Looking to get in the spooky mood but not a huge horror fan? Here are some classic horror comedies that are scarily funny!
Some horror comedies can contain more LOLs than OMGs while others can make you chuckle while hiding behind your hands. The 21st century has produced many different variations of horror comedies that get you in a spooky mood even if you aren’t a horror fanatic.
Scary Movie (2000) – More Laughs Than Jumpscares
This classic horror comedy will leave you holding your stomach from laughter over fear. It teases that the entire slasher movie genre is heavily focused on gags instead of a standard plot. The film revolves around a group of six teenagers who hit and killed a man with their car on Halloween. A year later, they are being chased by a recognizable masked killer. It teases classic horror films like Scream, The Shining, and I Know What You Did Last Summer.
Its R-rating should be a warning for the plethora of gory scenes involving stabbings and blood. But, if you are more of a scaredy cat like me, these violent or suspenseful moments are quickly relieved by humor. It also stars iconic comedians like Anna Faris, Jon Abrahams, Regina Hall, and Marlon Wayans.
Happy Death Day (2017) – Violent Thriller Without the Gore
This film is described as Groundhog Day’s worst nightmare. The central plot of Happy Death Day revolves around a sorority college student, played by Tree Gelbman, who relives her violent death every day. Each day, she gathers clues as to who her masked killer is and tries to escape this exhausting and frightening cycle.
The PG-13 rating leaves out a lot of the gore from a typical horror film. There are a couple of bloodless stabbings and jump scares. While the film features creepy carousel music and chasing sequences, it incorporates a protective facade of horror clichés. Even the anticipation of jump scares from silent scenes is met with a sigh of relief when nothing scary occurs. The film fits into the horror trope, but the audience is mainly invested in the relatable main character’s victory against her killer. If the movie left you wanting more, Happy Death 2U came out in 2019.
Ready or Not – More Suspenseful With Some Drops of Blood…
This horror-comedy is about a bride’s worst nightmare when being welcomed into her new family. Her in-laws, the wealthy Le Domas, force her to play a game of hide and seek. However, the catch is she is the one hiding, and if she gets caught…. the family will kill her.
Samara Weaver, who plays the newlywed, incorporates her charisma and humor to relieve some tension and suspense. It is a classic tale of cat and mouse, where the audience is able to laugh at the family’s eccentric nature. The R-rated film contains more than enough gore. I would not recommend this film if you get wheezy at the sight of blood. It also provides social commentary that exaggerates the anxieties of marrying into a wealthy family. I definitely would not watch this before meeting your partner’s parents.
Cabin in the Woods – More Eerie Than Cheery
The horror-comedy with a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes was declared one of the “greatest hits of the best horror-comedies of the last few decades.” The star-studded cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Jesse Williams, and Bradley Whiteford, who act in the storyline involving a typical haunted cottage slasher twist.
The creators, Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon, known for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, incorporate elements of the series into that show, especially monsters and a large amount of gore. Some monsters include evil clowns, giant snakes, serial killers, and even mermen. It aims to expose flaws of the horror genre, using an attractive group of five friends, each embodying a specific stereotype. While it remains low on the scary scale compared to actual horror films, I would consider this one of the scarier comedy-horror films.
Scream 5 (2022) – Classic Horror-Comedy
I can’t not mention the classic horror comedy Scream. The reboot, Scream 5, starring Jenna Ortega, came out just last year. The 1996 version of the movie very overtly calls out storylines and horror clichés. The plot of a masked killer targeting a group of high school teenagers has continued for 25 years!
This film is definitely more of a dark comedy. It contains appearances from Courtney Cox, David Arquette, and Neve Campbell from the original films. It starts with the iconic scene of Jenna Ortega picking up the landline phone and talking to a psychopath about horror films. This film is “stab-heavy” as the knife is the killer’s weapon of choice. While there are many elements of fear and suspense, it won’t keep you up at night. The love for the classic tale could even leave viewers a bit nostalgic.
