Horror Movies That Are More Funny Than Scary

If the audience is laughing when they're supposed to be screaming, there might be a problem. Then again, some horror films can use humor to great effect!

Today, we're looking at horror movies that caused more laughs than fear, for better or worse. While movies like 2017's It had undeniably funny moments, it still had a relentless horror instilled throughout the film — for that reason, it won't appear on this list. We're also only going to do one per franchise.

This is all about movies that were supposed to be terrifying but fell short for whatever reasons. They might not be scary, but each is worth checking out for the lolz.

1. The Happening

The scariest part of this M. Night Shyamalan feature is Mark Wahlberg's acting. The funniest part is probably what "the happening" actually is — plants. That's right, mother nature is seeking revenge by making people kill themselves and each other, while Wahlberg stands watch, mouth agape and...not much else.

2. The Cabin In The Woods

Just because it's funny doesn't mean it's not amazing. This is probably one of my personal favorite horror films in the past decade. It plays with clichés so much that horror fans can't help but be entertained. That being said, the biggest jump scare is probably just the opening title screen, really...oh, and watch out for the mermaid.

3. Evil Dead 2

The first Evil Dead film was a classic, thrilling, monster fest! The sequel went in a very different direction. The incredibly hammy Bruce Campbell gives a knockout performance, battling against his own hand and becoming the badass hero that would go on to take out legions of undead in Army Of Darkness.

4. Jason X

It was hard to pick between Jason Takes Manhattan, The Final Chapter, and this film — but Jason X has to be the most ridiculous in the series. They bring the zombie corpse of Jason Voorhees into a space shuttle, only to unleash terrifying sci-fi upgrades on the classic killer. Ridiculous campy gold ensues!

5. The Leprechaun

While 2000's Leprechaun In the Hood was undeniably hilarious, it feels like they knew what they had by that point. The original, however, was actually intended to be scary, but it's basically the story of Rachel from Friends kicking the crap out of Warwick Davis from Willow and Harry Potter.

6. Child's Play

Again, it could be argued that there are funnier films in the series, but the original takes the cake. There's just something about Chucky's "angry face" that makes me seriously crack up every time he attacks or generally does something evil.

7. Gremlins 2

A complete mess of a film — don't @ me. The first Gremlins was unique and well-received by many, but the second takes it way over the top and then just keeps going.

8. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

Freddy has always been my favorite super deadly villain, but this movie is nuts. The kids in this one work hard the whole movie to become these heroic personas in their dreams, but that gets literally cut short very quickly. Sorry, "Wizard Master," but Freddy doesn't believe in fairy tales!

9. Killer Clowns From Outer Space

You might get startled if you have a fear of clowns, but other than that, this is just a silly romp. The clowns are actually aliens who all look like they smoked too many cigarettes, and they use weapons like balloon ray guns, acid pies, and, of course, popcorn bazookas!

10. House Of Wax

You want some bad acting in an average horror story? Well, there's good news! Paris Hilton stars in this remake and gives a perfectly cringe-inducing performance. More like, House Of Wack.

11. Scream

In much of the same vein as The Cabin In The Woods, which we talked about earlier, Scream does an incredible job of commenting on the tropes of horror, while putting them to use at the same time. There are well written jokes as well as incredibly clever Easter eggs throughout this masterpiece.

12. Shrooms

Don't do drugs, kids! Mainly because no drug out there will help you enjoy this film. I'm still not sure if it was all produced tongue-in-cheek, but not knowing if its anti-drug message was forced down your throat for laughs or terror really makes it strange.

13. Happy Death Day

I went into this film expecting to hate it — I came out, kind of enjoying it? ImagineGroundhog's Day, but as a teen slasher flick and you've got Happy Death Day.

The thing is, when it tries to do humor, it fails. But when it tries to do horror, it's hilarious.

Sorry, but we didn't need two "I'm going nude because nothing matters" montages in one movie. Fairly predictable, but also fairly fun!

14. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer

I Know What You Did Last Summer came about shortly after Scream, when slasher films were making a comeback. The tone of the sequel, however, is a lot funnier than the original — plus a dreadlocked Jack Black is in it, which is always hilarious.

15. Troll 2

And really, how could I talk about unintentionally hilarious horror without mentioning the cult classic, Troll 2? With some of the most quotable lines, horrible acting, and ridiculous plot, this is a legit side-splitting baaaad film. Like, it's really bad. You'll love it!