Comedy horror, also known as horror comedy, is a type of story, movie, or TV show that mixes funny parts with scary or frightening elements. This genre includes three main types: black comedy, parody, and spoof. Comedy horror often uses humor by copying or mocking common horror themes, or it may use those themes to change the direction of a story. Examples of comedy horror movies include Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), An American Werewolf in London (1981), the Evil Dead series (1981–present), Gremlins (1984), Shaun of the Dead (2004), and The Cabin in the Woods (2011).
In literature
Horror and comedy have been connected since the beginning of horror novels. Author Bruce G. Hallenbeck says that Washington Irving's 1820 short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is "the first great comedy horror story." The story made readers feel both happy and scared at the same time. Its main idea was based on tricks that people play during the holiday Halloween.
After Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was published, funny copies of the story appeared. Edgar Allan Poe showed that humor and horror can be part of the same range of stories. Many writers in the 1800s used dark humor in their horror stories. Author Robert Bloch described horror and comedy as "opposite sides of the same coin."
In film
In comedy horror films, gallows humor is often used. These films scare audiences but also allow people to laugh at their fears, knowing that the monsters on screen cannot harm them.
During the silent film era, early comedy horror films were based on stage plays rather than books. For example, The Ghost Breaker (1914) was adapted from a 1909 play, though its horror scenes were more popular than its comedy parts. After World War I, American audiences wanted to see horror on screen but with humor. The first known comedy horror film, One Exciting Night (1922), was created by D. W. Griffith. He noticed the success of similar stage performances and tried to bring the genre to film. This film included blackface performances and footage of a hurricane for dramatic effect. However, the balance between horror and comedy was not perfect in early films, and later movies improved this balance. Charles Bramesco of Vulture.com says Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein was the first comedy horror film to become a commercial success. This film helped make the genre more widely accepted.
After Universal’s classic monster films, horror comedies in the mid-20th century often mixed slapstick humor with supernatural themes. For example, The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) combined parody with gothic horror. This era laid the groundwork for later films that better blended horror and comedy.
In the 1980s, horror comedies became more extreme and graphic. Films like An American Werewolf in London (1981), Evil Dead II (1987), and Braindead (1992) used detailed special effects and exaggerated gore to mix body horror with absurd humor. Other films, such as Gremlins (1984) and Beetlejuice (1988), included fantasy-horror elements while keeping a comedic tone for broader audiences.
The 1990s saw the rise of self-aware horror comedies. Scream (1996) made fun of common slasher film tropes while still being a horror movie. This style influenced later films that used humor to comment on the genre itself.
In the 21st century, horror comedies often included jokes about the horror genre. Scary Movie (2000) and its sequels directly copied scenes from popular horror films like Scream (1996) and I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997). Unlike traditional horror-comedies, Scary Movie was mostly a comedy with horror references. Films like Shaun of the Dead (2004) honored zombie movies with humor and heart. Cabin in the Woods (2012) used self-aware storytelling to examine common horror characters and situations.
During the 2010s and 2020s, horror comedies began to include social satire. Get Out (2017) used psychological horror and dark humor to comment on racial issues. Ready or Not (2019) and Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) used horror-comedy to explore themes like class and generational differences.
In television
Horror comedy on television began with classic sitcoms like The Munsters and The Addams Family. Over time, this genre has grown to include many different types of shows. Some well-known examples include Ash vs Evil Dead and Stan Against Evil, which use funny and bloody humor, and What We Do in the Shadows and Wellington Paranormal, which look like real documentaries. Other shows in this genre are Todd and the Book of Pure Evil, Shining Vale, and Santa Clarita Diet. Animated horror comedy series include Beetlejuice, Invader Zim, School for Vampires, Scooby-Doo, and Courage the Cowardly Dog. More recent shows in this genre are The Ghost and Molly McGee, Wednesday, Don't Hug Me I'm Scared, Gravity Falls, Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss, and Bunsen Is a Beast.