Something wicked and funny, this way comes

With Stree 2’s commercial success, horror comedies and their sequels might just begin to really take off in India. If you’re new to this genre, here’s a list

One way to describe what it is to watch a horror comedy is to liken it to riding a rollercoaster — a slow but steady rise to a height that makes your stomach churn, anticipating the imminent drop that would have you regretting all your life choices leading to that moment; and then comes the drop, freefalling at top speed into a loop that will take you back to that first feeling of dread, before you come crashing down again.

In 2013, zombies arrived in India with Go Goa Gone, Bollywood’s first zombie film

The build-up sets us up for an incredible rush, a release so exhilarating that it defies one central question: why would you do this to yourself? Well, because somewhere between the onset of fear, and being freed from it, is a delicious but fleeting moment of joy that overrides our fight or flight response. What a time to be alive! But if you’re scared of rollercoasters, just take yourself to the movies instead.

Welcome to the dummies’ guide for the best horror comedies that have had us screaming with terror and laughter.

The genre dates back to the 1940s when a strange crew of characters gathered in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), and met with box office success. Iconic comedy duo Bud Abbott and Lou Costello find themselves running from Dracula, Wolfman, and Frankenstein’s monster, trying their best not to be bitten, mauled or scared to death, resulting in multiple scenes of physical comedy that continue to elicit laughs.

Mary Shelley, who wrote Frankenstein (1820) at the age of 18, never got to know that her gothic novel inspired generations of writers across formats, who borrowed her principal characters for all kinds of versions, including parodies such as Young Frankenstein (1974). Directed by Mel Brooks and starring Gene Wilder as Dr. Frankenstein’s nephew who inherits his castle and reanimates a new monster, the film is rip-roaringly hilarious with exaggerated accents, an unexpected dance number, and complete buffoonery in parts.

The following year, one horror comedy that was poorly received at the time of release would go on to achieve cult status. Directed by Jim Sharman and starring Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) is a melange of musical theatre, horror, and comedy; featuring a lost couple, a strange castle, and an even stranger doctor who may not appear to be who he says he is. More camp than terrifying, the film is nothing short of an experience — so much so that it is the longest-running theatrical release in cinema history, and has a fanbase that is likely to be the largest for any horror comedy title.

Horror comedies had a field decade in the 1980s, with about 100 films being released, arguably the most commercially successful era for the sub-genre. Between werewolves, vampires, ghosts, monsters, ghastly little creatures, masked slashers, killer clowns, zombies, lost spirits, and generally terrible murderers, the ’80s had them all.

Standing tall even today are films such as An American Werewolf in London (1981), Gremlins (1984), Ghostbusters (1984), Evil Dead II (1987), and Beetlejuice (1988) — the last one has a surprise sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, reuniting Tim Burton and Winona Ryder after ages, due for release on September 6.

In the 1990s, American teens were really down on their luck. They couldn’t have a sleepover in peace; they couldn’t go to prom without somebody trying to murder them again; they were chased by trolls, dolls, things that go bump in the night; and everybody seemed to know what they’d been up to last summer. This was no laughing matter… except that it could be.

When Scream was released in 1996, it changed the game: Here was a film that was scary and yet self-aware, acknowledging the cliches of the format it was operating in. Director Wes Craven quickly followed up with Scream 2 (1997), which was sharper and funnier, developing a unique fan base around the world that allowed an entire franchise to blossom.

The genre boasts of a rich tradition of paying homage while lampooning the films that have come before. In 2000, the first Scary Movie parodied other horror/suspense films so brutally and unapologetically, that if anyone was going to hell, it was the audience laughing at horrifying sequences of violence because the references were on point. The Wayans brothers, who wrote, produced and acted in the film promoted it with a poster that said “No Shame. No Mercy. No Sequel.” A year later, they released Scary Movie 2, along with a poster that said “We Lied.” And even though the sequels never lived up to the original spoof, the franchise took over most of the 2000s.

But across the pond, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg served up a masterpiece — Shaun of the Dead (2004) brings the zombie apocalypse to London, where Shaun and his best friend Ed have to navigate through a zombie-ridden city to find and protect their loved ones, even if that involves pretending to be zombies themselves. Wright’s fast-paced action sequences coupled with Pegg’s lovable loser was a winning combination, and it showed us that the actual horror we fear is losing the ones we love.

Back in America, Jennifer’s Body and Zombieland came out in 2009 and demonstrated that a cast full of mainstream actors might just be the thing that sub-genre needs; with their proven acting chops, the storylines no longer just need to be grizzly and gory but also have room for well-developed backstories and a range of emotions that go beyond fear.

And between 2010-2020, horror comedies became more elaborate, bringing more complex themes to the fore, and with actors who can evoke tension and terror and splice that with humour effortlessly. For example, The Cabin in the Woods (2012) surprised audiences with its sharp and witty critique of torture and sadism in horror movies, while also staying true to the genre by putting teens in a remote cabin and making them run for their lives from cold-hearted scientists who are running experiments underground.

In 2013, zombies arrived in India with Go Goa Gone, Bollywood’s first zombie film, and also its first stoner comedy; not because drugs and death are old friends but because one should always check out the dealer’s credentials. While the second half went downhill, it set the ball rolling for horror comedies in India, and a sequel is set to be on the cards next year.

During that time, two other non-American films rose above the rest: New Zealand’s What We Do in the Shadows (2014) and One Cut of the Dead (2017) from Japan. The former, directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, is a mockumentary following the lives of four vampires who share a flat in Wellington, and what a bloodsuck life can be for them. Praised for its inventiveness, What We Do in the Shadows is a favourite of critics and fans alike, so much so that it became one of the most heavily pirated films that year. One Cut of the Dead is also a film within a film: A team of actors and filmmakers are shooting a zombie film at an abandoned water filtration plant when some of them accidentally turn into zombies, but both the camera and the heads, keep rolling.

One might imagine that the Covid-19 pandemic could have slowed down our collective need for horror, but that’s hardly the case. Since 2020, a slew of sharply written films earned their stars for keeping audiences terrified and entertained in equal measure. If you’re looking for a fright night, take your pick from horror comedies such as Freaky (2020), Willy’s Wonderland (2021), The Barbarian (2022), Cocaine Bear (2023), and Lisa Frankenstein (2024). One last suggestion: if you’re afraid of the dark, don’t drink too much water before you go to sleep.