Watching horror movies as an effective means of reducing anxiety and stress has been a frequent subject of study over the years, and we’re all probably in need of some stress relief right about now. We’re doubling down on the catharsis by compounding the scares with laughs; this week’s streaming picks belong to the horror-comedy.
That tonal balance offers up the perfect vehicle for escapism, after all.
If you’re having a bad day, these horror-comedies might offer up the perfect antidote. From a homicidal intestine-dwelling beast to a humorous new angle on hillbilly horror, these five horror-comedies spills as much blood as they will tickle your funny bone. Here’s where you can stream them this week.
Bad Milo! – Pluto TV, Tubi
Duncan (Ken Marino) suffers from severe anxiety and stress. So much so that it triggers gastrointestinal duress. At his doctor’s appointment, they discover a large polyp in his intestinal tract. It grows into a two-foot monster that emerges from his body to destroy anything that it perceives to be a stress trigger for Duncan. He’ll have to learn to reign in his anxiety if he wants to stop the monster’s rampage. Milo, Duncan’s gastro-beast, makes for one of horror’s most adorable creatures. Even when it’s ripping people apart with its teeth, Milo’s heart is in the right place. The film also stars Peter Stormare, Gillian Jacobs, Patrick Warburton, and Kumail Nanjiani.
Cooties – Peacock
Aspiring writer Clint Hadson (Elijah Wood) thinks his first day as a substitute teacher in his hometown of Fort Chicken is off to a rough start thanks to awkward encounters with the faculty. Then contaminated chicken nuggets cause a mysterious viral outbreak that transforms the children into feral zombies. Clint must lead the unlikely crew of adults if they have any hope of making it through the school day alive. Co-written by Leigh Whannell, Cooties doesn’t just want to make you laugh; it wants to gross you out at every possible turn. The stellar cast is more than up to the task of playing hilarious and unwitting horror heroes, but Whannell steals every scene as the socially inept science teacher. However, if this type of humor doesn’t work for you, the similar yet super sweet zombie comedy Little Monsters is available to stream on Hulu.
Fido – Prime Video, Tubi
Space radiation turned the dead into zombies, spurning an apocalyptic war between the living and the dead. Company Zomcon discovered a way to control zombies, turning them into subservient slaves. In the 1950s town of Willard, housewife Helen Robinson (Carrie-Anne Moss) buys a zombie (Billy Connolly) – despite her husband Bill’s (Dylan Baker) zombie phobia – to perform daily chores. Her son Timmy names the zombie Fido and befriends it. All is well until Fido’s collar malfunctions, ensuring this idyllic neighborhood will never be the same. Fido is what happens when you cross the “aw shucks” feeling of ’50s sitcoms like Leave it to Beaver with Night of the Living Dead. It’s heavier on the humor but with plenty of bloodshed and feels.
Horns – Netflix
This adaptation of Joe Hill’s novel, directed by Alexandre Aja, showcased actor Daniel Radcliffe’s comedic chops. He played Ignatius “Ig” Perrish, the prime suspect in the brutal murder of his girlfriend, Merrin (Juno Temple). He’s ostracized by the community, sending him further on his downward spiral. Ig wakes one morning to find horns have sprouted from his forehead and that they contain the power to prompt people to give in to their impulses and spill their darkest secrets. Ig uses his newfound supernatural powers to help him catch Merrin’s killer. An outlier in Aja’s oeuvre, Horns blends horror fantasy with comedy and crime thriller. It’s a significant departure, particularly in tone, from the source material, but it’s always engaging- especially thanks to Radcliffe’s performance. Horns is an ambitious effort, a lot is going on in the narrative, and Aja leaves the comedy behind in the third act for something much more poignant and dark.
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil – Kanopy, Roku, Tubi
“We’ve had a doozy of a day, officer. There we were mindin’ our own business. Makin’ some improvements to our new vacation home. When all of a sudden, these kids start killin’ themselves all over my property.” Tucker (Alan Tudyk) sums up the movie’s charm and sense of humor with this memorable line. He and pal Dale (Tyler Labine) expected a peaceful getaway after purchasing their dream vacation home – a decrepit cabin in the woods. Instead, they’re inundated by a snobby group of college kids, who’ve mistaken the duo as murderous hillbillies; and they won’t stop killing themselves on their property. It’s splatstick with a whole lot of heart, made even more memorable for its subversion of tropes and the lead performances by Tudyk and Labine.