Between Slotherhouse arriving on Hulu, buddy comedy Shaky Shivers arriving on SCREAMBOX, and the theatrical release of Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, this week belongs to the horror comedy. Horror comedies also happen to make for perfect Halloween viewing, as they frequently offer tricks and treats in the form of laughs and scares. Naturally, this week’s streaming picks are dedicated to horror comedies, emphasizing lesser-seen titles.
Here’s where you can stream them this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein – Prime Video
This is the first of many movies in which the comedic pair encounter Universal Monsters, and it’s a delightful mashup all ages can enjoy. Here, Lon Chaney Jr.’s Larry Talbot tries to warn Chick (Bud Abbott) and Wilbur (Lou Costello) that Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi) has arrived in their town with nefarious plans to use Frankenstein’s monster (Glenn Strange) as a pawn. With help, the bumbling pair must find a way to stop Dracula. Wacky hijinks and spooky fun ensue, and expect monster mayhem as the Wolf Man battles with the other monsters. Look for (har har) Vincent Price as the Invisible Man in an uncredited cameo. While successful upon release, the vintage horror comedy has become more obscure among contemporary audiences.
The Blackening – Starz
Grace Byers as Allison in The Blackening. Photo Credit: Glen Wilson
One of the year’s most raucously entertaining horror comedies can always use more attention. Directed by Tim Story and co-written by Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, Harlem) and Dewayne Perkins (“The Amber Ruffin Show,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), The Blackening skewers genre tropes to an infectiously entertaining degree. It follows a group of Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer. The slasher setup and skewering of tropes lay the foundation for a crowd-pleasing horror comedy. It’s not the kills or the horror that makes this so compelling, but the natural chemistry among the cast that instantly endears their characters to the audience.
Get Duked! – AMC+, freevee
Ninian Doff’s feature debut defies easy classification, blending a coming-of-age comedy with a survival thriller. It’s violent, hallucinogenic, and downright hysterical. A bumbling foursome of delinquent teens, Dean (Rian Gordon), Duncan (Lewis Gribben), and DJ Beatroot (Viraj Juneja), and homeschooled loner Ian (Samuel Bottomley), embark on a trek across the Highlands for an award, yet find themselves dealing with the locals. Some want to party, and others are determined to hunt them down for sport. This innovative little feature will worm its way into your heart and leave you grinning from ear to ear.
Slither – Peacock
While arguably the most high-profile entry on this list, Slither was considered a box office flop upon release. It’s a shame, considering how infectiously funny and goopy it is. Written and directed by James Gunn, the story follows a slug-like alien invasion by way of a meteorite that crashes into the quaint town of Wheelsy, South Carolina. The parasites turn the town’s residents into zombies and mutated monsters, spreading fast with only a plucky group of survivors to stand in their way. Slither is a horror Easter Eggs treasure trove and a love letter to the genre. It’s filled with fantastic creature and gore effects, and Gunn grounds it all with humor and heart.
Witching & Bitching – AMC+
Otherwise known as Las Brujas de Zugarramurdi or The Witches of Zugarramurdi, this Spanish horror comedy by Alex de la Iglesia starts with a bang, involving a pawn shop robbery by robbers disguised as street performers (think Jesus and Sponge Bob). On the run from the police, the robbers head for the border and stumble into the secluded town of Zugarramurdi. The encounters with the town’s inhabitants, a large coven of witches, grow increasingly bizarre. This dark, over-the-top horror comedy leans heavily into gross-out humor. Though subtitled, Witching & Bitching is easily of the most accessible of de la Iglesia’s works, whose dark humor often falls more toward the bleak. Gory and irreverent, this zany comedy is a crowd pleaser.
