While they seem like complete opposites, rarely have two different genres complimented and worked so well together like horror and comedy. The harsh contrast between gore, violence and scares with silly and non-serious comedy has made for a collection of highly memorable and iconic experiences over the years. Ranging from massive blockbuster hits likeZombielandandGremlinstocertified cult classicslikeEvil DeadandJennifer’s Body, the combination is a fan favorite among audiences.
The 2020s have been no stranger to exceptional horror comedy experiences, playing into the latest trends and conventions of horror filmmaking and modern humor. Horror comedy is arguably at the height of its popularity and capabilities, with exciting new and creative films in the genre released throughout the year to audience acclaim. Indeed,these are the best horror comedies from the 2020s so far, proving that a film can make viewers scream in fear and laughter alike.
15’Totally Killer' (2023)
Directed by Nahnatchka Khan
Combining a classic slasher with a time-travel story,Totally Killersees the notorious “Sweet Sixteen Killer” returning to take his revenge upon a small suburban town 35 years after his first murder spree. To discover the identity of the killer, 17-year-old Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) accidentally travels back in time to 1987, right before the first killing spree took place. With a newfound determination, Jamie is determined to hunt down and stop the killer despite the culture shock of now being in the 80s.
Time travel stories have always been rife with comedic potential, and combining this premise with the inherent charm and energy of a classic 80s slasher makes for a match made in heaven.Totally Killeris tongue in cheek, not only in its commentary and reflection on society’s evolution in the past 35 years but also in the conventions and tropes of 80s slashers as a whole. It all comes together to makean experience that does justice to the classic slashers that it’s a love letter to.
Totally Killer
14’Willy’s Wonderland' (2021)
Directed by Kevin Lewis
Easily one ofNicolas Cage’s most underrated films,Willy’s Wonderlandsees him as a quiet and stoic man who, after having his car break down, agrees to work off the repair costs by cleaning an abandoned family fun center. However, the job is far from as simple, as he is forced to face a crew of deadly, haunted animatronics that roam the building at night with a thirst for bloodshed. As he fights and takes down the animatronics night after night, a group of teens end up breaking into the building at the same time in search of answers.
While the film takes clear inspiration from the trend of haunted, killer animatronics popularized by theFive Nights at Freddy’svideo games,Willy’s Wonderlandcertainly takes a more comedic and over-the-top approach to the premise.From Cage’s hilarious non-speaking performance to the chaotic and absurd designs and hilarious action sequences, it makes for a much more comedic experience than the actualFive Nights at Freddy’smovie.
Willy’s Wonderland
13’Abigail' (2024)
Directed by Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
One of many exceptional horror comedy efforts from Radio Silence,Abigailsees a group of criminals tasked with kidnapping a young ballerina girl in order to obtain a random from her deadly gang leader father. However, as the night goes on, it becomes increasingly apparent that this is far from just an ordinary young girl, but instead a bloodthirsty vampire who sees them as her latest prey. The night soon becomes one of survival as they are forced to find any way to take down the vampire threat before they end up being killed in the process.
Abigailhas a very tongue-in-cheek tone as itrelishes and amplifies the fun to be had from a killer vampire girl premise, brought together by exceptional performances not just fromAlisha Weiras the titular Abigail, but the entire squad of criminals. Instead of simply letting the comedy of a killer little girl do all the work, however, the film finds a great deal of comedy from other avenues, whether it be chemistry between the main cast or building off of the intricacies of Abigail as a villain.
12’Renfield' (2023)
Directed by Chris McKay
Another hilarious horror comedy with Nicolas Cage in a primary role,Renfieldbrings the classic characters of Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) and Dracula (Cage) to the modern era. Growing tired and annoyed with his life of indentured servitude under the prince of darkness, Renfield begins to reevaluate and finds a path to redemption away from the clutches of Dracula. It doesn’t take long before Dracula catches on to Renfield’s schemes, however, placing him in danger and unleashing Dracula and his darkness upon the world.
While fans of the classic horror icons were initially hesitant about such a brash and comedic interpretation of the character,Renfieldwas a pleasant surprisewith its mixture of love for the original character and overwhelming violence and gore. Its filmmaking chops give it the ability to win over its audiences in spades, making fora fun and exciting blend of action, comedy, and horrorthat revels in its display of carnage and bloodshed.
11’Cocaine Bear' (2023)
Directed by Elizabeth Banks
Easily one of the funniest and most absurd premises of recent memory,Cocaine Bearbecame a runaway hit for many as soon as it was announced, as the very notion of a movie about a killer bear on cocaine was enough to sell people on the film. Inspired byan unbelievable true story, the film follows various quirky characters, including cops, criminals, tourists, and young kids all converging in a Georgia forest in the 1980s, unaware of the deadly 500-pound black bear beginning a cocaine-fueled rampage.
Cocaine Bearcertainly lives up to its absurdist B-Movie inspiration, feeling like a high-budget version of a schlocky horror movie made entirely for its shocking title likeSharknadoorShark Exorcist. However,there is a distinct self-aware tone and execution that elevatesCocaine Bearabove the standard B-movie affair, using its higher budget to make the most out of the absurd premise. The film features just about everything one would want from a film titledCocaine Bear, with loads of drugs, bloodshed, and over-the-top characters that are built to be cheered at when they get mauled.
10’Lisa Frankenstein' (2024)
Directed by Zelda Williams
From DirectorZelda WilliamsandOscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody,Lisa Frankensteinfollows Lisa Swallows, a misunderstood and social outcast high school student, in 1989. Her escape from her chaotic family life and high school drama is an abandoned cemetery, where she fantasizes about the lives that came before her own. One such figure ends up getting a new lease on life, becoming a walking and surprisingly handsome corpse and forcing Lisa to do all she can to hide his dangerous existence.
Lisa Frankensteinfeatures the same manic, horror-comedy energy and style of Cody’s previous work, with a distinct and effective 80s rom-com flair that makes the experience unique among other horror comedies. The film simply isn’t afraid to go for the wildest, non-commercial and campiest approach to a love story,creating the type of beautiful and extreme experience that seems tailor-made for its core audience. While it bombed at the box office, it will almost assuredly attain a legendary cult classic status in the years to come.
Lisa Frankenstein
Watch on Amazon Prime
9’Freaky' (2020)
Directed by Christopher Landon
Blendinga classic body-swap premisewith a slasher film,Freakysees socially awkward Millie (Kathryn Newton) as a victim of the deadly Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn). Instead of dying at the hands of the butcher, his ancient dagger causes them to switch bodies, with the killer continuing his rampage as a teenage girl while Millie is stuck in the adult body of a killer. After miraculously getting in touch with her friends, they attempt to come up with a plan to stop the killer and return them to their original bodies.
TheFreaky Fridayinspirations are somethingFreakywears on its shoulders, adding a distinct horror twist to the comedy classic instead of following it beat for beat. Combined withChristopher Landon’s (Happy Death Day) signature horror-comedy directing,Freakyis one of the most creative and fun horror-comedy concepts of recent memory. It’s also nice to see Vaughn return to the leading role in a comedy film, with his hilarious performance and portrayal of a teenage girl being one of the biggest highlights of the film.
8’Spree' (2020)
Directed by Eugene Kotlyarenko
A hilariously dark found-footage film for the digital era,Spreefollows wannabe influencer Kurt Krunkle (Joe Keery), who has spent his life trying and failing to achieve internet stardom. Sick of his failed efforts, he embarks on a dangerous and insane plan that will assuredly give him the stardom he desires, planning to livestream himself on a killing rampage while working as a rider for the rideshare service Spree.
While many films have attempted to recapture the manic and chaotic aspects of the internet,few films have displayed the dangers of internet culturewith such dark realism and accuracy asSpree. The film acts as a character study for the endless drive for fame, balancing its dark and self-destructive main character with a great deal of comedy and recurring jokes and gags.Spreeis easily one ofthe most underrated horror comedies of recent memory, benefitting from a genuinely unhinged performance from Joe Keery.
7’Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' (2024)
Directed by Tim Burton
While it has become increasingly common for beloved films to receive a modern reboot or sequel decades later in the modern era of film, very rarely are these able to live up to the original film. However,Beetlejuice Beetlejuiceproved to be one of the most unexpected exceptions to the rule, being filled with the same charm and wit of the original 80s horror comedy classic. Taking place decades after the original film, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice sees the Deetz family returning home to Winter River where they end up having another chaotic encounter with the infamous Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton).
Beetlejuice Beetlejuicetaps into a style of wild, gothic comedy that has been severely missing fromTim Burton’s filmography for decades, feeling like he never left and has been making beloved horror comedies the entire time. The film is filled with these unexpected positives, from the array of iconic and memorable side characters to the honest yet hilarious evolutions of these classic characters to the top-notch practical effects. It all comes together to make what is easilyone of the best reboot sequels of recent memory, if not of all time.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Rent on Amazon
6’M3GAN' (2023)
Directed by Gerard Johnstone
Featuring one of the most iconic andrecognizable original horror movie villainsin recent memory,M3GANfollows the creation of the titular M3GAN, a life-like artificial intelligence-powered doll meant to be the perfect young girl’s companion. However, the robot’s goals of keeping its host safe by any means necessary prove to have some dire consequences, as it slowly begins to amass a kill count in the name of protection. It doesn’t take long before M3GAN embarks on a full-on murderous rampage against humanity itself.
M3GANmixes relevant modern commentary on the dangers of AI with a classic killer robot concept to great effect. The doll’s appearance and voice of a young girl, complete with TikTok dances,instantly made her a hit among horror fans.M3GANleans into the absurdity of its lead character and story, successfully balancing genuine emotional hardships with over-the-top violence and robot humor. Unsurprisingly, it became a smash hit and transformed M3GAN into a new horror icon capable of giving Chuckie a run for his money.
