15. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
John Landis’sAn American Werewolf in Londonisn’t just a classic film that revolutionized werewolf movies, but also one of the best horror comedy movies ever made.
The story follows American tourists David Kessler (played by David Naughton) and Jack Goodman (played by Griffin Dunne) who are visiting the UK on holiday.
While trekking across the countryside, they encounter a frightening creature that turns out to be a werewolf—and that creature ends up killing one of them and turning the other into a werewolf as well.
An American Werewolf in Londonis an iconic horror comedy from the 1980s and one of the greatest werewolf movies of all time. However, given that the film feels tragic in parts, I’ve ranked it low on this list.
Related:The Best Classic Monster Movies Still Worth Watching Today
14. Sharknado (2013)
Everything aboutSharknadois ridiculous and hilarious. It’s a pure camp-fest featuring a tornado that picks up a seemingly unlimited supply of sharks and flings them onto unsuspecting victims. It’s bloody, it’s hilarious, and it’s downright insane.
You can’t go intoSharknadolooking for any kind of serious horror movie, or even a plot that makes a lick of sense. But what you can expect is entertainment—and lots of it.
I don’t want to give away too much because it’s one of those films that’s best experienced for yourself. Just know that you’re in for a wild ride!
Related:The Best Movies About Shark Attacks
13. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
The Cabin in the Woodsis a fantastic horror comedy movie that’s an homage to the slasher films of yore. Written by Joss Whedon and David Goddard, who worked together onBuffy, you know what to expect.
Unlike some of the other movies on this list, the bulk ofThe Cabin in the Woodsis about horror, while the humor is more of a satire/parody undertone than a primary plot device.
WhileThe Cabin in the Woodscan be a good way to introduce friends and family to the horror genre, you might want to start with some of the other films down this list. Much of the humor inThe Cabin in the Woodsrequires an understanding of common horror tropes.
Related:The Best Horror Movie Final Girls, Ranked
12. Zombieland (2009)
Zombielandmakes no attempt to hide what it is: it’s clearly a horror and action movie mixed with a comedy.
Every detail, from the nicknames of the main characters to the quest for Twinkies, is sprinkled with comedic undertones.
Yet, while it seems like the primary goal of the movie is to be silly and make you laugh, there’s plenty of horror in here as well.
There’s no shortage of tension as our beloved characters attempt to survive in a post-apocalyptic world filled with flesh-eating zombies. Plus, there’s an amazing scene with Bill Murray that makes it worth seeing.
Related:The Best Zombie Comedy Movies
11. Happy Death Day (2017)
On the surface,Happy Death Daydoesn’t seem like a funny movie. It’s basically a slasher film where the protagonists are murdered over and over again until they figure out who’s killing them.
However, with a premise that’s this darkly humorous, and with the creators managing to tuck in several hilarious jokes throughout the movie, it turns out to be a stellar horror comedy.
Any time a movie tackles some form of time travel, you can expect things to get weird, andHappy Death Daymost certainly does just that. It just manages to do it in a way that’s hilarious.
Related:The Best Movies Like Groundhog Day With Time Loops
10. Beetlejuice (1988)
Directed by Tim Burton,Beetlejuicereleased as an off-the-wall, zany horror comedy that defined a whole new subcategory in cinema: the Tim Burton movie.
Barbara (played by Geena Davis) and Adam (played by Alec Baldwin) are returning home from town, when they swerve to avoid driving over a dog. Thankfully, it’s a near miss.
However, when they later find that strange things are happening at home, they realize that they’d actually died after driving into a river. On top of that, their house is now being sold to a new family.
So, they contact the bio-exorcist Beetlejuice to scare them away—but they’re about to get more than they bargained for…
Dark, weird, macabre, but subtly funny,Beetlejuiceis a classic Halloween watch for families across the country.
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9. Hot Fuzz (2007)
Directed by Edgar Wright,Hot Fuzzis primarily a love letter to cop movies and Westerns. But much like his other hit movies—Shaun of the DeadandAt World’s End—it’s also an homage to horror comedies.
The story centers on a tenacious police officer (played by Simon Pegg) who’s relocated to a small town in England where nothing much happens. From the city to the country, the whole thing is basically a death sentence for his career.
However, strange things begin to happen—horrifying, grisly things—and it’s apparent that the idyllic countryside isn’t so idyllic after all. Starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, this horror comedy won’t be the last you see of the duo on this list!
8. Re-Animator (1985)
Re-Animatoris the epitome of Lovecraftian horror in film with a pinch of humor. Directed by Stuart Gordon, this movie follows the exploits of a scientist who’s possessed by the idea of re-animating the dead.
However, along the way, people are likely to get hurt or even killed! But not to worry because they can always be re-animated. Starring Jeffrey Combs and Bruce Abbott,Re-Animatoris the best of both worlds when it comes to blending horror with comedy.
Related:The Best Black Comedy Movies With Darkly Morbid Humor
7. Eating Raoul (1982)
Eating Raoulis one of those black comedy films that’s dark enough to fit into the horror genre, but too campy to be taken seriously. And that’s true despite its very serious subject matter: cannibalism!
The story follows a prudish, sexually repressed married couple (played by Paul Bartel and Mary Woronov) who are forced to live in an apartment building with swingers. How unfortunate…
However, they realize they can use their situation to their advantage—by killing the sexually liberated couples that frequent their building, stealing the cash they have on them, and using it to open their own restaurant.
But what will they serve at their new eatery? Well… take a guess.
Related:The Best Cannibalism Movies Where People Eat People
6. Werewolves Within (2021)
If you’re in search of a movie that successfully puts a fresh twist on old werewolf stories for a compelling narrative for modern audiences, then look no further thanWerewolves Within.
This movie manages to combine horror, comedy, and social commentary in an effortlessly hilarious yet meaningful way.
A forest ranger (played by Sam Richardson) is reassigned to a mountain town where he inevitably encounters all of its crazy inhabitants and their internal issues. Namely, some want a pipeline to come through the mountain (for the money) while others want to preserve the scenery.
WithWerewolves Within, Josh Ruben highlights not only the internal conflict of man-versus-beast when someone is bitten by a werewolf, but also the internal conflict of societies.
Funny, scary, and intelligent,Werewolves Withinis truly one of the most underrated horror comedy movies of recent years!
Related:The Best Movies About Werewolves
5. This Is the End (2013)
Directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg,This Is the Endreunites their whole gang of movie stars who frequently star in comedies together—and then goes even further by throwing a bit of horror into the mix.
The film follows the reactions of Hollywood A-listers after an apocalyptic event occurs in Los Angeles. When these wimpy actors end up stuck in their friend’s house, creepy demons begin prowling the grounds outside. But that doesn’t mean they can’t party in the meantime!
Starring Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, James Franco, Danny McBride, and Craig Robinson,This Is the Endis a horror comedy that really gives you a sense of the end of the world.
Related:The Best Movies Where Actors Play Themselves
4. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Shaun of the Deadisn’t just a horror movie that only features a smidge of comedy here and there. This one’s almost equal parts horror and humor, making it a great watch for someone who doesn’t like scary movies.
The story centers on Shaun (played by Simon Pegg), a lazy guy who just wants to hang out and coast through life. But he won’t be able to coast for long: there’s a zombie horde right outside his door.
When he realizes that his girlfriend (who just dumped him) could be in danger, he knows that the time to grow up has come. Off to the pub!
Directed by Edgar Wright,Shaun of the Deadis a legendary horror comedy film you’ll want to watch over and over again.
Related:The Best Indie Movies of the 2000s
3. Ghostbusters (1984)
Who you gonna call?Ghostbustersis a classic for so many reasons. There really isn’t anything too serious happening in this film—it’s all fun and games, mixed in with a few frights every so often.
When a group of New York City professors have their first encounter with a ghost, they realize that ghouls are crawling all over the city—and they have to do something about it. Say hello to Ghostbusters, the service for all of your paranormal needs!
Directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, and Harold Ramis,Ghostbustersis a must-watch classic that perfectly blends sci-fi, horror, comedy, and action.
Related:The Best Comedy Movies From the 80s
2. What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
The opening sequence ofWhat We Do in the Shadowsis comedy gold: the 379-year-old vampire Viago (played by Taika Waititi) addresses the camera as he shows us around his house with great pride.
The rest of the film completely defangs the vampire monster of any kind of fright value. Soon, Viago and his vampire roommates become wacky caricatures of themselves.
Written and directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi,What We Do in the Shadowsfeatures some of the funniest scenes in horror comedy and plenty of meta-jokes in its mockumentary format.
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1. Young Frankenstein (1974)
Young Frankensteinwas always going to be my first choice as best horror comedy to ever do it. There’s simply too much to appreciate: the cinematography, the performances, the writing, the laughs, and the frights (though it certainly leans more towards laughs).
The story follows Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (played by Gene Wilder), a lecturing physician who clearly has an issue with his grandfather’s place in history as a mad scientist.
But when he takes a trip to Transylvania, and when he finds manuscripts from his grandfather’s study, he can’t help but find himself compelled to continue on his work…
Directed by Mel Brooks and starring Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Teri Garr, and the great Madeline Kahn,Young Frankensteinhas a terrific pool of talent that propels the film to grand heights.
If you ask me,Young Frankensteinis the funniest horror movie ever made, filled with sight gags, puns, pop culture in-jokes, and genre references. No contest, it’s the best horror comedy film of all time.
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