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Comedy horror (also calledhorror comedy) is aliterary,television andfilm genre that combines elements ofcomedy andhorror fiction. Comedy horror has been described as having three types: "black comedy,parody and spoof."[1] Comedy horror can also parody or subtly spoof horrorclichés as its main source of humour or use those elements to take a story in a different direction. Examples of comedy horror films includeAbbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948),An American Werewolf in London (1981), theEvil Dead franchise (1981–present),Gremlins (1984),Shaun of the Dead (2004) andThe Cabin in the Woods (2011).
Horror and comedy have been associated with each other since the early days of horror novels. Author Bruce G. Hallenbeck cites the 1820 short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" byWashington Irving as "the first great comedy horror story".[2] The story made readers "laugh one moment and scream the next" and its premise was based on mischief typically found during the holidayHalloween.[2]
Shortly after the publication ofMary Shelley'sFrankenstein, comedic parodies appeared.Edgar Allan Poe put humor and horror on the same continuum, and many nineteenth century authors used black humor in their horror stories. AuthorRobert Bloch called them "opposite sides of the same coin".[3]
In comedy horror film,gallows humor is a common element. While comedy horror films provide scares for audiences, they also provide something that dramatichorror films do not: "the permission to laugh at your fears, to whistle past the cinematic graveyard and feel secure in the knowledge that the monsters can't get you".[2]
In the era ofsilent film, the source material for early comedy horror films came from stage performances instead of literature. One example,The Ghost Breaker (1914), was based on a 1909 play, though the film's horror elements were more interesting to the audience than the comedy elements. In the United States following the trauma ofWorld War I, film audiences sought to see horror on screen but tempered with humor. The "pioneering" comedy horror film wasOne Exciting Night (1922), written, directed and produced byD. W. Griffith, who noticed the stage success of the genre and foresaw a cinematic translation. The film included comedicblackface performances and footage of a hurricane for a climactic storm. As an early experiment, the various genres were not well-balanced with horror and comedy, and later films improved the balance and took more sophisticated approaches.[4] Charles Bramesco ofVulture.com identifiesAbbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein as the first commercially successful comedy horror film. Its success legitimized the genre and established it as commercially viable.[5]
Following the success ofUniversal’s classic monster films, horror comedies in the mid-20th century often combined slapstick humor with supernatural elements. Films likeThe Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) blended parody with gothic horror.[6] This era established the foundation for later films that would more evenly mix horror and comedy.
Slapstick and Gore in Horror Comedy (1980s–1990s)
The 1980s marked a shift toward more extreme and graphic horror comedies. Films likeAn American Werewolf in London (1981) andEvil Dead II (1987) featured elaborate practical effects and exaggerated gore, mergingbody horror with absurd humor.[7] Other notable entries, such asGremlins (1984) andBeetlejuice (1988), embraced fantasy-horror elements while maintaining a comedic tone suitable for wider audiences.[3]
The 1990s saw a continuation of self-aware horror comedies, as seen inScream (1996), which satirized slasher tropes while still functioning as a horror film.[8] This approach influenced later films that incorporatedmeta-humor.
Horror comedies in the 21st century frequently incorporate meta-commentary on the horror genre itself.Scary Movie (2000) and its sequels directly parodied popular horror films, such asScream (1996) andI Know What You Did Last Summer (1997).[9] Unlike traditional horror-comedies,Scary Movie primarily functions as a comedy with horror references. Films such asShaun of the Dead (2004) offered a comedic but heartfelt homage to zombie cinema.[5]Cabin in the Woods (2012) took a self-aware approach by deconstructing horror archetypes.[10]
In the 2010s and 2020s, horror comedies also began incorporating social satire.Get Out (2017) blended psychological horror with dark humor to critique racial dynamics, whileReady or Not (2019) andBodies Bodies Bodies (2022) used horror-comedy to comment on class and generational divides.[11][12]
Horror comedy on television dates back to classic sitcoms likeThe Munsters andThe Addams Family and has since expanded to include a variety of styles.[13] Notable examples range from the gory slapstick ofAsh vs Evil Dead andStan Against Evil to mockumentaries like theWhat We Do in the Shadows franchise andWellington Paranormal.[14] Other comedic horror series includeTodd and the Book of Pure Evil,Shining Vale, andSanta Clarita Diet, while animated entries featureBeetlejuice,Courage the Cowardly Dog,School for Vampires, andScooby-Doo.[15] More recent additions to the genre includeThe Owl House,Wednesday,Don't Hug Me I'm Scared,Gravity Falls,Hazbin Hotel,Helluva Boss, andBunsen Is a Beast.
