10 Most Unintentionally Hilarious Horror Movies of the Past Decade
Don't worry, the horror here isn't from the scare factor, but the sheer comedy that ensues when things go hilariously awry.
1. "The Bye Bye Man" (2017)
_22404.webp)
Kicking off our list is "The Bye Bye Man," a film that tried so hard to be ominous it tripped over its shoelaces and tumbled headfirst into comedy.
The film revolves around three college students who move into an old, off-campus house, where they find a nightstand with the phrase "Don't think it, don't say it" etched into it. Naturally, they do both, invoking the titular Bye Bye Man.
The movie has its fair share of tropes – creepy visions, gruesome murders, an ancient curse – but the bizarre plot and the frankly ridiculous name of the villain turned this horror film into an unintentional laugh fest. It scored a ghastly 18% on Rotten Tomatoes, kinda hinting that the critics were saying "Bye Bye" long before the end credits rolled.
2. "Truth or Dare" (2018)
"Truth or Dare" is another example of a horror movie that made viewers laugh more than scream. The movie follows a group of college students who are cursed by a demon while playing a game of truth or dare in an abandoned mission in Mexico.
The premise itself seems promising enough, but the actual execution is downright hilarious. With faces morphing into a creepy smile reminiscent of a bad Snapchat filter and dares that lead to overly dramatic deaths, it becomes hard to take any of it seriously. And at 15% on Rotten Tomatoes, it's safe to say this movie lost the game of being a credible horror flick.
3. "The Snowman" (2017)
No, this isn't a cute animated film about a friendly winter figurine. "The Snowman" is a thriller-horror about a serial killer who leaves snowmen as his calling card. The protagonist, played by Michael Fassbender, is a detective with a tragic past who tries to stop the serial killer.
If that sounds cliché, it's because it is. Add in the unintentionally funny snowman figures, a myriad of plot holes, and a constant sense of déjà vu, and you've got a recipe for laughs. "The Snowman" tried to be chilling, but ended up a disappointment.
4. "Slender Man" (2018)
If there were ever a textbook example of a meme gone wrong, it's "Slender Man."
Based on the myth of a faceless, tall, thin man who stalks children, the movie aimed to bring the eponymous character to life. However, with a script that feels like it was written by a random plot generator and flat performances, it's more likely to cause bouts of giggles than fear.
You know a movie's doing something wrong when the most horrifying thing about it is its abysmal 8% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
5. "Unfriended: Dark Web" (2018)
The sequel to "Unfriended," this film attempted to leverage the dark web's creepiness to deliver a compelling horror experience. It follows a young man who comes into possession of a laptop that holds a gateway to the horrifying corners of the internet.
However, the filmmakers seemingly mistook the concept of the dark web for a supernatural entity, leading to sequences that defy logic and inspire laughter rather than terror. The movie has two different endings, both equally hilarious in their over-the-top attempts to be grim.
6. "Ouija: Origin of Evil" (2016)
Although a considerable improvement from its predecessor, "Ouija: Origin of Evil" can't escape some comically poor decisions. Set in 1967, the film details the horrifying consequences of a séance scam gone wrong when the family's youngest daughter decides to incorporate an actual Ouija board into the mix.
What ensues is a jumble of exorcisms, possessions, and mouths stretching wide enough to swallow the film's credibility whole. While the film somehow managed a 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, it's more likely to conjure up guffaws than genuine scares.
7. "The Lazarus Effect" (2015)
Playing God with life and death in a horror movie usually leads to ghastly consequences, and "The Lazarus Effect" is no exception. A group of medical researchers develops a serum, aptly named "Lazarus," which brings the dead back to life. Unfortunately, the first human test subject brings back something evil from the other side.
Despite the star-studded cast, including Olivia Wilde and Mark Duplass, the film dissolves into a silly, confusing blend of demonic possession and pseudo-science.
8. "The Possession of Hannah Grace" (2018)
This film breathes "life" into the morgue horror sub-genre but does so with hilarious results.
The story follows Megan, a former cop with a troubled past (surprise, surprise), working the graveyard shift in the city morgue. She encounters the disfigured cadaver of Hannah Grace, and things go downhill from there.
It's filled with so many horror tropes that it almost seems like a parody of itself. With a paltry 21% on Rotten Tomatoes, this film was dead on arrival, but its unintentional humor might just give it a second life on our list.
9. "Hell Fest" (2018)
"Hell Fest" is a Halloween-themed horror movie that focuses on a group of friends who visit a traveling horror-themed amusement park. Little do they know, a masked killer is using the park's festivities as a backdrop to stalk and murder them.
It tries to channel classic slasher films, but with characters making inexplicably poor choices and the killer blending into the horror attraction with ridiculous ease, it feels more like a comical tribute than a legitimate horror movie.
10. "Fantasy Island" (2020)
"Fantasy Island" takes a beloved '70s TV show and turns it into a... horror movie? The film brings a group of people to a remote tropical resort where their fantasies become realities, but with horrifying twists.
Although this might sound like an intriguing premise, the film's execution is so far-fetched and convoluted that it's hard to suppress the urge to laugh at your screen.