Movies like the cult special Scream that will elicit emotions – screams AND laughter
Screams for horror lovers, laughter for comedy goers. Horror comedies bring audiences of 2 different genres together. It is a common ground for your group of friends whose interest in jump scares is a bit too much and for the slapstick comedy enjoyers. Filmmakers who specialize in the genre elicit adrenaline rush through spooky action then slap on a comic relief to eleviate the tension only to find another spooky (maybe someone unalived) in the very next scene. Calls to mind the opening scene of Scary Movie with a parodic Drew Barrymore home alone with an anonymous caller.
Scares and laughs in consecutive scenes have become common since the 90s. Horror comedies are light watch, sometimes a parody, sometimes a fresh new idea. Here are some of the best horror comedy movies you could try.
What We Do in the Shadows
Taiki Waititi’s mockumentary about blood-sucking flatmates in New Zealand is a delight to watch. The classical vampire trope is moulded by Waititi’s genius and shows how eve vampires have daily annoyances to deal with.
The Babysitter
A very Home Alone vibe where a wee boy is left to defend himself against the big bad men. Except these aren’t men. It is his babysitter. And she is not a robber. She and her friends are part of a cult where they need innocent boy’s blood.
Scary Movie
Nothing screams louder than Scary Movie, with its countless inspirations from other horror movies. Phallic door knocks, Matrix-inspired fight scenes against The Ring girl are just few of the things.
Shaun of the Dead
A zombie comedy feauring Simon Pegg and Edward Wright is centered around Shaun, a sad saleperson whose sad life is turned havoc-y in the midst of a zombie outbreak.
The Cabin in the Woods
This Chris Hemsworth starrer focuses around 5 college students on a weekend trip to a (you guessed it) cabin in the woods where their fun is a part of an experiment and a ritual.
Happy Death Day
Like Groudhog Day, a woman is forced to relive her death in this repetitively hilarious movie. A time looping death day for Tess, sit is fun, terrifying but the whudunnit keeps the movie interesting.
This is the End
The world is ending. Celebrities are everywhere. Rihanna, Emma Watson, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Kevin Hart, Channing Tatum – basically its Hollywood in the face of a world ending apocalypse and the movie is a feast for laughter.
