At some point or another, you might have assumed that these two don’t blend. Worse than water and oil, comedy and horror are opposites - and they cancel each other out. Well, what if that’s one of the many reasons why they’re so good together?
Of course, there’s something deeply unnerving about the idea of it. After all, what kind of psychopath or sociopath finds humor in atrocities? Laughing at the suffering and misfortune of others adds whole new levels of evil and you can easily picture the most twisted villains ever created manically doing this without an ounce of remorse. It’s messed up. Just like the bullies mocking and ridiculing you while you cry.
But you see, it isn’t quite like that. In fact, if it can truly be called comedy, it is not there to take further pleasure in others’ pain. That’s just being mean, dude. And egotistical, sick, and if you ask me, pathetic too. If you think that you’re funny because you like to kick others while they’re down, I’ve got news for you: you’re not and your ‘jokes’ only appeal to those who also need to do that in order to feel better about themselves.
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| Freaky (2020) |
Comedy is an art, and a tricky one at that. It can be clever and witty, as it can be relieving and conscientious. This does not mean that it won’t be offensive to someone somewhere, for whatever reason, valid or not. However, you can usually tell when jokes come from a place of higher perspective and are meant to lift you up instead. If not just deliver a harsh truth in a more digestible form.
So, in horror, it is an interesting mix. And indeed, comedy and horror may be canceling each other out, bringing balance to extremes, cutting their excesses. There’s a thing called comic relief, which basically refers to moments purposely added to otherwise heavy content to make it lighter. And it’s not uncommon for a horror comedy to be filled with a great amount of those.
Let’s also get abstract. If bad horror is said to lower one’s “frequency”, it can be said that good comedy heightens it. What am I talking about now? I’m essentially talking about moving from fear to joy, and the wide range of emotions related to and between each of those sides as well as what they unleash. How they affect your outlook, your attitude, and your everything. Comedy and horror, then, are opposites dancing together. Crazily.
And you’d think, “But why would anyone want comedy in their horror? I’d want horror to be as horrifying as it can be! What’s the point of it if not?!” Fair, and that’s why a vast amount of horror doesn’t have any comedy in it and attempts to drive you as far down into fear as it can. However, if you’re ever in need of some comedy but still want some horror, then horror comedies are the perfect fit.
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| Psycho Goreman (2020) |
Normally, I look for horror. The scarier the better. And yet, I can’t deny that some of my favorite horror films and series also have comedy in them. Even if not so much that they can be categorized as such. Therefore, every once in a while, I give horror comedies a chance and sit through them despite my concerns that they will neither be funny nor scary. And that’s how I recently stumbled upon the gem that Psycho Goreman is. I don’t regret it one bit. And not gonna lie, I did enjoy Freaky too.
Laughter is a natural and effective medicine for weighted-down souls. And I often find that that’s how it’s used with horror. You’ve got all these horrible things happening all around. But hey! This part right here is hilarious! And you’re reminded not to take anything too personally or too seriously - especially when it’s merely fiction.
Then again, maybe something is simply broken in an individual. If your reaction to horror is to continually make a comedy out of it, no matter what is going on, you may be over-relying on a coping mechanism rather than addressing problems that ought to be addressed. Furthermore, if you’re incapable of genuinely experiencing the emotions that horror naturally evokes and in their place is a smile, there is something wrong and it is not just numbness and callousness. You should work on yourself. This took an awfully dark turn, but it had to be said.
What makes you enjoy comedy in horror? What are your favorite horror comedies?