"Can comedies be horror movies? Or vice versa?" Topic
7 Posts
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 John the OFM  | 29 Nov 2025 6:42 a.m. PST |
A comedy should have funny moments.
A horror movie should have horrifying moments.
Can a movie be both? I offer for your consideration:
An American Werewolf in London. Very funny with some decent horror bits. Gremlins. (Which can also qualify as a Christmas movie!) quite a few laughs. Ghostbusters has few horror bits, but I'm leaving it up for discussion. I'm ambivalent. Although the bureaucrat who shuts down the containment is truly horrifying. |
| Eumelus | 29 Nov 2025 6:45 a.m. PST |
"Dr Strangelove" and "Brazil" both spring to mind. |
| 14Bore | 29 Nov 2025 7:14 a.m. PST |
I thought that's what Dark Comedy is |
| robert piepenbrink | 29 Nov 2025 7:20 a.m. PST |
I'm going to come down firmly on the side of "not sure" for now. No question the same basic plot can be developed into a number of genres. Some plots can be--I think often have been--used for both romantic suspense and straight adventure, or detective and romantic suspense. And I've seen "The Seven Samurai" done as Western, Sword and Sandals, SF and fantasy RPG. But my inclination is to think that it's precisely the plot development--what's sketched in, what's detailed, what emotions the creator is trying to evoke, and where the whole thing is headed--which define a genre. And if that's true, then no. Real horror is not headed for a happy place. Comic moments are false hope. And comedies have to end happily for the people the audience cares about. Scary moments are there to evoke comic reactions. But of our various and inconsistent genres, horror and psychological suspense are probably the two I've read and seen least of, and am least sure I have a good grip on. Let me add to the list "Arachnophobia" and "Bats." I'd rate Arachnophobia as comedy and Bats as adventure, but if you said movies could be both, they'd both qualify. Perhaps also Rutger Hauer's "Split Second?" |
| Perris0707 | 29 Nov 2025 7:44 a.m. PST |
There have been several Zombie comedies, and one was a musical. |
| colgar6 | 29 Nov 2025 7:52 a.m. PST |
Sean of the Dead, Zombieland… |
 Flashman14 | 29 Nov 2025 8:26 a.m. PST |
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