Horror comedy movies are the ultimate cinematic mashup that brings two of the most entertaining film genres together. They make us laugh and cringe and reach for our pillow, all at the same time.
The highest-rated horror comedy movies are also some of the most popular ones with fans of the supernatural genre and a staple for Halloween. From campy classics like the Wayans brothers’ hysterical Scary Movie and Wes Craven’s Scream franchiseto modern masterpieces like 2017’s Happy Death Day starring Jessica Rothe, IMDb’s top-ranked comedy horrors promise to entertain, unsettle, and leave you begging for more.
Add to this the 2024 hit, Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which brings back the star-studded cast from the prequel along with rising star Jenna Ortega, and you have a feast on your hands. The film garnered critical acclaim and achieved a worldwide gross of USD 329.8 million against a budget of USD 99-100 million.
Even Bollywood has been able to crack the zany genre with recent hits like Stree 2 and Munjya (both 2024). The former grossed over INR 847.66 crores worldwide (around USD 102.7 million/RM 433 million), emerging as the second-highest-grossing Indian film and the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2024.
On that note, here are the best horror comedy movies, according to IMDb ratings, guaranteed to make your skin crawl and your funny bone ache.
Top 10 horror comedy movies, according to IMDb ratings
Jump To / Table of Contents
- Slither (2006)
- Happy Death Day (2017)
- Game Night (2018)
- Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)
- The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
- Zombieland (2009)
- American Psycho (2000)
- Evil Dead II (1987)
- Shaun of the Dead (2004)
1 /10
Slither (2006)
Directed by: James Gunn
Cast: Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Rooker, Gregg Henry, Elizabeth Banks, Tania Saulnier, Dustin Milligan
IMDb rating: 6.5/10
Synopsis: An alien plague descends upon a small town, transforming its inhabitants into zombies and various forms of mutant creatures. Grant Grant (Rooker) and his wife Starla Grant (Banks) are afflicted by an extraterrestrial parasite. They must join forces with the rest of their South Carolina community to survive.
About the movie: James Gunn’s Slither features some gruesome scenes and visuals. However, for those who can endure the unsettling visuals, the sci-fi horror-comedy stands out as one of Gunn’s most intellectually engaging works. While the film did not achieve commercial success, its narrative exemplifies grotesqueness and monstrosity. The film also faced criticism due to its numerous similarities and shared plot elements with Fred Dekker’s 1986 horror-comedy, Night of the Creeps.
If you like Slither, here are similar sci-fi movies sure to scare you
2 /10
Happy Death Day (2017)
Directed by: Christopher Landon
Cast: Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Ruby Modine, Charles Aitken, Laura Clifton
IMDb rating: 6.6/10
Synopsis: College student, Tree Gelbman (Rothe), who was killed on her birthday, must relive the night of her murder over and over again. The loop will end only when she discovers her killer’s identity.
About the movie: The slasher was initially titled Half to Death and is based on an original story created by screenwriter Scott Lobdell. The movie was a commercial hit and grossed USD 125 million worldwide on a USD 4.8 million budget.In February 2019, a sequel titled Happy Death Day 2U was released.
Directed by: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein
Cast: Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Kyle Chandler, Sharon Horgan, Billy Magnussen, Lamorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury
IMDb rating: 6.9/10
Synopsis: A group of friends who regularly gather for game nights get caught in a mystery when one member’s dubious brother, Brooks Davis (Chandler), appears to be kidnapped by menacing gangsters. Mistaking the situation to be a part of their game, the couples observe the conflict from a distance and then separate to uncover the truth. Ryan Huddle (Magnussen) and Sarah Darcy (Sharon Horgan) head to the office of the role-playing company to offer a bribe in exchange for the final clue. Meanwhile, Kevin Sterling (Morris) and Michelle Sterling (Bunbury) engage with one of the escape room actors to realise that Brooks’s kidnapping is indeed real.
About the movie: The Warner Bros. Pictures production achieved both commercial and critical acclaim, amassing USD 117 million globally and receiving accolades for its creativity, humour, screenplay, and performances. Additionally, the film’s directors, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, make cameo appearances as Carter and Dan, respectively in the thriller.
4 /10
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)
Directed by: Tim Burton
Cast: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe
IMDb rating: 7.0/10
Synopsis: Following a tragedy, the Deetz family returns to their hometown of Winter River. Lydia Deetz (Ryder), still affected by her past encounters with Betelgeuse, faces a new upheaval when her teenage daughter, Astrid (Ortega), inadvertently opens a portal to the Afterlife. In a desperate move, Lydia calls upon Betelgeuse (Keaton) and agrees to marry him in exchange for his assistance in rescuing Astrid. Together, they navigate the Afterlife, where Astrid is being guided by Jeremy, who reveals that he has deceived her into trading her life for his.
About the movie: This dark fantasy comedy horror film is a direct sequel to Beetlejuice (1988). Beetlejuice Beetlejuice premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on 28 August 2024 and was released in theatres internationally on 4 September 2024, followed by its release in the United States two days later.
5 /10
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
Directed by: Drew Goddard
Cast: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Brian White, Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford
IMDb rating: 7.0/10
Synopsis: A group of college students escape to a secluded cabin in the woods, where they encounter various monsters while technicians orchestrate events from an underground facility managed by engineers Gary Sitterson (Jenkins) and Steve Hadley (Whitford) as part of a complex sacrificial ritual.
About the movie: This sci-fi horror-comedy has been crafted like a puzzle for horror enthusiasts to unravel. Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon, who previously collaborated on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992), penned the screenplay in a mere three days, aiming to “revitalise” the slasher film genre. The film experienced numerous delays in its release due to budgetary constraints. Initially scheduled for release in October 2009, it ultimately premiered in April 2012, achieving both critical and commercial acclaim.
6 /10
Tucker & Dale vs Evil (2010)
Directed by: Eli Craig
Cast: Tyler Labine, Alan Tudyk, Katrina Bowden, Jesse Moss, Chelan Simmons, Christie Laing
IMDb ratings: 7.5/10
Synopsis: Friendly hillbillies Tucker (Tudyk) and Dale (Labine) are enjoying a vacation at their rundown mountain cabin when a group of wealthy college students mistakenly identifies them as murderers. Despite their efforts to be amicable and accommodating, they inadvertently frighten the students to their demise, resulting in a gory, humorous, and occasionally moving horror-comedy that explores themes of friendship and the importance of overcoming stereotypes.
About the movie: The film offers a hilariously fresh take on the backwoods killer genre. It debuted at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and had a limited theatrical release in the United States. Director Eli Craig and his wife Sasha make cameo appearances at both the beginning and the end of the film, playing a cameraman and a reporter, respectively. Craig expertly manages the film’s pacing and includes some exceptionally edited scenes that will leave viewers laughing uncontrollably and at the same time shocked by the graphic violence.
7 /10
Zombieland (2009)
Directed by: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin, Amber Heard, Bill Murray, Derek Graf
IMDb rating: 7.5/10
Synopsis: Shy student Columbus (Eisenberg) is on a quest to reunite with his family in Ohio after surviving a zombie apocalypse. Along the way, he encounters Tallahassee (Harrelson) a gun-wielding tough guy in pursuit of the last Twinkie (an American snack cake), and a pair of sisters Wichita (Stone) and Little Rock (Breslin) who are determined to reach an amusement park.
About the movie: Zombieland creators toyed with the zombie sub-section of the horror genre and succeeded by creating the highest-grossing zombie film in the United States at the time, earning USD 102 million worldwide and USD 54 million in home sales until the release of World War Z (2013). A sequel, another Zombie movie titled Zombieland: Double Tap, was released in October 2019.
8 /10
American Psycho (2000)
Directed by: Mary Harron
Cast: Christian Bale, Justin Theroux, Josh Lucas, Bill Sage, Chloë Sevigny, Reese Witherspoon, Samantha Mathis, Matt Ross, Jared Leto
IMDb ratings: 7.6/10
Synopsis: Patrick Bateman (Bale), a wealthy investment banking executive in New York City, hides his alternate psychopathic persona from colleagues and acquaintances while indulging in increasingly violent and hedonistic fantasies at night. Following a series of sexual encounters and murders, Bateman, feeling drained and uncertain, returns to his friends. Conflicted about whether his heinous acts were real or mere figments of his imagination, he comes to the grim realisation that he will never face the consequences he seeks.
About the movie: Adapted from Bret Easton Ellis’s 1991 novel, Mary Harron’s 2000 horror satire stands out as a remarkable interpretation that amplifies the source material. The film is both comically entertaining and profoundly unsettling. Upon its release, the film garnered mostly favourable reviews, with particular acclaim for Bale’s performance and the screenplay, achieving over USD 34 million in box office revenue against a USD 7 million budget. It has since cultivated a cult following and a notable presence in meme culture since the 2010s.
9 /10
Evil Dead II (1987)
Directed by: Sam Raimi
Cast: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks, Kassie Wesley DePaiva, Ted Raimi, Denise Bixler
IMDb rating: 7.7/10
Synopsis: Ash Williams (Campbell), the lone survivor of an earlier onslaught of flesh-possessing spirits finds himself confronting terrifying demons in a remote cabin nestled within the woods. Upon uncovering an audiotape recorded by a college professor, which features voices reciting passages from the Book of the Dead, Ash’s girlfriend Linda (Bixler) becomes overtaken by malevolent spirits summoned by the incantations on the tape.
About the movie: The second instalment in the Evil Dead film franchise, Evil Dead II, is regarded as both a remake and a sequel to The Evil Dead (1981). Unlike its predecessor, which was more of a horror film, this received widespread acclaim from critics, who highlighted its humour, Sam Raimi’s direction, and Bruce Campbell’s performance. In 1992, it was succeeded by the direct sequel Army of Darkness, which adhered to Raimi’s original concept. This was followed by a soft reboot and continuation titled Evil Dead in 2013, and a TV series called Ash vs Evil Dead in 2015. The fifth film in the series, Evil Dead Rise, was released in April 2023. However, these did not exactly fall in the horror comedy genre as they were pure horror.
10 /10
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Directed by: Edgar Wright
Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Nicola Cunningham
IMDb rating: 7.9/10
Synopsis: The uneventful, aimless lives of a London electronics salesman Shaun (Pegg) and his layabout roommate Ed (Frost) are disrupted by the zombie apocalypse. After much catastrophe and death, civilisation returns to normal in six months but with the bonus that the surviving zombies are now used for free labour and entertainment.
About the movie: Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright outright nailed the zombie comedy in Shaun of the Dead, making it the top-ranked horror comedy film on our list with an IMDb rating of 7.9/10. The film was inspired by ideas Pegg and Wright used for their 1999-2001 television sitcom Spaced, particularly an episode in which Pegg’s character hallucinates a zombie invasion. Pegg, who stars as the main lead, is also the writer of the comedy horror film.
(Hero and feature image: Courtesy IMDb/American Psycho/Beetlejuice Beetlejuice)
Note:
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a horror comedy?
Comedy horror films, also known as horror comedy, is a literary, TV and film genre that combines elements of comedy and horror fiction. Comedy horror has been described as able to be categorised under three types: black comedy, parody and spoof.
Are there any good horror comedies?
Yes, many! American Psycho, The Evil Dead, Tucker & Dale vs Evil, Zombieland and Scary Movie are some of the top comedy horror films.
What is the top horror comedy film?
According to IMDb, Shaun of the Dead (2004) is the top horror comedy with a rating of 7.9/10.
What makes something a horror comedy?
A book, film or series that blends horror and comedic elements, typically featuring horror themes, comedic relief or satire, parody or spoof of horror tropes and dark humour is horror comedy. It is often confused with black comedy but the two are different genres.
Tags
Hollywood horror movies horror comedy movies IMDB Ratings