Horror and comedy occupy opposite ends of the emotional spectrum, but they are a surprisingly perfect match. A good horror comedy can have brutal murders, monsters, and tons of blood one minute, then turn around and make the audience laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Over the last decade, filmmakers have gotten especially creative with this combination. They’ve used inventive premises ranging from time loops to killer dolls to unsettling dinner parties. These movies manage to pack funny and scary into one production.
1. The Babysitter (2017)
Cole thinks having a hot babysitter is pretty great until he stays up past his bedtime to spy on her. He discovers she’s part of a murderous Satanic cult. Though grounded in reality in the first few scenes, The Babysitter shifts into a ridiculous fight for survival. It shows many over-the-top deaths and colorful characters. Samara Weaving is excellent as Bee, an innocent-looking young woman who can switch from sweet babysitter to terrifying cult leader over and over again. The movie knows exactly how ridiculous its premise is and leans into it. It’s bloody, fast paced, and funny. Fans of the wild horror comedies of the ’80s will love this one.
2. Happy Death Day (2017)
Happy Death Day takes the time-loop premise of Groundhog Day and turns it into a slasher movie. College student Tree Gelbman is murdered by a masked killer on her birthday, only to wake up and experience the entire day again. The only way out is to figure out who’s killing her. Yet the killer outsmarts her again and again. As the lead character looks for different ways to survive, we get plenty of opportunities for comedy. It has fun murders and lots of jokes, but the heroine actually has a satisfying character arc.
3. Ready or Not (2019)
Grace expects her wedding to be awkward, due to her soon-to-be in-laws. But she doesn’t expect her new husband’s wealthy family to hunt her for fun. A family tradition leads everyone to try to kill her before sunrise, and she must flee through the mansion finding ways to fight and escape. Samara Weaving spends most of the movie running through the mansion in a destroyed wedding dress. Lucky for her, the new in-laws prove they’re not particularly good at murder. The violence becomes outrageous to the point of hilarious. The movie is a tense survival story with dark comedy at every turn. And perhaps a warning about marrying the rich.
4. Freaky (2020)
Freaky is a slasher movie with the body-swap comedy blueprint of Freaky Friday. After teenager Millie is attacked by a serial killer referred to as the Blissfield Butcher, a magical dagger causes the two of them to switch bodies. Vince Vaughn gets tons of laughs playing a teenage girl trapped inside the body of a towering, middle-aged man. Meanwhile, Kathryn Newton is a once-awkward teenager who is now a ruthless murderer. The premise is ripe for comedy, but its graphic scenes make sure the horror side isn’t forgotten.
5. Werewolves Within (2021)
A snowstorm traps a group of residents inside a small-town inn just before something begins attacking people outside. Everyone quickly becomes convinced that one of their neighbors might be a werewolf. Instead of calmly and logically figuring things out, the group falls prey to paranoia. Arguments, accusations, and complete chaos ensue. Sam Richardson plays a kindhearted forest ranger trying to keep everyone alive. Werewolves Within is both a fun creature feature and a goofy murder mystery. It’s really about how quickly neighbors can turn against each other.
6. Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)
A group of rich young friends throws a hurricane party at an isolated home. While there, they decide to play a murder mystery game called Bodies Bodies Bodies. Unfortunately, someone actually turns up dead. Panic spreads as everyone begins pointing fingers. The chaos leads to exposed secrets and destroyed friendships. The movie makes fun of social media culture and toxic faux friendships. Its final reveal makes the entire movie even funnier.
7. M3GAN (2022)
M3GAN is supposed to be an advanced robotic companion that can protect and care for a young girl. Unfortunately, she takes the “protecting” part of her programming a bit too seriously. The filmmakers knew how silly the storyline was, so instead of playing its killer-robot premise straight, it embraced the comedy. It leans into the comedic nature of M3GAN’s obsessive personality, sarcastic comments, creepy dancing, and ridiculous behavior. M3GAN is charming because she is as entertaining as she is threatening. The movie also seems to be a statement on bad parenting and human overreliance on technology.
8. Abigail (2024)
A group of criminals kidnaps the young ballerina daughter of a wealthy man for ransom. There’s just one major problem: Abigail, the little girl they took, is a vampire. Assuming they are in control, the kidnappers have essentially locked themselves inside a mansion with a horror villain. Once the truth comes out, the hardened criminals desperately try to survive a sweet-looking little girl. The movie parodies vampire rules, as the kidnappers try to figure out how it all works. It contains ridiculous gore and exploding bodies. Abigail is a super-fun horror comedy to watch.