Are you scared? There ain’t nothing to be afraid of on Halloween, and I can prove it. While October is obviously the month for horror movie marathons, scaredy-cats who can’t stomach jump scares may be more inclined to watch something that isn’t The Exorcist. (Although Linda Blair's sardonic Pazuzu is low-key hilarious.) If you've already exhausted every possible not-so-scary Halloween movie and plowed through some all-time Halloween-themed TV episodes, fear not: There are still more things to watch, including some of the best horror-comedies that are available on streaming.
As you're preparing your last-minute Halloween costume and trying to get your twelve-foot-tall Home Depot skeleton to stand up, here are some lighthearted horror-comedies on streamers like Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, and Tubi. Some are family-friendly—of course we mention Hocus Pocus—while others, well, just because it’s funny doesn’t mean it’s suitable for kids. But like candy, there's still something for everyone.
Here are twenty-five horror-comedies you can stream right now.
Beetlejuice (HBO Max)
When Barbara and Adam Maitland die in a car accident, they become ghosts. On the bright side, their spirits are tied to their house ... where they plan to remain for eternity. Sounds nice, right? Wrong. Those dreams are crushed when the Deetz family moves in. The Maitlands try to scare them off, but the Deetz clan is unfazed. When all else fails, the Maitlands summon Beetlejuice—a wacky ghost, to say the least—to finish the job. If you’re craving more, the long-awaited sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is also streaming on HBO Max.
Ghostbusters (Hulu/Disney+)
The original Ghostbusters—Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson—work as supernatural exterminators who must save New York City from a spectral apocalypse. Filled with great jokes and remarkable primitive visual effects that hold up after forty-plus years, it’s a classic for a reason. Who you gonna call? If you can’t get enough, all the sequels, including Ghostbusters: Afterlife from 2021 and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire from 2024, are also on Hulu and Disney+.
Shaun of the Dead (Peacock)
Edgar Wright made his directorial debut with this horror spoof, co-written by its star, Simon Pegg. Shaun (Pegg) spends his mediocre days shuffling to and from work, playing video games with his best friend, and hoping to keep his increasingly estranged girlfriend. But that humdrum life is instantly spun out of control when a zombie apocalypse takes over London, forcing him into action to protect everyone he loves.
The Babysitter (Netflix)
Don’t fall for the tricks, or you’ll end up someone else’s treat. From director McG, the Netflix original The Babysitter stars Judah Lewis as Cole, an adolescent boy with a crush on his cool babysitter (Samara Weaving), until she turns out to be a member of a Satanic cult. Cole spends the rest of his sleepless night fighting for his life against Samara Weaving’s Bee, who needs Cole’s innocent blood to finish a ritual.
Werewolves Within (Tubi)
For a moment, Werewolves Within was perhaps the greatest video game movie of all time (until Resident Evil came along). Based on the social deduction VR game, Werewolves Within takes place in a small Vermont town during a freak snowstorm. When the residents realize a werewolf is hiding among them, they descend into pure and utter, and hilarious chaos. Directed by Dropout regular Josh Ruben, Werewolves Within has cultivated a feverish cult audience since its 2021 release.
Bodies Bodies Bodies (Prime Video)
Bodies Bodies Bodies is a comedic whodunit from A24. A crew of twenty-somethings takes a weekend trip to their friend’s mansion. When a hurricane hits, they’re forced to stay inside and pass the time with a party game that goes hilariously wrong. Oh, and Pete Davidson is there, too.
Lisa Frankenstein (Peacock)
In this loose adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic Frankenstein tale, Kathryn Newton plays a quirky teenager who turns a Victorian-era corpse into her boyfriend. Why date regular boys when you can build a man from scratch? Apparently, all it takes is determination, a sense of humor, and a few fresh body parts.
The Dead Don’t Die (Netflix)
Jim Jarmusch’s The Dead Don’t Die takes place in Centerville—a fictional town with a big problem. The dead have risen from their graves, and they’re hungry for blood. The vicious attacks compel an unlikely group of residents to band together in a hysterical bid for survival. Did we mention that Bill Murray stars as a sheriff turned zombie hunter?
M3GAN (Netflix)
Movie aside, Chucky, M3GAN is here. The film about a cutting-edge robot doll who ends up being a lot more than a little girl bargained for is perfect for those who want a few laughs with their screams. How can anyone forget M3GAN’s iconic dancing to Sia’s “Titanium” right after pushing a preteen boy in front of a car?
Cocaine Bear (Netflix)
We’ve entered an era of fully embracing camp—and we’re better off for it. And what does camp mean nowadays? To me, it’s when you take a real-life story about a bear that accidentally ingests cocaine—dropped by drug smugglers!—and turn it into a tight 95 minutes of over-the-top, hyper-violent, and manic shenanigans. If you want to watch drug dealers, school-ditching kids, and Ray Liotta shine in one of his last roles, this is for you.
Anna and the Apocalypse (Tubi)
Anna and the Apocalypse is the Christmas zombie musical you didn’t know you needed. The madness begins when a high school teenager (Ella Hunt), determined to leave her small town behind, has her plans interrupted by a sudden zombie apocalypse. And at Christmastime, no less! It might be too early for candy canes and sleigh bells, but Anna and the Apocalypse is the best way to smooth the transition from spooky season to cozy holiday warmth.
Fresh (Hulu/Disney+)
This 2022 horror comedy from Mimi Cave roasts modern dating and swallows it raw. Having no success with the modern-day horrors of dating (aka dating apps), a young woman (Daisy Edgar-Jones) meets Sebastian Stan’s Steve, who plays a real lady-killer, a man who has an appetite for the exquisite—human meat!
Ready or Not (Netflix)
Here’s a spin on the final-girl trope, as a bride tries to make it out alive in a game of hide-and-seek with her new in-laws. Between the laugh-out-loud moments, a strong performance from Samara Weaving as Grace—a newlywed who has the worst first night of marriage imaginable—and a mere 90-minute runtime, your mind never wanders as you wait for what gory kill comes next.
American Psycho (Hulu/Disney+)
Let’s see Paul Allen’s card. Starring Batman (Christian Bale) and the Joker (Jared Leto), this satire will have you laughing at the most serious times. Bale’s legendary performance leaves you wondering if what you just watched actually happened, and the characters are too self-obsessed to notice, or if it is all in his imagination, sparked by his inner turmoil.
Drag Me to Hell (Peacock, Paramount+)
Sam Raimi, you mad genius. After his Spider-Man trilogy, Raimi went back to his horror roots with Drag Me to Hell, a pitch-black horror-comedy about a young woman trying to break free from a curse placed upon her by an angry client. An impressive blend of genuinely frightening scares with some laugh-out-loud hysterics, Drag Me to Hell is an oft-forgotten late 2000s gem that deserves a bigger spotlight.
Freaky (Peacock)
Call it “Freaky Friday the 13th.” A mashup of body-switching comedies and slasher horror, Freaky stars Kathryn Newton as a high school senior who is almost the latest victim of a serial killer called the Butcher (Vince Vaughn). But when an enchanted knife causes them to switch bodies, well, let’s just say hell really breaks loose.
Happy Death Day (Peacock, HBO Max)
Comic book writer Scott Lobdell went Hollywood in 2017 with his screenplay Happy Death Day, a genre-blending mashup of Halloween and Groundhog Day. After a night of partying, college sorority girl Tree (Jessica Rothe) wakes up in her (platonic?) classmate’s bed, over and over again. She soon realizes she’s become the victim of a masked killer and is stuck in a time loop, and must figure out how to finally break from the monotony. If you want the sequel, Happy Death Day 2U from 2019, hop over to Netflix.
Jennifer’s Body (Pluto, Hulu/Disney+)
In 2009, director Karyn Kusama and screenwriter Diablo Cody unleashed a prescient teen horror movie that’s won retrospective praise since its muted release in 2009. After a disastrous night at a local bar to see a popular band, teenager Needy (Amanda Seyfried) learns that her sexy best friend (Megan Fox) has become a demonically possessed succubus and is racking up bodies at their high school. Now regarded as a queer horror classic, Jennifer’s Body is truly so much more than meets the eye.
Hocus Pocus (Disney+)
You’re either really scared or really nostalgic if you’re looking for Hocus Pocus. But we don’t blame you—it’s still a damn fine Halloween classic. In this millennial favorite from director Kenny Ortega, Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker star as three witches from 17th-century Salem who are accidentally summoned by contemporary teenagers on Halloween night. Despite bombing at the box office in July 1993 (yes, JULY), Hocus Pocus became a cable TV staple that made it a classic for the BuzzFeed generation. In 2022, the trio reunited for Hocus Pocus 2, which is also streaming on Disney+.
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (Tubi)
Classic American horror conventions get turned upside down in the unsuspectingly warm Tucker & Dale vs. Evil. Hilarity and horror begin when college students mistake two hillbilly best friends (Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine) for backwoods murderers. When one of the students gets separated from their friends, well-meaning Tucker and Dale try to help them out, only for the bodies to actually pile high. This festival favorite became a big enough cult hit that a South Korean-language remake, Handsome Guys, was released in 2024.
Warm Bodies (Pluto)
Being a flesh-eating zombie has never been so hot in this hilarious rom-com that retells Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in the zombie apocalypse. Nicholas Hoult stars as a walking undead named "R" who, after biting the boyfriend of beautiful Julie (Teresa Palmer), not only falls in love with Julie but starts to show signs of life.
Evil Dead 2 (HBO Max)
Sam Raimi's breakout feature The Evil Dead was a horror movie punctuated by moments of laugh-out-loud hilarity. The 1987 sequel Evil Dead II cranks up the volume with Bruce Campbell, back as Ash, who must once again fight off ancient evil spirits. While all the Evil Dead movies are worth marathoning (and I say this as a huge Army of Darkness fan personally), Evil Dead II is a standout.
An American Werewolf in London (Prime Video, Tubi)
While it’s a Halloween favorite today, writer and director John Landis actually struggled to secure financing for An American Werewolf in London because no one in Hollywood could square whether it was a horror movie or a comedy. An American Werewolf foresaw the changing Moon, in its story about an American backpacker who gets bitten by a werewolf in England and recuperates—and then transforms—under the care of a beautiful nurse. The movie’s still-mesmerizing transformation sequence inspired Michael Jackson to ask Landis, and special effects master Rick Baker, to help bring to life his now-legendary music video for “Thriller.”
Zombieland (HBO Max)
We really had a thing for horror comedies in the late 2000s, didn’t we? One of the biggest and most successful of the genre-blenders was Zombieland, directed by Ruben Fleischer and starring Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone right before their rocket to fame. Set against a zombie outbreak, a college student (Eisenberg) joins up with a gun-toting badass and two plucky sisters—and Bill Murray—to make it across the country and see if his family is still alive. A sequel, Zombieland: Double Tap, opened in 2019, and is also streaming on HBO Max.
The Cabin in the Woods (HBO Max)
This bait-and-switch directed by Drew Goddard (who cowrote it with Joss Whedon) begins as your typical horror flick: Unwitting college students—among them Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth—travel to a remote cabin in the middle of nowhere for a boozy, druggy, sex-filled weekend away, with monsters of varying sorts waiting to off them one by one. But it has a postmodern twist, turning the slasher film into a hilarious horror satire that pays tribute to the genre’s formulaic tropes.