The 10 Best Horror Comedies of All Time, Ranked

Horror and comedy might seem like a strange match, but the two genres have always shared a wicked chemistry. When done right, horror comedy movies can deliver both the thrill of fear and the joy of laughter — often in the same breath. Walking a fine line between terror and humor, these films balance suspense and gruesome moments with witty dialogue, slapstick antics, or outright satire.

Whether it’s a self-aware slasher or a parody zombie movie, the greatest horror comedies manage to be frightening and funny. A select few come with something smart to say. From horror cult classics to modern hits, the subgenre has produced many unforgettable films. Some poke fun at horror tropes, others celebrate them and twist them into something much more elevated. Each carries its own unique signature of horror and hilarity. What connects them all together is their understanding of and deep love for the horror genre.

From great to number one, this list ranks the 10 best horror comedies of all time.

10

‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ (2022)

In Bodies Bodies Bodies, a tumultuous group of friends, along with a couple of plus ones, gather at a remote mansion to wait out a hurricane. They plan to spend their weekend partying, and to kick it off, they decide to start with a round of “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” a type of murder mystery game. What starts out as fun evolves into chaos and violence, when one of them is found bloodied and dead. Trapped with nowhere to go, they point fingers at each other as they fear being the killer’s next target.

A Funny Whodunit With Plenty of Tension

The horror comedy provides a fresh spin on both the slasher and locked-room mystery, with plenty of laughs, scares, and social commentary. While the movie has plenty of suspense and blood, it excels at dialogue-driven humor and absurd escalation. The film is a razor-sharp satire of Gen Z culture, social media, and performative wokeness.

9

‘Happy Death Day’ (2017)

Christopher Landon’s Happy Death Day injects a time loop story into a slasher. The result is a surprisingly fun and fresh take on both genres. Tree Gelbman, played with charm and wit by Jessica Rothe, is a popular sorority girl who wakes up to relive her birthday every day. In each version, she’s murdered by a mysterious killer wearing a baby mask. If she wants to break the curse, Tree must figure out who keeps taking her life.

A Delightful Treat for Slasher Fans

What elevates Happy Death Day is that it takes what could be a simple slasher and turns it into a character-driven redemption arc. As Tree sets out to unmask and defeat the killer, she’s forced to confront her flaws, resulting in an impressive blend of dark humor and emotional growth. Equal parts scary and funny, the film is a delightful blast of horror entertainment. Rothe deserves way more recognition for her role as this witty, resilient, and compelling final girl.

8

‘Trick r’ Treat’ (2007)

Written and directed by Michael Dougherty, Trick r’ Treat has become a cult classic Halloween staple over the years. Set on a single Halloween night in the fictional town of Warren Valley, Ohio, the anthology horror film follows a few of its residents as they celebrate the holiday in morbidly surprising ways. There’s a creepy, pumpkin-headed trick-or-treater, werewolves, a serial killer, ghostly children, and more. The movie remains unmatched in both autumnal and Halloween energy — sorry, Michael Myers.

The Best Halloween Horror Movie Ever

With its playful tone and comic-book-style structure, Trick r’ Treat moves seamlessly between scares and laughs, with the stories cleverly overlapping. Each segment brings its own unique flavor of dark humor and the macabre, bringing to life tales of murder, revenge, urban legends, and transformations. This gleeful embrace of camp and carnage is a reminder that Halloween should always come with both a trick and a treat.

7

‘Re-Animator’ (1985)

Loosely based on H.P. Lovecraft’s short story “Herbest West-Reanimator,” Stuart Gordon’s Re-Animator stars Jeffrey Combs as Herbert West, a brilliant but unhinged medical student who creates a serum that can reanimate the dead. Like in all mad-scientist stories, chaos ensues as the protagonist conducts increasingly reckless experiments. Horror legend Barbara Crampton also stars in the film, with Bruce Abbott, Robert Sampson, and David Gale among the cast.

A 1980s Hidden Horror Gem

Leaning into B-movie territory, Re-Animator is committed to the grotesque, serving up effects that are astonishingly inventive and often hilariously over the top. With deadpan humor, funny lines, and loads of gruesome moments, the film walks a fine line between gory horror and absurdist horror, embracing its low-budget aesthetic with confidence. This film isn’t just camp turned all the way up, it’s an absolute legacy and one of horror comedy’s wildest entries.

6

‘Shaun of the Dead’ (2004)

Co-written and directed by Edgar Wright, Shaun of the Dead is both a love letter to and a parody of zombie films. The British horror comedy follows Shaun (Simon Pegg), a 29-year-old, aimless electronics sales employee. After a difficult day that ends with his girlfriend dumping him, he vows to get his life in order just as a zombie outbreak hits London. Alongside his slacker best friend, Ed (Nick Frost), Shaun fights for survival. Trying to shepherd those Shaun loves to safety, the duo make their way to Winchester Pub, providing viewers with loads of laughs and thrills throughout their journey.

A Hilarious Standout in the Genre

The movie respects its roots, giving nods to the zombie subgenre, while pushing into new territory. Brilliantly blending horror and zombie tropes with sharp British humor, the film takes both its scares and comedy seriously. Funny, gory, and unexpectedly moving, Shaun of the Dead proves that zombie movies can have brains and heart. As such, it also stands out as one of the greatest zombie movies of all time.

5

‘American Psycho’ (2000)

Set in 1987, American Psycho is based on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel of the same name. The author long thought the book unfilmable, but Mary Harron knocked it out of the park, creating one of the greatest horror satires of the 21st century. Christian Bale stars as Patrick Bateman, a wealthy, image-obsessed investment banker living in New York City. By day, he hides his violent impulses and insatiable bloodlust behind a mask of charm and refinement. As Patrick takes to the night to indulge his gruesome fantasies of murder, his grip on reality begins to slip.

A Brutal Dark Comedy With Plenty To Say

Harron masterfully balances disturbing violence with dark humor, creating a fascinating character study and a scathing critique of 1980s yuppie culture, materialism, and consumerism. The comedy mostly stems from the absurdity of Patrick’s elite world, satirizing the superficiality of the rich. Bale is hypnotic in his role as an unhinged psychotic killer, bringing to life one of the genre’s most unsettling characters. Through his actions, the movie also highlights toxic masculinity, violence against women, and how our capitalist society treats people as commodities.

4

‘Young Frankenstein’ (1974)

Young Frankenstein is co-written by Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder and directed by Brooks, with Wilder stepping in front of the camera in the titular role. Set in the early 20th century, the film follows Frederick Frankenstein, a lecturing physician determined to distance himself from the nefarious legacy of his infamous grandfather, Dr. Victor Frankenstein. When the neurosurgeon inherits the late man’s Transylvania castle, he discovers a book full of experiments and gives into his morbid curiosity, following in his grandfather’s footsteps.

An Affectionate Satire of Horror Classics

The film sets the gold standard for horror parody, masterfully capturing the look and feel of classic Universal Monsters movies while turning their tropes on their heads. With a gloriously extravagant and wonderfully wacky performance, it just might be the finest ever in Wilder’s career. Young Frankenstein earns its title as a classic. Not only is it one of the best horror comedies, but the film is among the most critically praised and greatest Frankenstein movies ever created.

3

‘House’ (1977)

Directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi, House is one of Japan’s all-time best films. On the surface, it’s a haunted house story: A schoolgirl and her six friends travel to her aunt’s remote mansion, where supernatural events quickly spiral out of control. But the film and its execution are anything but typical, and neither is the monstrous entity of a house. As the girls enter a nightmare where they become prey to bizarre and gruesome traps, audiences are treated with a trippy experience unlike any other.

A Wildly Creative Horror Comedy

House is one of the most visually stunning horror movies ever created, implementing a surreal style that makes the viewer constantly feel disoriented. The hyperstylized, avant-garde techniques implemented by Obayashi are impressive to this day. Not only is the movie remembered for its hallucinatory imagery, but it endures as truly unsettling viewing. It might not be exactly scary, but it’s completely unforgettable.

2

‘Jennifer’s Body’ (2009)

Written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama, Jennifer’s Body stars Megan Fox as Jennifer Check, a popular high school cheerleader. Mistaken for a virgin, she falls prey to a sacrifice ritual at the hands of Low Shoulder, an all-male rock band looking to get rich and famous. Coming back as a succubus, Jennifer is cursed to eat the flesh of teenage boys to survive. Her best friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried) finds herself torn between her love for Jennifer and the need to stop her.

A Misunderstood Masterpiece

Dismissed upon release and ahead of its time, Jennifer’s Body has become a feminist cult classic over the years. Using biting wit and layers of sarcasm, the film delivers commentary on toxic masculinity, the objectification and exploitation of women, and the male gaze. The coming-of-age horror film boldly explored themes of female rage and queerness, years before such topics became mainstream in horror. This truly incredible dark comedy remarkably also touches on the horrors of girlhood, anchoring its story with unexpected emotional depth.

1

‘The Cabin in the Woods’ (2011)

If you’re a passionate horror fan, chances are that The Cabin in the Woods sits somewhere near the top of your list. At first glance, it sounds like a typical teen horror film, following a group of college students who head to a remote cabin for a weekend of partying, and everything else that comes along with it. But this group of kids are being watched by a mysterious group of scientists who are manipulating their experiences for sinister, unexpected reasons.

One of the Best Meta Horror Movies of All Time

The film expertly skewers every horror trope imaginable while still delivering genuine scares and unforgettable monster mayhem. The Cabin in the Woods is an expertly crafted homage to every type of horror movie, delivering nods to various subgenres. It both celebrates and subverts tropes, injecting absurd comedy into the terror and carnage. This brilliant, blood-soaked love letter to the genre sits among the greatest meta horror films in history.