5 horror comedies for the easily scared to stream this Halloween
Laugh through the pain
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ThroughoutHalloween Week, we’ve been dropping loads of recommendations for what to watch on thebest streaming services.But many of them fall under the scarier category, full of tension, jumps, and visuals that will make you sleep with the lights on. If none of those take your fancy, this is the article for you.
One of the best things about horror is that it blends beautifully with comedy, and I’ve got five recommendations that you can find onNetflix, Peacock, and more if you want to celebrate Halloween without the big scares. More funny than outright scary, these are a great way to ease yourself into the genre.
Shaun of the Dead
Director:Edgar WrightRunning time:99 minutesWhere to stream:Peacock (US), Netflix (UK), Netflix, Binge (AU)
In my opinion, this is Edgar Wright’s finest work. The first in his iconic Cornetto Trilogy sees him spoofing the zombie genre flawlessly, and this movie really does have everything. There’s so much packed into the runtime that it was affectionately dubbed a zom-rom-com, yes, zombie romantic comedy! What more could you possibly want?
Titular Shaun (Simon Pegg) finds himself at the center of a zombie outbreak and he decides to protect his friends, family, and some irritating flatmates by going to the pub, the safest place he can think of. Not only is this hilarious, it’s also emotional and beautifully edited, and there’s a great soundtrack too. It’s hard to find fault withShaun of the Dead.
Scream
Director:Wes CravenRunning time:111 minutesWhere to stream:Max (US), Netflix (UK), Netflix, Binge (AU)
“Do you like scary movies?”. No? Well, I suppose you don’treallyif you’ve clicked on an article about horror comedies. Honestly, you’ve dodged a bullet there because this line of questioning sees the characters inScreamtargeted by a masked killer known as Ghostface, who is terrorising the small town of Woodsboro, especially vulnerable high schoolers.
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Don’t be fooled though, yes this is a slasher through and through but it points fun at the genre to the point where you’ll find yourself laughing out loud. It’s very self aware and there’s plenty of horror references throughout, while simultaneously having enough to keep non genre fans entertained. It’s one of my favorite movies for good reason.
Zombieland
Director:Ruben FleischerRunning time:88 minutesWhere to stream:Netflix (US), Netflix (UK), Fetch (AU)
More zombies! Funny zombies, though, you’re all good. InZombieland, we follow survivors of an epidemic who make their way on a cross-country road trip to find a sanctuary that’s free from zombies. So really, this is more of a road trip movie than anything else. Sure, it’s the middle of the apocalypse, but it’s gentler than some of the undead-focused movies out there.
There’s a brilliant cast here including Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Bill Murray, the latter playing a version of himself who disguises himself as a zombie so others leave him alone. You gotta admit, that’s genius.
Black Sheep
Director:Jonathan KingRunning time:87 minutesWhere to stream:STARZ, Plex (US), Plex (UK), Stan (AU)
Sheep aren’t particularly scary. They’re kinda cute, even, but the protagonist ofBlack Sheepwould disagree with me. Here, we follow Henry who returns to his brother’s New Zealand farm only to find some weird stuff has been going on. The livestock here aren’t loveable at all, they’re genetically modified which makes them prey on humans and turn their victims into undead, woolly killers. You could argue this has zombie vibes too but you haven’t seenanythingquite like this.
Black Sheepis a very silly movie in the best way. Henry is joined by an animal-rights activist and a farmhand in his quest to put an end to this madness. I do love a group of misfits, don’t you?
Freaky
Director:Christopher LandonRunning time:101 minutesWhere to stream:Peacock, FuboTV (US), Channel 4 (UK), Binge (AU)
Body-swap movies are great. Body swaphorrormovies are even better, andFreakyis a must-watch. Vince Vaughn plays a serial killer called the Blissfield Butcher who swaps bodies with a high school student (Kathryn Newton), resulting in two of the best performances of that year. Seeing Vaughn acting as a high schooler and Newton being utterly terrifying is a real treat.
Landon also directed the brilliant time loop movieHappy Death Daywhich is a bonus recommendation, butFreakyis one of my favorites and needed to make it onto this list.
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Lucy is a long-time movie and television lover who is an approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes. She has written several reviews in her time, starting with a small self-ran blog called Lucy Goes to Hollywood before moving onto bigger websites such as What’s on TV and What to Watch, with TechRadar being her most recent venture. Her interests primarily lie within horror and thriller, loving nothing more than a chilling story that keeps her thinking moments after the credits have rolled. Many of these creepy tales can be found on the streaming services she covers regularly.
When she’s not scaring herself half to death with the various shows and movies she watches, she likes to unwind by playing video games on Easy Mode and has no shame in admitting she’s terrible at them. She also quotes The Simpsons religiously and has a Blinky the Fish tattoo, solidifying her position as a complete nerd.
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