During the Halloween season, it’s all about scares and lots of candy. But amidst all the fear, Halloween has plenty room for humour. So for those of you who prefer a bit of comic relief with your fear, here are five horror comedies that provide the best of both worlds.

Shaun of the Dead

The film tells the story of Shaun, an everyday salesman who now has to fight off zombies while mending his relationship with his girlfriend, Liz, and tolerating the silliness of his best friend, Ed. Shaun of the Dead has become a cult classic, but perhaps its biggest contribution is how it demonstrates that, even during a zombie apocalypse, a pub is still the safest place to be. Thank goodness we have the Highland Pub, am I right?

Scary Movie

Scary Movie centres on Cindy Campbell, a young woman who goes through a series of weird and humorous experiences that recall plot points and elements from famous horror flicks and suspense thrillers. It’s silly, as all spoof films should be, and film buffs will enjoy trying to spot all of the various horror film references that are being made. If you ever host a movie night and can’t decide on a horror movie, throw in this film for a bit of levity.

What We Do in the Shadows

This film tells the story of four vampires live together, and struggle to become accustomed to the way of life in 21st century Wellington. What We Do in the Shadows has a unique mockumentary style, and includes plenty of dry humour. If first year SFU students think it’s difficult to adapt to a new school, this film shows that it’s even harder to be accustomed to a whole new century.

The Cabin in the Woods

This horror comedy tells the story of a group of college students who travel to an isolated cabin, only to be terrorized by monsters that have been unleashed by a technological facility that comically attempts to create the environment and conditions of a traditional horror film. Joss Whedon fans will know just what to expect from the filmmaker’s usual brand of slick humour. 

Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice is about a ghost named Betelgeuse  who is assigned the task of scaring off a family who has recently purchased a house that his employers, two fellow ghosts, used to own. This hilarious classic was directed by legendary filmmaker Tim Burton, who also has horror comedies such as Dark Shadows and Corpse Bride to his credit.