landon cleverly blends genres to create a fun and wildly entertaining slasher. Its body-swapping, but also gender-bending premise, delivers a fresh spin on the genre with genuine scares and hilarious character moments. Directing standout performances from Vaughn and Newton, Freaky simply showcases what Landon does best.

1

Drop (2025)

Landon’s Latest Film

Landon’s latest film is also his best. While Freaky repurposes an old concept effectively, Drop feels refreshingly new. The thriller follows Meghann Fahy as a widowed mother who goes on her first date in years and begins receiving threatening messages, causing her to question her date (played by Brandon Sklenar) and fear for her safety.

Drop feels like a culmination of Landon’s career, incorporating Hitchcockian suspense, as he did on Disturbia, while also cleverly incorporating modern technology, as he did on Happy Death Day. It, like many of Christopher Landon‘s movies, offers a strong showcase for its lead star, Meghan Fahy. Drop is a satisfying ride and a delightfully cheesy thriller that is entertaining right up until its final moments.