So what makes a good horror comedy?
Perhaps it’s the well worn horror genre tropes dragged out of the shadows and into the light when our protagonist inevitably ventures into the eerie basement, or teenagers take a vacation in a cabin in the woods. Or maybe it’s the laughable narratives of slasher films where teenagers have sex and die, or zombies always stalk loved ones after being exposed to toxic waste.
I would argue that the perfect horror comedy pays homage to the pioneers of modern day horror films by side stepping our expectations with gore or humour at the most inappropriate moment, so we don’t know whether to laugh or vomit. I mean, even Freddy Kreuger had a sense of humour. And these days it’s not that hard or expensive to direct a meta take on horror films, but once in a while, lightning strikes, and someone finds comedy gold in the british suburbs or nazi gold in the alps.
So welcome to that time of year again where we look at another horror sub genre and laugh ourselves to death or get chased into the woods by a chainsaw wielding maniac. Or perhaps both. At the same time.
In descending order of greatness:
10. What We Do In The Shadows (2014)
Taika Waititi’s debut film demonstrated that alongside Peter Jackson’s Bad Taste, New Zealanders have the best absurdist humour next to Monty Python, and they aren’t afraid of gore. Taika’s film is a family friendly affair and so funny and gothic baiting that it spawned a classic TV series. Now in it’s fifth season, it continues to impress audiences with its gore and humour. I never miss an episode.
9. John Dies At The End (2011)
Do you know the secret of the universe? It’s in the soy sauce. Directed by the much overlooked Don Coscarelli of Phantasm horror fame, John Dies At The End is based on the book of the same name by David Wong. It follows the exploits of David Wong as he embarks on a misadventure to discover the secrets of the universe and have a decent meal along the way. It’s a surrealist steak of entertainment, peppered with humour, horror and soy sauce. A cult classic.
8. The Blackening [2023]
The Blackening is a great take on horror film tropes from an african american perspective and isn’t scared to throw them all into blender. We all know the obvious one - where the black actor traditionally dies first - but this adds a few more by lampooning the slasher genre and Friday the 13th series.
It begins when seven friends reunite in a cabin in the woods, only to find themselves the target of serial killer. Maybe it’s not the scariest or goriest film on the list but it deserves a mention because this modern low budget movie nails the slasher genre with its throat cutting humour.
7. Young Frankenstein [1974]
You know, I was tempted to include Zombieland or Scream in this list because they reinvigorated the horror genre with their meta take on the slasher and zombie genres. But Mel Brooks’s underated masterpiece, Young Frankenstein, literally invented the horror film parody, long before it was fashionable. It cleverly channelled James Whale’s black and white Frankenstein and Bride Of Frankenstein aesthetics and practically recreated every scene with the brilliant Gene Wilder as Dr Frankenstein. I’m a fan of Universal Studios monsters and while this parody has few scares or gore, it’s a love letter to the black and white originals and never fails to make me laugh.
6. Return Of The Living Dead (1985)
I saw this film when I was a teenager living in the 1980’s and the humour went over my head and the toxic sludge went into my eyeballs. Having rewatched it again I can appreciate it’s something of a classic with american punks breaking into a graveyard, having sex on tombstones, and being eaten alive in teenage zombie town…
5. Bad Taste (1987)
Before there was Lord Of The Rings, there was Bad Taste. Peter Jackson’s low budget New Zealand comedy horror was his first foray into the genre. The film is incredibly funny and incredibly gory so its something of a mystery how the director used this as a calling card for Hollywood and forged a film industry in his native country by bringing us a fantasy trilogy that could never be bettered. But this is where it all began - with buckets of fake blood, gun totting aliens and geeks wielding lawnmowers.
4. Dead Snow (2009)
Ratcheting up the horror, Dead Snow surprised everyone with its zombie lake inspired nazi zombies who somehow survived WWII after being frozen in ice. It’s not until a group of medical students stumble upon nazi gold in the alps that they realise the zombies and will stop at nothing to protect it.
Director Tommy Wirkola brought us horror gold with dangerously scary nazi zombies and so many no hold barred outrageous moments where you don’t know whether to laugh or vomit. He later went on to direct that other snow filled charming Christmas classic, Violent Night.
3. Re-animator (1985)
Based on a HP Lovecraft tale called ‘Herbert West–Reanimator,’ this Stuart Gordon cult classic is steeped in black humour and gore. Jeffrey Coombes’s commitment to the role as Herbert West, a medical student attempting to discover the secret to life after death, makes this film so compelling. His serious portrayal pefectly underplays moments of hilarity amid the over the top gore, straddling the line between comic and disgusting. A stone cold classic.
2. Evil Dead II (1987)
Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead almost single handedly wrote the BBFC Video Nasties List in the 1980’s and became the must see horror film for a generation of home video teenagers. For his next trick, Raimi combined his love of The Three Stooges humour with all the horror and tension a bigger budget movie could muster in Evil Dead II. It’s literally eye-popping fun.
Thanks to Bruce Campbell’s acting genius he would go on to star in a career spanning series of Evil Dead inspired films and TV series. Hail to the franchise that will not die. Hail to the king!
1. Shaun Of The Dead [2004]
Shaun Of The Dead kickstarted the zombie revival that brought us twenty years of cultural zombification and converted everyone’s grandmother into a Walking Dead fan. It’s hard to quantify the impact of this low budget UK classic which charmed the world with its irreverant humour and lovingly inspired George Romero set pieces. Shaun Of The Dead is a cult classic that conquered the world and spawned a million imitations - it has never been bettered - and was later joined by the excellent Cornetto Trilogy of Hot Fuzz and The World’s End. Long live our intrepid cricket bat wielding, zombie ass kicking heroes.
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost were real life friends who honed their buddy roles after meeting director Edgar Wright on Channel 4’s Spaced TV series - which even featured a Resident Evil inspired zombie episode.