10 of the Best Horror Comedies Since the 1940s

By Redmanwriter on July 13, 2024

Sommerleigh Pollonais, Horror Head Writer

How many of us laugh when we're scared? Or you find yourself relating an incident to a friend that was terrifying in the moment but makes you smile when you think back on it? Yes, Horror and Comedy when done right can go together like peanut butter and jelly so why not take a look back at some of the greatest this sub-genre has to offer.

#10 The Bat (1959)

Am I Batman? Na na na na na na na na na na na

I came across this one completely by accident and on YouTube no less. It was released all the way back in 1959 and showed that remakes were a thing even back then (the original version came out in 1926 and was thought lost until a copy was discovered in 1980). I haven't seen the original, but the 1959 version follows the story closely with only a few changes here and there from what I could find on Wikipedia. Starring the man himself Vincent Price as well as another icon of classic Hollywood, Agnes Moorehead, the story is about a killer called The Bat who continues to elude the police. Meanwhile a famous mystery author (Moorehead) and her assistant and best friend Lizzie has rented the summer home of a local bank president. During their stay the president is discovered to have died in a forest fire and someone at his bank has stolen one million dollars. All of these "mysteries" are connected through and it's up to the tenacious writer and her friends to unmask The Bat before it's too late.

While the comedy is here is more overt, the snappy dialogue and likeable lead characters combine with a solid mystery and a solid twist to create a solid film. While the reviews of the time were mixed, watching The Bat now I can see more than a few film tropes that are still very much utilised in modern day thrillers. I like to watch these old films and wonder what it would've been like for viewers back then to experience them. I laughed more than once when it came to the banter between author Cornelia and her friend Lizzie. And while The Bat might seem tame by today's standards, there was at least one kill here that was truly shocking as I didn't expect it, making the stakes higher in the process.

So, If you're a fan of classic cinema and horror comedies, check this one out. I don't know if it's streaming anywhere but if not, YouTube has got you covered.

#9 Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

A couple ah wise acres, hmm?

Sticking with the classics, no horror comedy listing would be complete without this one. Released in 1948, Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein was one of those scripts no one but the writer Robert Arthur had faith in. So much so he paid Costello $50,000 dollars in advance to star in it. I'm not a math wizard but I do know that was a ton of money back then. Without going into all the backstory, Universal brought back hitters like Lon Chaney Jr and Bela Lugosi to reprise their iconic roles The Wolf Man and Dracula respectively and the rest became movie history.

While far from perfect, this movie is still one of the most hilarious horror comedies out there. The story follows Dracula who has now teamed up with the diabolical Dr Mornay (Lenore Aubert) to reactivate Frankenstein's monster by finding the perfect brain. A brain that just happens to belong to Lou Costello (Wilbur Grey).

While I wouldn't call myself a huge fan of Abbot and Costello, I have seen a few of their movies, mostly the ones that followed this. And while the others were humorous, none of them was a good as this one. If you've never seen any of their films, this horror comedy is definitely the place to start.

#8 Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)

You look so sexy. I could just eat you up. Figuratively speaking, of course

I don't get why this movie doesn't get more love from horror comedy fans, or Eddie Murphy fans. Personally, I think Vampire in Brooklyn is a blast and has all the right ingredients to be on any horror or comedy fans' watchlist.

Adding new blood (pun intended) to Bram Stoker's Dracula by giving the original story a modern-day twist, Dracula...I mean Maximillian (Eddie Murphy) is the last of a race of vampires inexplicably from the Caribbean. After killing the crew of the Demeter, the vessel makes land not in London, but instead Brooklyn, New York. The case lands on the desk of detective named Rita (Angela Bassett) who catches the eye of the vampire whose family lineage is tied to Maximillian in more ways than one.

Doing what he does best, Murphy plays multiple characters here and it's a laugh riot. Add to that director Wes Craven's penchant for blood, gore and some very cool special effects (the CGI hasn't held up as CG rarely ever does) and you have yourself a darkly funny movie that may have its flaws but is never boring. Vampire movies are a dime a dozen, and the ones that think outside the box are rare. For that alone this movie deserves a look. So don't let the negative reviews stop you; check it out for yourself.

#7 Death Becomes Her (1992)

What? We're just two wild and crazy gals

I need to revisit this movie more often! Death Becomes Her is one of those movies that is probably considered a straight-up comedy, but the horror elements are everywhere. When novelist Helen (Goldie Hawn) loses her husband Ernest (Bruce Willis) to her best friend and movie star Madeline (Meryl Streep) she ends up having a nervous breakdown. After a stint in a psychiatric hospital, she shows up looking decades younger which leads her frenemy to want in on her secret. Turns out Helen has been taken a serum given to her by the mysterious Lisle Von Ruhman (Isabella Rossellini) who claims to be in her seventies. While the serum works, Von Ruhman states Madeline must remain out of the public eye so as not raise suspicions, but for the fading actress who wants to be famous again, this proves difficult. Meanwhile Helen makes a play for Ernest trying to win him back and convinces him to kill his wife. Unbeknownst to her, the serum grants the user immortality as the ladies comedically try to take each other out (causing permanent damage to their bodies and forcing Ernest, now a mortician, to try and patch them up).

From the great chemistry between the trio of stellar actors to the fantastic practical effects (Madeline's broken neck never fails to make me squirm) not to mention the editing and pacing that keeps this movie from overstaying its welcome, Death Becomes Her is a blast to watch. And even without any excessive blood or gore, this darkly comedic take on vanity and envy makes for the kind of horror comedy perfect for viewers who aren't a fan of the R-rated stuff. The critics reviews may have been mixed but I'm not a critic, just a fan and I enjoyed every minute of this dark comedy.

#6 Scary Movie (2000)

And they say you can't hear pictures

Some movie memories stick with you forever. I remember seeing this one right after they had re-released The Exorcist in theatres. I'm dating myself here, but back then the internet was chocked full of spoilers or trailers that gave away the entire movie so myself and the audience I saw this with figured we were just going to get another slasher like Scream. Well, you could imagine the reaction to seeing a horror comedy that parodied films like the aforementioned Scream as well as Halloween, The Sixth Sense and a ton of other genre outings. The Wayans are no strangers to parodies having found fame with I'm Gonna Get you Sucka and the ridiculously titled and laugh-out-loud funny Don't be a Menace to South Central while Drinking Your Juice in the Hood.

While some of the jokes haven't held up that well, the majority of this movie is still a riot to watch as it pokes fun at horror tropes albeit with the subtly of a freight train. The movie also launched Anna Farris' career and led to a host of sequels. Unfortunately, after the second one (which was the only sequel that The Wayans had a hand in making) the franchise turned into a lazy cash grab. But you always have the first film to go back to whenever you're in the mood to poke fun at the genre we all love.

#5 Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)

Greetings officer. How are you doing this fine afternoon?

The best horror movies are the ones that take well-worn tropes and twist them on their heads in delightfully unexpected ways. That's exactly what co-writer and director Eli Craig gave us with Tucker and Dale vs Evil.

Two hapless and harmless friends out to have a good time vacationing at their beloved dilapidated cabin in the woods, cross paths with a group of preppy college kids who assume Tucker and Dale are out to get them. The more the duo try and prove they're just ordinary folks, the more the kids think them to be backwoods killers – the kind seen in horror movies – and the misunderstanding only leads to more blood and gore than you could shake a chainsaw at!

Perfectly cast as the loveable and unlucky due of Tucker and Dale are Alan Tudyk (Firefly, Resident Alien) and Tyler Labine (Reaper, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency) respectively. Their energy here is reminiscent of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in just about everything they've starred in together. The real beauty of this movie though is in how genuinely smart it is. Tucker and Dale vs Evil could've gone the lazy route, going for the obvious jokes that, with time, bores the viewer. Instead, what we get is a solid story with two very likeable lead characters that pokes fun not at the "southern folk" but instead at the stories that have made them out to be monsters. An absolute blast of a movie, I highly recommend checking this one out if you've missed it.

#4 Gremlins 1 and 2 (1984 and 1990)

YODA: Go out wearing that you will not

Cheating a bit as I'm putting both movies together, Gremlins and Gremlins 2, while two very different movies thematically, are the kind of movies that have to be seen to be appreciated.

We have a simple premise of a boy (who looks like he's twenty-two but just roll with it; it was the 80's) getting the strangest Christmas gift from his dad in the form a strange but cute creature called a Mogwai. Like any pet there are rules to taking care of the little guy they name Gizmo, but unlike your fluffy companions Gizmo isn't just going to chew on the furniture when these rules are broken. Instead, he multiplies and produces a host of mean-spirited and murderous siblings who eventually evolve into Gremlins.

Could you imagine what it must've been like for parents who thought they were taking their kids to see a sweet Christmas movie, only to have it turn into a screen full of murder and mayhem! Granted these movies aren't nearly as disturbing to watch as they would've been when we were younger, but the dark humour of both Gremlins movies has held up wonderfully and never fail to illicit laughter watching these little guys cause mass destruction wherever they're unleashed.

Personally, I prefer the sequel and the story behind how something so insane ever made it to cinemas is definitely worth checking out (Key and Peele even had done a sketch pointing out how crazy the pitch meeting must've been). Whichever you prefer, Gremlins 1 and 2 gets high points for being a creature feature like no other.

#3 An American Werewolf in London (1981)

You think you are having a bad day?

Growing up, I never saw this movie as a comedy. It was straight up scary and cool to me with a transformation scene that is yet to beaten by any that has come after it. Revisiting it as an adult though I can totally appreciate the dark comedy that litters the story throughout.

David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) are American students backpacking through London. Told to "stay off the moors", they do the opposite and after an attack that leaves Jack dead and David severely injured, the latter slowly discovers they were attacked by a werewolf, and he has been cursed to become one himself.

The comedy here is a dark as it comes, so dark in fact some viewers might miss it (as I initially did). But with scenes of a decaying Jack haunting David, the song Blue Moon playing in the background during David's first (and awesome) transformation and of course I have to mention that insane dream sequence that, if I'm not mistaken, was the first time the "fake out" or false awakening — which is when some thinks they woke up, only to realise they're still dreaming — was used in a movie. Yeah, American Werewolf in London was the first to do it and it made me both jump and laugh at the same time.

#2 Cabin in the Woods (2012)

Day 2.5 of my diet

This is one of those movies that just gets better every time I watch it.

Starting off like any other slasher you've seen, a group of friends spend a weekend at a cabin in the woods where they discover a cursed object that releases all sorts of death and destruction upon them. Or so it seems. Turns out all of these events have been planned by a secret organisation whose job is to, well, basically make slasher type sacrifices to ancient dieties, in order to save the world.

Whip smart and inventive, Cabin in the Woods, like Scream, is a horror movie that pokes fun at horror movies, while also venerating them. With tons of shout outs to every sub-genre you can think of, loads of memorable kills and an ending that leaves you to argue with your friends on whether or not the bad guys were truly bad guys (I mean, they were right about what would happen). I admit the trailer misled me into thinking this was just another forgettable slasher, when (thankfully) it was anything but!

Honourable Mention: The Return of the Living Dead (1985)

'Super easy? Barely an inconvenience?' What the hell does that mean?

There's a scene in this movie where they use Lysol to wash away the scent of the dead. Another where a zombie uses a dead cop's walkie to ask them to "send more cops". If this movie isn't considered a horror comedy, I don't know what one is.

#1 Shaun of the Dead (2004)

It's over for that zombie. Get it? Cricket? Over? Get it? You get it

While Hot Fuzz remains my personal favourite of The Cornetto Trilogy, Shaun of the Dead is such a close second, it qualifies for a photo finish! Making instant major stars of leads Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, this whip smart story follows slackers Shaun (Pegg) and his best mate Ed (Frost) who spend their days visiting the pub and playing video games. These two are such slackers they don't even notice an apocalypse is unfolding outside their doors until it shows up in their backyard in the form of the undead. The rest of the movie is a laugh-out-loud journey of "boys" becoming men as Shaun does his best to save everyone he loves, even if that includes his ex-girlfriend and cranky but well-meaning stepdad.

I think what makes Shaun of the Dead so good is simply the fact that the zombie apocalypse isn't the main focus. Like most people, Covid is the closest I've ever come to experiencing a real-world pandemic and if that experience has taught me anything it's people won't let a little thing like an "apocalypse" stop them from living their lives. Unlike the characters from say The Walking Dead, Shaun, Ed and the rest never become villains or turn on each other. They are who they are, just with zombies thrown into the mix. And like Covid did to the real world, they're just tiring to survive until they can get back to their lives, maybe with a new outlook on things but also still just a couple of mates who enjoy sitting in front of the telly and playing video games.

Movies like Zombieland might not exist if not for Shaun of the Dead, a movie that proved there's still a lot of fun to be had when you throw zombies into the mix.

So that's my list. Which of these horror comedies is your favourite? Any you would add to the list? And you can check out more horror comedy content below:

Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge-Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever, and I'll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes. Double Tap Baby! Read More