You’re completely mistaken if you believe that there are no funny Halloween movies and that Halloween is only for screaming and not for laughing.
Watching suspenseful horror films is a great way to get into the season’s spirit. I have also scared myself silly and screamed myself hoarse in numerous terrifying haunted houses in my time.
But I assure you that having a good laugh also helps you to feel spooky. Funny Halloween movies come in a huge variety of styles.
You have the mild and kid-friendly, the scathing satire, the outrageous and campy, the subtle and dry, and the downright funny.
Halloween itself is kind of a comedy goldmine with all the various paranormal creatures and otherworldly adventures. After all, at this time of year, anything can happen.
To give you a break from the nonstop gore of a slasher movie marathon, I have compiled a list of many of these fantastic, funny (and, yes, occasionally a little freaky) Halloween movies.
Clue (1985)
Clue, arguably one of the greatest films ever made, features a stellar cast, sharp humor, many memorable lines, and not one but three satisfying conclusions. Visit the classic once more as six strangers attempt to solve a murder at a remote mansion.
Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
In between an actual horror film and a black comedy, Trick ‘r Treat tells intertwined tales of children and adults on Halloween night (often up to no good). Imagine American Horror Story with more humor.
You might never view lollipops in the same way again after watching this cult classic (which is why a sequel is being planned). This is one of the best funny Halloween movies.
Urban Legend (1998)
This late 1990s thriller is a hidden gem in the horror genre, though it’s not exactly funny. Like Courteney Cox in Scream, Jared Leto plays a relentless reporter in this movie who seeks to identify the campus murderer for his college newspaper.
Even with its ridiculous premise, this movie is worth seeing because Leto is in it on his hunt, and Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger) plays a professor, even though it’s not the most amusing of the bunch.
Fresh (2022)
A recently released work that will become legendary. A young woman meets Sebastian Stan, who portrays a natural lady killer, after having no luck with the horrors of modern dating—dating apps. A man who enjoys the finer things in life—human meat!
Ghostbusters (1984)
Three university professors launched a “Ghostbusters” service after being fired from their jobs, where they look into paranormal activity and aid in ghost removal. In addition to having a masterful balance between comedy and horror, it also has exciting action scenes and excellent dialogue.
Beetlejuice (1988)
In Beetlejuice, Ryder played a teenager who had to deal with spooky ghosts haunting her parents’ new house before she became the overbearing mother on Stranger Things. The comedy-horror won an Academy Award for Best Makeup.
Ready Or Not (2019)
An original take on the final girl trope is presented here, with the bride trying to survive a game of hiding and seek with her future in-laws on her wedding night.
Thanks to the film’s many hilarious moments, your mind never wanders as you wait for the subsequent gory murder.
Also, Samara Weaving’s strong performance as Grace, a newlywed who has the worst first night of marriage imaginable, and its short 90-minute running time.
Heathers (1988)
This original mean girls story from the 1980s gave rise to the catchphrase “f*** me with a chainsaw.” This black comedy, which stars goth queen Winona Ryder in the role of a teenager who covers up murders and declares them suicides by blaming the stereotype of teenage depression, has gained a cult following.
Screams (1996)
A teen and her friends begin to experience terror from a mystery killer wearing a ghost mask after their mother is murdered. It’s not surprising that this book is a huge classic because it features insightful commentary, gripping suspense, and dark humor.
American Psycho (2000)
Check out Paul Allen’s ID. This satire, which stars Batman (Christian Bale) and the Joker (Jared Leto), will make you laugh even when things are serious.
A legendary performance by Bale makes you wonder if what you just saw occurred and none of the characters noticed or if it was all in Bale’s mind due to his inner turmoil.
Drag Me to Hell (2009)
Despite the name, this 2009 film is hilarious, intelligent, and entertaining. It constantly makes you want to laugh. In typical Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead) style, the peculiar humor works perfectly, and Raimi demonstrates his willingness to take chances with the contentious conclusion. This is one of the best funny Halloween movies.
The Addams Family (1991)
An aristocratic family appears to reunite with a long-lost relative who has been missing for 25 years. We never tire of Wednesday’s one-liners or the romance between Morticia and Gomez.
The Frighteners (1996)
After learning how to communicate with ghosts, Frank (Fox), a former architect, begins to pose as an exorcist. The trick seems to work, but things get complicated when a murderer’s ghost shows up and starts to hunt down the living. You’ll undoubtedly get Ghostbusters vibes from this.
Child’s Play (2019)
The same young boy, Andy, and his adorable doll, Chucky, who develops overprotective tendencies and tries to kill anyone in his vicinity, star in a new version of the 1980s classic.
The fact that Chucky picks up killing techniques from watching violent horror films with Andy makes this remake more compelling than the original.
Chucky heavily influences the comedy element, but Aubrey Plaza, who plays Andy’s mother, also provides a ton of extra laughs. This is one of the best funny Halloween movies.
Freaky (2020)
No, it’s not Friday the 13th or Freaky Friday—both! Christopher Landon, who also directed Happy Death Day, makes a non-horror premise terrifying in his third film, Freaky.
Another outré Blumhouse Productions film that succeeds combines the plots of Friday the 13th and Freaky Friday.
Serial Mom (1994)
An underappreciated horror tale from the early 1990s launched Matthew Lillard’s (Scream) career. A seemingly perfect mother will go to any lengths to make her children happy, even murdering them.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
Do yourself a favor and quickly add this classic to your queue if you haven’t already. The fantasy comedy centers on three ancient witches unintentionally brought back to life on Halloween by a young boy. Also, it’s impossible to look at these evil women without laughing.
ParaNorman (2012)
A young boy named Norman Babcock (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who can speak with the dead, is tasked with ending a curse that could wipe out his entire town. A heartwarming tale with stunning animation.
This is the End (2013)
During a massive Hollywood party at James Franco’s home, a group of famous comedians (Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and Craig Robinson) attempts to survive the apocalypse as it occurs. It’s a celeb-fest, thanks to cameos from Rihanna, Emma Watson, and the Backstreet Boys.
Happy Death Day (2017)
In this Blumhouse production, which combines Groundhog Day and a slasher film, a college student repeatedly relives the day of her murder to identify the murderer and save her own life.
Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Megan Fox plays a big role in being a high school cheerleader who becomes demonically possessed and begins murdering her male classmates. In contrast, Amanda Seyfriend plays Needy, the friend trying to end the bloodshed. This is one of the funny Halloween movies.
Gremlins (1984)
At Christmastime, tiny, adorable creatures transform into murderous monsters and wreak havoc in a small town. Chris Columbus wrote the screenplay, which Steven Spielberg produced. It has some genuinely horrifying death scenes, and the plot is so absurd that it works.
The House With a Clock in Its Wall (2018)
It tells the tale of a young orphan sent to live in a sleepy old town with his eccentric uncle. But he is introduced to a magically rich secret world when he learns that his uncle is a warlock.
The entire family will enjoy this one, which features silly humor, breathtaking special effects, and standout performances from Blanchett and Black. This is one of the funny Halloween movies.
Shaun of The Dead (2004)
When an electronics salesperson learns that zombies have overrun London, he rushes to save his family, and they all seek refuge in a nearby pub. Prepare yourself for the blood and clever satire.
Scary Movie (2000)
This comedy slasher will appeal to anyone who likes silly satire with no holds barred. Six friends are followed throughout the narrative as they unintentionally kill a man.
But a year after they dispose of the body, a masked killer begins to pursue them. I Know What You Made Last Summer, The Sixth Sense, and you will mention other classics.
Sleepaway Camp (1983)
So even though Sleepaway Camp wasn’t meant to be funny, it’s still a cult favorite and hilarious. Imagine a campy (admittedly woefully unintended) Friday the 13th with shoddy acting and an unexpected twist at the end.
How Did they Make this? Podcast. Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, and Jason Mantzoukas will provide hilarious commentary on each episode after you have watched it. This is one of the best funny Halloween movies.
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
After an eclipse, Seymour (Moranis), a nerdy florist shop employee, discovers a particular plant. However, as it attracts several new customers, Seymour discovers that his plant is a monster with a taste for human blood.
Also, the Academy Award-nominated movie combines charming and humorous elements with horrifying horror.
Fright Night (1984)
In a horror film, Charlie learns that Chris Sarandon, his new neighbor, is a vampire. What’s worse, the neighbor is aware that Charlie is aware of his true identity.
Naturally, to defeat the beast destroying the neighborhood, Charlie seeks the assistance of a retired actor. Also, the latter hosts his preferred late-night horror movie TV program (played by a perfectly bumbling Roddy McDowall).
Arachnophobia (1990)
A movie about a venomous spider preying on a small New England town isn’t exactly funny; it depicts a fear many of us have experienced firsthand. Arachnophobia may make your skin crawl, but it’s also very funny in Halloween movies.
Furthermore, John Goodman plays a bumbling exterminator in the movie’s second act. His performance is an excellent source of comic relief as spiders creepily dangle and crawl throughout the scene.
Dead Alive (1992)
The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson made his directing debut with this crazy gorefest long before he set foot on Middle Earth.
Young Lionel is horrified to witness his cruel mother resurrect as a blistering, festering, cannibalistic monster after being bitten by a Sumatran rat-monkey (bear with us here). Can Lionel keep his new girlfriend from discovering that his mother is a zombie?
Zombieland (2009)
With this road trip comedy, the classic zombie apocalypse movie gets a hilarious update as college student Columbus returns home to check on his family. Along the way, he meets a gun-toting badass named Tallahassee and the tenacious sisters Wichita and Little Rock.
Life After Beth (2014)
Zach (DeHaan) is devastated after Beth (Aubrey) unexpectedly passes away. That is until he learns that Beth has miraculously revived. In this strange turn of events, he realizes that his zombie girlfriend isn’t quite the same, which makes him even more uneasy.
The Cabin in the Wood (2012)
The beginning of Drew Goddard’s bait-and-switch, which he co-wrote with Joss Whedon, looks like any other horror movie.
Unknowingly, a group of college students travels to a remote cabin in the middle of nowhere for a wild weekend of drinking, drugging, and sex, where various monsters are waiting to pick them off.
However, it has a postmodern twist that transforms this slasher movie into an entertaining horror satire. This is one of the funny Halloween movies.
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
With this horror comedy, John Landis turned the werewolf subgenre on its head. David and Jack, two American tourists (played by David Naughton and Griffin Dunne), are attacked by a wolf in the English countryside.
David, who made it through, awakens in a hospital in London, only to be greeted by the ghostly Jack, who breaks the bad news that David will turn into a werewolf during the next full moon. This is one of the funny Halloween movies.
The Witches (1990)
Luke (Fisher) learns that the witches intend to exterminate all children by transforming them into mice while on vacation with his grandmother in Norway. However, the ladies decide to use him as their first test subject after discovering he is spying. As a tiny mouse, is Luke still able to stop the witches?
