10 Best Horror Comedy Movies Like Ghostbusters

For over 30 years, Ghostbusters has thrilled millions of movie lovers around the world with its perfect blend of chills and chuckles. At the center of Ivan Reitman’s 1984 classic is a trio of wisecracking paranormal investigators. These scientists by day and ghost-trappers by night are played brilliantly by Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. After establishing their own titular business, they chase all manners of ghastly specters while riding their Ectomobile armed with a variety of gadgets, from proton packs to slime.

Whether they were simply teasing one another or engaging in zany battles, the Ghostbusters always left the crowd howling with laughter with their spooky encounters and deadpan deliveries. The movie’s juxtaposition of clever quips, ’80s action tropes as well as scares from creepy creatures gave birth to a formula that entertained audiences and inspired filmmakers.

If you’re among those still laughing your head off at horror comedies thanks to Ghostbusters, not only has the franchise added a fifth installment, titled Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, to its database, but also, we have combined a list of horror comedy classics that, in the same vein as Ghostbusters, are terrifying but also absolutely hilarious.

10 Beetlejuice (1988)

Adam and Barbara are a young couple that tragically dies in a car accident. But instead of passing away like normal people, they find themselves stuck in the home they had just moved into as haunting spirits. When the house is sold to the Deetz family from New York, Adam and Barbara get frustrated with the idea of sharing the space with them and seek help from an obnoxious bio-exorcist named Beetlejuice to scare them off.

Tim Burton’s Ghoulish Adventure

A critical and commercial success that recouped all its $15 million budget and some more, Beetlejuice is Tim Burton’s signature stylized fantasy-horror. It introduced audiences to Michael Keaton’s unforgettably deranged title character who only wore striped pants and striped jacket. Winona Ryder and Geena Davis lend the movie its heart with their endearing performances. Speaking about the plot, it is a neither-alive-nor-dead situation where the oddballs end up winning.

9 Fright Night (1985)

In Fright Night, we follow 17-year-old Charley Brewster, who is a fan of horror TV shows and is obsessed with spooky films. When he wakes up to strange occurrences next door, Charley suspects his new neighbor Jerry to be a vampire preying upon the neighborhood. Desperate, he seeks help from a local TV horror host named Peter Vincent. The two men band together and try to take down Jerry before he tortures any more victims.

A Classic Vampire Flick

Tom Holland’s directorial debut and the first movie in a beloved franchise, Fright Nighttaps perfectly into the 1980s’ suburban fears. It uses visceral chills and an abundance of humor to keep viewers engaged from start to finish. While William Ragsdale is the protagonist, it is Roddy McDowall who steals scenes as the has-been horror actor indulging in slick monster thrills.

Chris Sarandon makes for a sophisticated but deadly vampire. Despite being unoriginal in its premise, the movie has a Ghostbusters-esque vibe that emphasizes fun and fright in equal measure.

8 House (1977)

House is a Japanese horror comedy directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi. The protagonist is a schoolgirl named Gorgeous, who simply does not want to spend time with her photographer father and her new girlfriend, so she decides to spend the weekend at her aunt’s remote house.

With six of her friends in tow, Gorgeous arrives at her aunt’s house and almost immediately, strange and violent events begin to occur. Before the supernatural ways can cause severe damage, Gorgeous must find out who or what is responsible.

A Pioneering J-Horror Film

House is considered one of the seminal J-horror films. It pioneered a whimsical and surreal aesthetic through absurd kills, psychedelic visuals and an unusually comedic tone. The movie features elements like a severed head taking flight, a clock with murderous intent, and a piano coming to life and eating a character whole. Its colorful characters, tonal accuracy, bizarre mysteries, and crazy plot twists set the stage for several future genre hybrids.

7 An American Werewolf in London (1981)

The plot of An American Werewolf in London centers around two American backpackers, David and Jack, who are attacked by a mysterious beast while they are in London. One is killed immediately and the other is badly wounded. But that’s just the beginning of their story, because the surviving man slowly realizes that he is transforming into a werewolf.

Features Groundbreaking Use of Prosthetics

Written and directed by John Landis, this landmark turns the classic horror curse around on its head and delivers a grisly and darkly comedic tale. Despite being made in the 1980s, it displays a deft use of cutting-edge prosthetics, has a surprise throat-slashing scare on every nook and corner, and is riotously funny. Never shying away from gore but knowing when to go for the joke, this genre-blending classic even wrote history by winning the inaugural Academy Award for Best Makeup.

6 Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)

Another must-watch for fans of Ghostbusters movies is Elvira: Mistress of the Dark. It begins with Elvira, the beloved hostess of a low-budget horror movie show, inheriting a mansion from her deceased great-aunt Morgana. She travels to town to claim her inheritance, but the city fathers are unreceptive towards her and want to take control of her estate. To avoid being evicted, Elvira decides to prove her worth, but chaos soon ensues.

The Gothic Queen of Halloween Hijinks

Long before Goth fashion became mainstream and the aesthetic became a usual minor occurrence in movies, Cassandra Peterson lit up screens with her iconic glam role. Her larger-than-life scene-stealing performance was enough to push past conventions associated with the genre. The movie is full of cheesy thrills, witty and quotable one-liners (often uttered by Elvira in a deadpan tone), and truly marvelous costumes. A true slapstick and spooky Halloween classic.

5 The Lost Boys (1987)

A cult classic set in a small coastal town in California, The Lost Boys centers around Michael and his younger brother, Sam, moving to an unfamiliar area with their divorced mother only to discover that it is populated by vampires. One of the boys starts hanging out with a mysterious biker gang at night, and the other seeks friendship with geeky comic-book nerds. When things get out of hand, Sam has to rise to the occasion and stop Michael from transforming into a horrifying vampire.

A Perfect Combination of Camp and Horror

Directed by Joel Schumacher, this teen vampire flick has a highly stylized ’80s aesthetic. Considering the decade, it balances the creepy atmosphere with cool culture, period-accurate humor, and a rocking soundtrack. Kiefer Sutherland leads the gang of vampires with killer style, while Corey Haim and Jason Patric make for engaging young heroes. Its blend of fantasy and wit reminds you of Ghostbusters’ commitment to the genre.

4 Scrooged (1988)

A modern retelling of Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella A Christmas Carol, Scrooged stars Bill Murray as Frank Cross, a selfish and amoral TV executive who neglects his personal life and loved ones in favor of work and expects all his employees to do the same. Apparently, they are preparing to air a live broadcast of A Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve by altering the classic tale.

But in the process, Frank is visited by spirits from the past, present, and future, who show him the errors of his ways.

A Christmas Classic Infused With Magic

If you absolutely love Ghostbusters and cannot get enough of Murray’s comedy and pathos, then Scrooged is the movie for you. Directed by Richard Donner, it injects Dickens’ tale with humor and plenty of references from the ’80s. Murray was clearly born to play Frank because he is the highlight of the wicked and joyous movie.

The crowd-pleasing ensemble also features Karen Allen, John Forsythe, John Glover, Robert Mitchum, Alfre Woodard and Carol Kane, whom critics address as a “certified hoot.”

3 Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

Fans of horror comedies enjoyed the 1984 movie enormously, so when Joe Dante arrived with a sequel to the cult classic, it was frowned upon and called a penny-pinching project.

We follow a group of malicious and troublemaking Gremlins being unleashed in a state-of-the-art highrise building in Manhattan as a result of a lab incident. With them wreaking havoc indoors and outdoors, it is up to Daniel Clamp and a couple of others to undo the mayhem and stop the evil genius from causing more trouble.

A Sequel That’s Just As Enjoyable

Dante took the original’s formula and elevated the sequel to new anarchistic heights. Like Ghostbusters, it embraced over-the-top action, inside jokes, gross visuals, and cartoon-like spectacle.

Gremlins 2: The New Batch may have bombed at the box office, but it received positive reviews from critics, with most calling it wholesome and bewitching. Scenes like the Gremlin-led Broadway rendition of ‘New York, New York’ are testament to Dante’s love for his creations and their gleeful adventures.

2 Young Frankenstein (1974)

Mel Brooks’ greatest and funniest movie also happens to be the most widely appreciated horror comedy of all time. In Young Frankenstein, Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, the grandson of the infamous scientist, travels to Transylvania to research his family history and inspect the property he inherited from his great-grandfather.

Upon arriving at the crumbling castle, he discovers records that reveal how his grandfather created life in the lab. After some tinkering, Frederick ends up re-animating the dead.

Mel Brooks’ Masterpiece

With a star-studded ensemble that includes Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Richard Haydn, and Gene Hackman, Young Frankenstein pays perfect homage to the classic Universal monster. Gene Wilder gives a hilariously nuanced performance at the center, with Peter Boyle’s monster evoking the right amount of horror.

Roger Ebert described it as the “most disciplined and visually inventive film (it also happens to be very funny).” Like Ghostbusters, it proves that horror can be a lot of things.

1 Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Based on an off-Broadway musical, which in turn is an adaptation of director Roger Corman’s 1960 classic of the same name, Little Shop of Horrors follows Seymour Krelborn, a nerdy assistant in a struggling flower shop who purchases a new type of plant from a Chinese street vendor and names it Audrey II. Turns out, Audrey II has a ravenous appetite and is beginning to thrive on being fed human blood and flesh.

A Wacky Musical Adaptation

Frank Oz’s take on the classic tale brought the man-eating plant to spectacular life through innovative use of puppetry and a clever injection of songs written and composed by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. While Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene are dynamic in their lead roles, the movie also features appearances from Steve Martin, John Candy, and Bill Murray. Its deft pacing, well-written script, and devious energy makes Little Shop of Horrors a delight to watch.