Everybody loves a good scare now and then, which is mostly the reason for the horror genre’s continued popularity with people all over the world. Mostly. Another reason is that the genre, though revolving around creatures, killers, and other “horrific” subjects, is not strictly regulated to just a chilling atmosphere and effective scares. Many horror flicks that aren't so scary are still extremely worthwhile. For every brilliant and truly terrifying film like The Exorcist, there are a dozen or more horror misfires like Exorcist II, which are entirely inept at scaring yet oddly enjoyable, or better yet, laugh-out-loud hilarious.

Update July 7, 2023: This article has been updated with even more great silly horror films that make for a great watch with friends.

While top-shelf horror films can be watched with a group, they are most effective when experienced alone (and in the dark). On the other hand, the silly "so-bad-they're-good" horror films are fine when experienced alone but really shine when enjoyed with a fun group of friends. Going beyond the wide “so-bad-it’s-good” subcategory of horror films, there are also many intentionally funny or absurd horror movies which are just as enjoyable in their own way. Collected below are 30 of the best of both kinds of silly horror movies to watch with friends.

30 Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

killer klowns from outer space chiodo brothers
Trans World Entertainment

One of the funniest horror comedies of all time, Killer Klowns from Outer Space follows teenage couple Mike and Debbie’s fight for survival against an army of extraterrestrial circus clowns. Hailing from a comet that crash-landed on Earth, the clowns terrorize Mike and Debbie’s town, murdering most of the populace and kidnapping the rest to transform into cotton candy. It is every bit as ridiculous as it sounds, and rides the very fine line between self-aware comedy and legitimate B-movie schlock. The result is a deliriously deranged delight for horror-comedy fans that packs a good many nightmare-fueling scares for those with a fear of clowns.

Related: Killer Klowns from Outer Space: Why the Cult Classic Has Seen a Resurgence

29 Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010)

Tucker and Dale in Tucker & Dale vs. Evil
Magnet Releasing

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil is about two well-meaning hillbillies who are accused of being chainsaw murderers by a group of camping college students. The premise is simple yet rock solid, and is brilliantly realized through stellar characterization and a whole lot of gory slapstick comedy. Although on-and-off talks of a potential sequel have yet to bear fruit, the film has become a cult classic in the 13 years since its release, finding its rightful place in the horror-comedy hall of fame inside many a horror hound's dark heart.

28 Night of the Creeps (1986)

Tom Atkins holding a shotgun
TriStar Pictures

Night of the Creeps is a horror-comedy about two nerdy college students who, in a desperate bid to join a fraternity, steal an alien-infected corpse as part of a hazing exercise and wind up releasing an extraterrestrial scourge upon their town. A send-up to ‘50s B-movies, Night of the Creeps presents nearly every well-established horror trope and cliché in a new light. Part zombie movie, part slasher, and bolstered by a fantastically over-the-top performance by cult legend Tom Atkins, the film is a horror-comedy classic that is sure to leave you and your friends in stitches.

27 Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978)

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
NAI Entertainment

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes is a bizarre B-movie parody that chronicles the bloody events that follow when all the Earth’s tomatoes become sentient and filled with rage. It’s an out-and-out spoof of a movie, with nonstop slapstick, sight gags, and absurd moments with some truly wacky characters. Although not every joke lands in this low-budget comedy, the film will delight any fan of classic monster movies and is the perfect thing to put on during beer-swilling good times spent with like-minded friends.

26 Tokyo Gore Police (2008)

Eihi Shiina as Ruka in Tokyo Gore Police
Fever Dreams

Tokyo Gore Police is a notoriously gross Japanese horror flick about a policewoman who’s out for revenge against a pack of horribly mutilated and grotesquely mutated cyborgs in a dystopian future. What it lacks in story and character development it more than makes up for in buckets of blood, exhilarating action, and practical effect set-pieces that will have your pals cheering and reeling in disgust at the same time.

25 The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967)

The Fearless Vampire Killers
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Roman Polanski’s The Fearless Vampire Killers may not be the haunting horror classic that his later Rosemary’s Baby is, but it’s an absolutely killer horror-comedy. It charts the exploits of an old professor and his goofy assistant on their never-ending quest to vanquish all the vampires who roam the Earth. It’s very silly, filled with clever jokes and slapstick that juxtaposes against the rich, gothic castle setting in a satisfying way. All in all, The Fearless Vampire Killers is a little-seen horror-comedy gem that is worthy of your time.

24 Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)

The Exorcist II_ The Heretic
Warner Bros.

Exorcist II: The Heretic is the much-maligned sequel to the 1973 horror masterpiece, and picks up four years after the events of the original film. The once-possessed Regan is now tormented by terrifying nightmares, indicating that she may be in Satanic danger once again. The film is often called out for being one of the worst horror sequels of all time, as well as one of the worst films ever made.

Though the film certainly has its fair share of issues, we find that last claim a bit too harsh. Exorcist II is so weirdly stylized and poorly put together that it fails completely at being an Exorcist sequel, but ends up being great so-bad-it’s-good entertainment nonetheless. Where else can you see the inimitable James Earl Jones spit tomatoes out of his mouth while dressed as a locust? In the right mindset, this experimental sequel misfire can be a lot of fun.

23 Chopping Mall (1986)

Chopping Mall
Concorde Pictures

Chopping Mall is an outrageously silly horror-comedy about a group of teenagers who find themselves trapped in a shopping mall after hours. To make matters worse, a pack of security robots intended to patrol the mall go haywire and laser the teenagers to death one by one. Despite the title, the film contains very little “chopping,” but it does feature a ton of other creative and laughter-inducing acts of over-the-top violence to satisfy any B-movie or slasher fan.

22 A Chinese Ghost Story (1987)

A Chinese Ghost Story
Golden Harvest

A Chinese Ghost Story is a Hong Kong-produced genre-melding mashup of the romance, horror, martial arts, and comedy genres about a traveling tax collector who sleeps in an old, abandoned temple one night. While staying at the temple, the tax collector encounters spirits and demons, and ultimately falls in love with a ghostly maiden. He vows to free her from her evil master, and teams up with a legendary Taoist warrior to do so.

Related: Best 'So Bad It's Good' Movies of All Time

It’s big and bombastic in classic Hong Kong fashion, full of dazzling special effects and stunning fight choreography. It’s also got a lot of horror tropes and creatures packed in, from zombies to demons and nearly everything in between. The forbidden romance is touching and the over-the-top nature of the action makes the film a riotous good time for movie night with friends.

21 Troll 2 (1990)

Claudio Fragasso's film Troll 2
Epic Productions

Troll 2 is the famous “Best Worst Movie,” and the subject of the documentary of that title. The film is about a young boy who travels with his family to the tiny town called Nilbog, which turns out to be populated by cannibalistic trolls. As ScreenRant points out, the movie lives on in cult infamy for such bizarro quotes as “they’re eating her! And then they’re gonna eat me!” and “Nilbog? That’s Goblin spelled backwards! This is their kingdom!” Troll 2 is truly so hilariously bad that it must be seen to be believed.

20 Pieces (1982)

PIECES
Film Ventures International

Pieces is a Spanish slasher about a Boston detective bent on finding the maniacal killer who’s slicing up a college campus. A by-the-numbers premise sets the stage for a string of outrageously gory deaths and downright strange dialogue and moments that remind you that you’re watching a European grindhouse classic posing as an American production. One such strange moment is a surprise cameo from infamous Bruce Lee imitator “Bruce Le,” which occurs entirely without context and has zero bearing on the story. It's bizarre moments like this that make the film an eclectic B-masterpiece worth sharing with good friends.

19 The Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf (1985)

The Howling II_ Your Sister is a Werewolf
Hemdale Film Corporation

A poorly received sequel to one of the best werewolf films of the 1980s, The Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf is a dud of a horror flick, for sure, but that doesn’t mean it’s worthless. Instead of the spooky atmosphere and subtle humor of the first film, The Howling II is jam-packed with sleazy and cheesy charm, making it a perfect choice for campy horror movie night.

18 Mystics in Bali (1981)

Mystics in Bali
Pusat Perusahaan Film

Mystics in Bali is an Indonesian cult classic about a woman who travels to Bali to research the occult. When she gets there, she encounters a witch who curses her, turning her into a leak (or leyak), a folkloric creature whose head can detach from its body so that it may fly about and suck the blood of the innocent. The film’s DVD box art tauts the film as “the holy grail of Asian cult cinema,” and for good reason.

Related: 10 Great Foreign Monster Movies for Big Fans of Creature Features

As Asian Movie Pulse puts it, Mystics in Bali “is one of the finest Asian exploitation offerings. Most of its enjoyment comes from the utterly delirious and bizarre sequences presented.” This weird and wild movie is a blast to watch alone and even more uproariously entertaining in a group.

17 Blood Diner (1987)

BLOOD DINER
Lightning Pictures

Blood Diner is a horror-comedy cult classic about a pair of brothers who run a restaurant that is ostensibly vegetarian, but is actually serving up human flesh to its unwitting customers. Upon resurrecting their once-deceased uncle, they are tasked with awakening an ancient goddess by committing blood sacrifices in the back of their restaurant. It’s a very silly movie, loaded with cheese, body parts, and a great (dark) sense of humor.

16 Frankenhooker (1990)

Frankenhooker
Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment

Frankenhooker is a deranged horror comedy about a mad scientist who sets out to rebuild his girlfriend after she dies in a freak lawnmower accident. He does this by roaming the seedy streets of New Jersey at night, picking up hookers, and exploding them, then assembling their best body parts into a new body for his girlfriend. Just let all that sink in. Or better yet, check out the movie!

15 Exte: Hair Extensions (2007)

EXTE Hair Extensions
Toei Company

One of the weirdest Japanese films ever made, Exte: Hair Extensions is a baffling J-horror oddity about a morgue worker who sells hair extensions made from the hair of a dead woman. The hair extensions are cursed, and complicate the life of an aspiring hairdresser and those around her. The movie is both quite scary and very silly, and though it might seem like a schlocky B-picture, director Sion Sono elevates the material with his signature off-the-rails sense of style.

14 Braindead (1992)

Braindead
ORO Films

Braindead, also known as Dead Alive, is one of director Peter Jackson’s earliest and best films. It’s a gory horror comedy about a man whose overprotective mother becomes a fast-decaying zombie. The man tries to keep her safely locked away in their house, but she escapes and turns most of their town into zombies too. It’s a top-tier zombie flick, an essential Kiwi movie, and a certified crowd-pleaser.

13 Evil Dead 2 (1987)

The Evil Dead
New Line Cinema

Evil Dead 2 is the second film in the Evil Dead franchise and one of the rare examples of a sequel that is even better than the original. It surpasses the first film by ramping up the light comedic elements of the first to full-blown horror comedy, using its unique tone to tell the story of Ash Williams’ fight for survival against an army of demons within a cabin in the woods. The silly horror action and stylish direction from Sam Raimi make Evil Dead 2 a crowd-pleasing horror extravaganza that’s hard not to love.

12 Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell (1995)

Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell
Terracotta Distribution

Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell is an insane Evil Dead copycat from Japan, that manages to be very good in its own right thanks to its utterly charming low-budget ingenuity. The film follows bodybuilder Shinji and his quest to clear an abandoned house out to make room for a home gym. In the process, he discovers that the house is cursed by a ghost who has waited for revenge for thirty years. Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell is a fun and creative horror delight that’s sure to please Evil Dead fans everywhere.

11 Night Train to Terror (1985)

Night Train to Terror
Visto International

Night Train to Terror is an odd, low-budget horror anthology that tells three bizarre, nightmarish tales with a wraparound story about God and Satan on a train. It’s a crazy movie that shocks and surprises with an amalgamation of surreal visuals, storylines that run the gamut from inspired to stupid, and a huge amount of B-movie charm that makes it an excellent watch for like-minded friends.