Laughs, not screams: comedy horror shows for a fright-free Halloween

Four ancient vampires sharing a flat in Wellington, New Zealand, might sound terrifying, but this mockumentary is pure comedy gold. Directors Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement brilliantly contrast immortal beings with mundane domestic squabbles—think centuries-old creatures arguing about whose turn it is to do the bloody dishes. The film hilariously dismantles vampire mythology by revealing the undead as awkward flatmates struggling with fashion choices, rent and nightclub bouncers.

The film’s cult success spawned a hit TV adaptation of the same name in 2019, set in Staten Island, New York. The series takes the concept further, following another group of equally clueless vampires trying to “conquer America” while bickering about chores and council meetings. With its sharp writing, deadpan delivery, and cameos from the original film’s creators, the What We Do in the Shadows universe has become a modern comedy horror institution.

When a recently deceased couple discovers an insufferable family has moved into their beloved home, they enlist the help of Beetlejuice, a self-described “ghost with the most”. Tim Burton’s visually stunning fantasy is more playfully weird than genuinely frightening. Michael Keaton delivers an unhinged, iconic performance, while the film’s imaginative creature designs and the bureaucratic nightmare of the afterlife provide quirky entertainment. The infamous dinner party possession scene, featuring an involuntary performance of “Day-O”, remains one of cinema’s most delightfully bizarre moments.

Decades later, Burton and Keaton reunited for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024), a long-awaited sequel that brings back Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz alongside Jenna Ortega as her daughter. The follow-up keeps the same gothic whimsy and mischievous humour that made the original a cult classic, proving that some spirits—and jokes—never really die.

Three recently fired university scientists—Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis)—launch a professional ghost-catching service in New York City. This beloved classic proves that battling the supernatural can be hilarious when handled by a team more interested in wisecracks than actual science. Murray’s deadpan delivery transforms every paranormal encounter into comedic gold, while the film’s practical effects and iconic imagery ensure it never loses sight of its supernatural premise. When a giant marshmallow man threatens Manhattan, you know you’re watching something special.

Though the 1989 sequel was a relative flop, the entire franchise has since taken on an afterlife of its own. A 2016 reboot introduced an all-female team led by Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig, while the more recent Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) revived the original storyline, uniting old and new generations. Together, they’ve kept the proton packs charged and the spirit of comedy horror alive for a whole new audience.

Young Billy receives an adorable creature called a mogwai as a Christmas gift, complete with three simple rules: no bright light, no water and never feed him after midnight. Naturally, all three rules get broken, transforming sweet Gizmo’s offspring into mischievous, destructive gremlins who turn a picture-perfect town into their personal playground. The film balances Gizmo’s charm with the gremlins’s cartoonish violence—their tavern takeover, complete with poker games and bar sing-alongs, is pure anarchic joy without genuine terror.

Its success spawned Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), a gloriously self-aware sequel that leans into satire and slapstick. Decades later, the franchise remains a fixture in pop culture, inspiring endless references, merchandise and nostalgia for Gizmo, the furry face of controlled chaos. Few films have balanced cute and creepy quite so well.

Self-centred sorority girl Tree (Jessica Rothe) wakes up on her birthday, gets murdered, then wakes up again on the same day. This clever mashup of Groundhog Day and slasher films uses its time-loop premise for maximum comedic effect as Tree transforms from terrified victim to empowered detective. Rothe’s performance carries the film, making Tree’s journey from insufferable to likeable genuinely satisfying. The repeated deaths become increasingly funny as Tree grows cavalier about her situation, treating each murder as just another puzzle piece rather than a terrifying ordeal.

Tucker (Alan Tudyk) and Dale (Tyler Labine) are loveable, well-meaning friends heading to their mountain cabin for a relaxing fishing trip. When paranoid college students mistake them for psychotic killers, a series of hilariously gruesome accidents ensues. This brilliant film flips the killer redneck trope completely, with the audience in on the joke as misunderstandings escalate into absurdly gory (and entirely self-inflicted) deaths. It’s sweet, clever and surprisingly bloody while proving that horror’s scariest element might just be jumping to conclusions.

Two bumbling baggage clerks accidentally deliver the coffins of Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster to a Florida house of horrors. This groundbreaking film established the comedy horror template: play the monsters completely straight while the comedy comes from the protagonists’s reactions. Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr are genuinely menacing as Dracula and the Wolf Man, while Lou Costello’s bug-eyed terror and Bud Abbott’s scepticism create timeless slapstick gold. It’s family-friendly nostalgia offering a gateway to both classic horror and comedy.

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