Horror movies are made with the intention of scaring the wits out of audiences, making them scream and jump out of their skin. But sometimes, when filmmakers try too hard for scares, they accidentally make a horror movie that’s much closer to a comedy. Whether it’s because of campy villains, over-the-top acting, or low-budget effects, some horror movies had theater goers laughing out loud. The more filmmakers tried to frighten viewers, the more audiences giggled. Here are eight horror movies that were supposed to be scary but instead were quite comical.
1. Troll 2 (1990)
Synopsis:
A family moves to a small town called Nilbog, only to learn that the residents are goblins. The evil creatures plan to eat the humans but first want to turn them into vegetables. Even the premise makes us crack a smile. The movie was marketed as a creature feature, but its dumb plot, strange dialogue, and exaggerated performances turned it into an unintentional comedy. It’s one of the most beloved bad horror movies ever produced.
What Was Funny:
Almost everything about Troll 2 was unintentionally hilarious. First of all, there are zero trolls in this film, as the monsters are goblins. Secondly, the goblins look more like kids in poorly done Halloween costumes than monsters. The now infamous twist is completely absurd, and it is difficult for audience members to make it through a single scene without laughing. The truly horrible, melodramatic acting, especially during the dinner scene, has become downright legendary.
2. The Happening (2008)
Synopsis:
When people across the northeastern United States start dying from unknown causes, a science teacher and his family try to escape the strange illness. Director M. Night Shyamalan intended the movie to be a suspenseful horror story about the world facing an invisible threat.
What Was Funny:
The movie became known for awkward dialogue between characters and weird acting choices. No one could take Mark Wahlberg’s performance seriously, from his deadpan conversations with plants to his dramatic reactions to the invisible “enemy”. The movie tried to be disturbing but instead turned into an accidental parody.
3. The Wicker Man (2006)
Synopsis:
A police officer goes to a remote island searching for a missing girl. While investigating, he discovers a pagan community hiding a dark secret. The film was meant to recreate the disturbing psychological horror film originally released in 1973.
What Was Funny:
Nicolas Cage is known for intense performances bordering on the comical. But none of his roles compare to The Wicker Man. His extravagant performance has audiences alternating between cringing and laughing. At different points in the film, Cage’s character screams about bees and dons a bear costume while attacking people. His unpredictable choices made the movie a collection of now-infamous laugh-out-loud moments. Cage alone made the film one of the most unintentionally funny horror movies ever.
4. Leprechaun (1993)
Synopsis:
A group of people (one of them played by Jennifer Aniston) accidentally awakens a murderous leprechaun. The evil creature will stop at nothing to take back his stolen gold. The movie sought to use a terrifying mythical creature as a modern-day slasher villain.
What Was Funny:
The tiny leprechaun’s combination of silly rhymes and goofy personality made him feel more like a mischievous and annoying little kid than a nightmare. Warwick Davis made the character full of energy, but viewers found themselves gigging at situations that were designed to be creepy.
5. Sleepwalkers (1992)
Synopsis:
A mother and son disguised as normal people are actually shape-shifting cat-like creatures. They move to a small town and start attacking young women. The movie was written by horror master Stephen King and was intended to be a supernatural horror story.
What Was Funny:
The movie’s bizarre concept about odd cat-people hunting humans just wasn’t scary. The strange special effects make it feel campy instead of frightening. The creatures look downright odd instead of scary, and the over-the-top performances make the big scenes entertaining for all the wrong reasons. Even the cat-related mythology they tried to use as an explanation is amusing.
6. The Roommate (2011)
Synopsis:
A college student realizes that her new roommate is interested in her to a dangerous degree. The roommate begins targeting everyone in her life. The movie was meant to be a psychological thriller about a friendship that turns into a deadly obsession.
What Was Funny:
The movie takes every thriller trope to the extreme. The confrontations are over the top and the twists are predictable. The movie took itself very seriously, which led viewers to smile through most of the wannabe suspense. It actually feels like a high-budget version of a made-for-TV movie.
7. House of Wax (2005)
Synopsis:
A group of friends traveling through the countryside ends up in a strange town where human bodies are being preserved as wax figures. This remake was designed as a gruesome slasher and sought to shock audiences.
What Was Funny:
While some scenes are genuinely creepy, this remake of a 1953 classic includes excessive gore that seems completely unrealistic, making the movie more like a parody. The dramatic reactions verged on the absurd, and the villain cliches make it seem like filmmakers were going for hockey instead of truly frightening nightmare. It became a movie people watched for a laugh.
8. Maximum Overdrive (1986)
Synopsis:
A mysterious event makes machines come alive and attack humans. One group of survivors takes shelter in a roadside truck stop and fights to stay alive. Stephen King’s directorial debut should be a spine tingling horror story.
What Was Funny:
The idea of murderous trucks, possessed arcade games, and evil vending machines was already hard to take seriously. The movie simple couldn’t get past its ridiculous premise. It was full of exaggerated action and moments that were ripe for comedy. Killing machines are way more funny than spooky.