Even only a few years into the new decade, the 2020s have proven themselves to be an amazing decade not just for horror, but for horror comedy as a whole. There have been countless amazing and massively successful horror comedies that have brought audiences to the edge of their seats, both from laughter and fear. Films like The Menu, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Freaky, and M3GAN have proven that horror comedy is thriving in the 2020s and shows no signs of stopping.
Although for every great and successful horror comedy that has come out in the new decade, there has been one that simply didn’t receive the love and attention that it deserved. Whether it was dumped on a streaming service without a second thought or didn’t get the box office success that it deserved, the decade has had a wide variety of new and exciting horror comedies that deserve their time in the spotlight.
10 ‘The Blackening’ (2022)
The Blackening follows a group of Black friends who are reuniting for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to have their plans stopped when they find themselves trapped with a twisted killer. The killer forces the friend group to play his sadistic game, as he plans to take them out one after another for his own personal thrill.
While direct parody and spoof movies had their ups and downs throughout the 21st century, The Blackening proves that there is still potential and possibility for this style of comedy in the modern era. The film is able to effectively take a crack at horror genre conventions and tropes while still having its own cast of engaging and hilarious characters to enjoy banter with one another on screen.
9 ‘Studio 666’ (2022)
Studio 666 sees legendary real-life rock band the Foo Fighters moving into a luxury Encino mansion filled to the brim with rock and roll memorabilia and history as inspiration to record their new album. Once they enter the house, however, Dave Grohl finds himself dealing with a supernatural possession that threatens both the completion of their album as well as the lives of everyone involved.
Combining the best parts of being both a horror comedy and a musical comedy, Studio 666 is a hilarious and gory combination that in a strange way makes for the perfect fit for the Foo Fighters. Grohl and the rest of the band especially do a great job on-screen of selling both the absurd comedic moments throughout the film as well as the actual great kills that the film handles.
8 ‘Vampires vs. The Bronx’ (2020)
Vampires vs. The Bronx sees a trio of rambunctious kids from a rapidly gentrifying Bronx neighborhood stumbling upon a secret evil plot from a group of vampires planning to literally suck the blood from their community. Armed only with their own wits and determination to save the neighborhood, they soon become the Bronx’s last hope of survival from a complete vampire takeover.
Vampires vs. The Bronx does a great job at harkening back to the classic darker tone yet cheesy horror comedies of the 80s and 90s, such as Gremlins and Monster Squad. There’s an overall infectious charm present throughout the film, to the point where audiences can’t help but get wrapped up in the small stakes surrounding these kids. The film manages to combine this rare to accomplish tone with some effective and relevant modern theming and messages about gentrification to create a modern horror classic for all ages.
7 ‘Willy’s Wonderland’ (2021)
Before Five Night’s at Freddy’s would bring killer animatronics to the big screen, Willy’s Wonderland would set up its own original cast of killer children’s mascots to wreak havoc. The film follows a quiet and stoic Nicolas Cage, who agrees to work as a janitor at an abandoned entertainment center in exchange for car repairs. He soon finds himself in a constant battle against the possessed animatronics inside, having to face them off in a battle for his life every night.
Willy’s Wonderland manages to get the perfect mix of absurd hilarity combined with taking itself just seriously enough to come across as that much funnier. Cage is pitch-perfect casting for this style of film, and his hilarious performance of almost complete silence acts as the cherry on top of a mesmerizing and flashy thrill ride from beginning to end.
6 ‘Psycho Goreman’ (2020)
Psycho Goreman tells the story of siblings Mimi and Luke, who while during a normal day of childlike whimsy, accidentally resurrect an ancient evil alien overlord. Using a magical amulet, they realize that they have full control over the monster to obey their wildest dreams, drawing attention to a wide variety of intergalactic killers to invade their small suburban town.
While the premise may seem reminiscent of a classic children’s cartoon, the top-notch practical effects and gore on display makes Psycho Goreman a hilarious adult rendition of the premise. Even with its lower budget, the creature design and effects are a marvel to behold and amplify the entire viewing experience as a whole. The connection between innocent children and a world-ending alien threat lends itself to a lot of great comedic moments, both innocent childish comedy and inherent comedy from absolute carnage on display.
5 ‘Uncle Peckerhead’ (2020)
Uncle Peckerhead tells the story of a small punk band finally starting to make a name for themselves after they score their first tour. Their new lives on the road prove to be more difficult than imagined though, especially when they are joined by their first roadie, who happens to be a man-eating demon.
There’s a lot to love about Uncle Peckerhead, from its stellar usage of practical effects and gore to its stand-out comedic performance from David Littleton as Uncle Peckerhead himself. Despite being an actual man-eating demon, it’s ironic that the character of Peckerhead is filled with so much joy with a happy-go-lucky demeanor, which contrasts perfectly with his gruesome murders.
4 ‘Werewolves Within’ (2021)
Adapted from a VR version of the classic social deduction game, Werewolves Within sees a group of aggressive small-town residents all confined into a single old lodge during a powerful snowstorm. As if they weren’t already at each other’s throats, the situation becomes that much more dire when they realize that a member of their group is a werewolf in disguise, leaving it up to the new forest ranger to keep everyone safe.
While the original Werewolves Within game wasn’t a massive hit, its lack of focus on characters and story set the film up to be a perfect adaptation, as it was given a blank canvas to be its own thing. The film simply uses its social deduction roots as a jumping-off point to make an engaging original whodunnit story, a perfect translation of the original game of Werewolf that makes for on-screen gold. The film works so well thanks in part to its amazing colorful cast of characters, especially the two leads played by Sam Richardson and Milana Vayntrub, who knock it out of the park.
3 ‘Deadstream’ (2022)
Deadstream follows the story of Shawn Ruddy, a massively popular internet personality who has been disgraced and fallen under controversy, at risk of losing all of his fans and stardom. In a last-ditch effort to make amends to his audience, Shawn decides to livestream his experience of spending a single night alone in a haunted house. Things quickly go wrong for Shawn when he accidentally unleashes a deadly spirit, transforming his attempted comeback stream into a battle of life and death.
While manyhorror movies in the past have used the digital age and new technologies as their selling point, their lack of expertise on the subject usually has resulted in their downfall. Deadstream, however, has a perfect understanding of the culture and intricacies of streaming and influencer culture, allowing the film to provide hilarious on-point commentary through director Joseph Winter‘s lead performance as Shawn. Shawn is bumbling, easily scared, and excessively over-the-top for the sake of his audience, making him both a hilariously accurate influencer and the perfect horror movie protagonist.
2 ‘Vicious Fun’ (2020)
Vicious Fun follows the story of Joel, an 80s film critic for a national horror magazine who accidentally finds himself stumbling upon a self-help group for dangerous serial killers. In order to avoid becoming their next victim, Joel is forced to blend in with the killers, providing an increasingly difficult-to-hold facade pretending to be a ruthless killer just like them.
Vicious Fun’s greatest attribute is its comedic character dynamics, as each of the main killers in the self-help group parallels a popular style of horror movie killer. They vary from the strong and silent Michael Meyers-type to the egotistical and highly coordinated Patrick Bateman-type. Combined with Joel’s awkward attempts at acting as if he’s a killer himself, the result is comedy gold, leading into some equally hilarious and satisfying carnage once the facade is revealed.
1 ‘The Wolf of Snow Hollow’ (2020)
The Wolf of Snow Hollow sees increasingly stressed-out police officer John Marshall (played by director Jim Cummings) attempt not to completely lose his sanity following a string of murders in his small town. It soon becomes increasingly difficult for Marshall to keep his cool as a protector of the town when it slowly dawns upon him that the man behind the murders may not be human at all, and instead is a ferocious werewolf.
The Wolf of Snow Hollow combines the tone and stylings of a Coen brothers movie with the premise of a creature feature whodunnit to make for an unexpected yet amazing combination. The film is able to find a perfect balance between the core mystery at the center of the story, the internal struggles and self-doubt that Marshall faces, and having a high number of great comedic moments.
The writing is far from the only place that has this level of balance and charm however, as its a tone that Cummings is able to draw out in just about every aspect of the film.
