The Best Horror Comedies to Watch This Halloween

Personally, I hate horror movies. It’s the whole lead up to jump scares, dogs whimpering, people doing dumb things, and so on. That stuff really gets to me.

But then again, horror comedy? That’s something I can do. They’re two genres that technically shouldn’t mix at all, and yet they do. Monsters are idiots, ghosts are petty, and zombies can’t run to save their lives (literally). You laugh, you jump, and somehow, you end up having a great time.

So, I’d say forget the all-out gore fests or the existential A24-style nightmares for one night. There’s enough horror out there in the real world.

Best Horror Comedies for Halloween

From ghostbusting films to undead lovers, here are some of the best horror comedy movies you should watch on Halloween night this year.

Scary Movie (2000)

The first time I saw Scary Movie, I was twelve and probably too young for half the jokes. Didn’t matter. This one walked so every other parody could run. It’s a film that knows exactly what it is—stupid, fearless, and completely committed. It doesn’t try to be smart, but it is clever in how perfectly it mimics the stuff it’s mocking. You can feel how much the creators love (and hate) horror clichés at the same time.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Shaun is just an aimless electronics guy till he has to single-handedly save all his friends from zombies. Simon Pegg’s Shaun isn’t a hero—he’s a mess trying to fix his breakup and maybe, accidentally, save a few people along the way. On the surface, it's dumb, but it's actually really sweet deep down inside.

Ghostbusters (1984)

It’s not really Halloween until someone yells, “Who you gonna call?” I rewatch Ghostbusters every October, partly out of nostalgia, partly because it still hits. Ghostbusters remains the gold standard for supernatural comedy, with Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis turning ghost-hunting into something really nerdy and cool. The special effects haven’t aged gracefully—but that’s half the charm. There was a time when the movies felt handwritten.

Stree (2018)

A haunted small town. Missing men. And Pankaj Tripathi’s classic one-liners. What else do you need? In this movie, Rajkummar Rao plays the tailor-next-door who’s just trying to survive from a ghost who kidnaps men. However, beneath the seemingly simple premise, the movie says a lot about gender and fear. It’s spooky, satirical, and a really fun watch.

Zombieland (2009)

Rule number one: cardio. Rule number two: enjoy the little things. Zombieland is what happens when America’s love for guns, Twinkies, and road trips collides with zombies. Jesse Eisenberg plays the neurotic gamer kid, Woody Harrelson the cowboy philosopher, and Emma Stone the girl too cool for the apocalypse. It’s fast, funny, and filthy in all the right ways. And that Bill Murray cameo is so fun. There’s all this optimism inside the movie: the world’s ending, so might as well enjoy the ride.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007)

This movie is basically like a right of passage. You haven’t truly lived until you’ve watched Akshay Kumar exorcise ghosts while cracking one-liners. A perfect Bollywood blend of psychology, suspense, and comedy, Bhool Bhulaiyaa remains a genre-defining classic. Between Vidya Balan’s haunting turn as Manjulika and Paresh Rawal’s perfectly-timed absurdity, it’s equal parts scary and entertaining.

What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

Four vampires share an apartment in Wellington, and their biggest problem isn’t sunlight—it’s dirty dishes. Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement shoot it like a documentary that’s gone off the rails.

Go Goa Gone (2013)

Before The Last of Us or Train to Busan, India had three stoned friends, a secret rave, and a Saif Ali Khan pretending to be Russian. Go Goa Gone is deliriously unserious—a zom-com that embraces its own stupidity with pride. There’s blood, bad jokes, and a genuinely fun soundtrack. It’s a great watch with friends.

One Cut of the Dead (2017)

If you love movies, like really love them, this one’s a must. It starts as a bad zombie flick—cheap, overacted, looks like someone’s first student film—and then halfway through, everything changes. You realize you’ve been watching something entirely different. It’s funny, chaotic, and completely sincere about how hard and wonderful it is to make art.

Warm Bodies (2013)

Romeo and Juliet, but with more…zombies. Nicholas Hoult’s zombie “R” literally eats a man’s brain and then falls in love with his girlfriend, played by Teresa Palmer. It’s as ridiculous as it sounds—and somehow it works. A surprisingly sweet, stylish rom-zom-com that proves love really can bring you back to life.

Roohi (2021)

In this movie, Rajkummar Rao and Varun Sharma fall for a girl possessed by her own spirit. It’s messy, confused, and sometimes hilarious—but maybe that’s the charm. Roohi isn’t perfect, but it’s the kind of film that reminds you Bollywood is still figuring out what to do with ghosts.

Beetlejuice (1988)

Tim Burton’s ghostly fever dream about a dead couple trying to scare away their home’s new owners is gothic comedy at its peak. Michael Keaton’s Beetlejuice is delightfully unhinged—a sleazy, supernatural menace who steals every scene he’s in. Weird, witty, and timelessly bizarre, it’s the Halloween energy we all secretly aspire to.

This Is the End (2013)

Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and James Franco playing themselves at the end of the world. You don’t need more than that. Hollywood implodes, demons rise, and the Backstreet Boys make a comeback—because of course they do. It’s gross, self-indulgent, and hysterically fun. Proof that if you’re going to face the apocalypse, do it with good friends and better w**d.