Zom Coms: 10 Funny Zombie Movies (For People Who Hate Zombie Movies)
Films about witches tend to come in and out of trend, and werewolf movies are scarce due to the practicalities of their creation. But, like vampires, zombie movies never go out of fashion in the horror genre.
However, while vampire stories are usually easy to swallow, a lot of people struggle with zombies. The reason for this can be as simple as an aversion to gore. Zombie movies tend to be packed full of blood, guts, and most importantly, brains, which can leave the weak-stomached feeling queasy. For others, their dislike of zombie movies is from having seen too many and growing tired of the tropes.
Although many zombie movies still opt to follow George A. Romero’s serious and gory approach to the genre, since Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead, there has been a steady influx of funny zombie movies, better known as ‘zom coms.’ These often tend to be less bloody, so the squeamish can tolerate them, and poke enough fun at familiar tropes that those tired of generic zombie fodder don’t roll their eyes that often. Outside of a couple of notable examples, most people aren’t aware of the scope of these zom coms, so here’s a round-up of the big hitters, and some you almost certainly haven’t heard of.
Let’s begin our list with perhaps the most famous zom com, Shaun of the Dead. The film, directed by Edgar Wright, twisted the zombie genre as audiences knew it into a self-deprecating pastiche of the work of Romero. One of the best British comedies of the 21st Century, Shaun of the Dead, found slacker Shaun and his bestie Ed stumble into the zombie apocalypse. Desperate to find and make up with his girlfriend, Liz, Shaun drags Ed along on an epically silly adventure of survival.
Wright’s film opened up the audience for the zombie movie from the traditional horror fans, to the more casual viewer, enticed by the raft of British comedians amongst the cast. Featuring haphazard zombie slayings, Cornettos, love, loss, and the ultimate pub lock-in, Shaun of the Dead showcased that zombie movies could be silly and remain entertaining.
After the success of Shaun of the Dead, not just in the UK, but also in international markets, America decided to make their own answer to it. The result of that work was Zombieland. Set a while into a zombie apocalypse, the film follows risk-averse survivor Columbus, who finds himself scooped up by the far more reckless Tallahassee. As the odd couple traverse the country, they find themselves entangled with con-artist sisters, Wichita and Little Rock. The foursome then forms an uneasy alliance as they do battle with hordes of infected.
Zombieland is excellent for those who are tired of zombie tropes, as Columbus addresses them directly, the film putting its tongue firmly in cheek. It is a tad gory, but everything is stylised through the eye of comedy, and so there’s no photo-realistic guts and goo to turn stomachs. The absolute best sequence, however, comes with a fantastic cameo from Ghostbuster icon Bill Murray. For those wanting more of Zombieland, a sequel, Zombieland: Double Tap, was made, but it doesn’t quite live up to the first movie.
Based on the novel by Isaac Marion, Warm Bodies blends action, comedy, and romance with the zombie formula, creating a film that speaks directly to the YA crowd. Featuring a zombie called R who starts to come back to life when around human Julie, Warm Bodies aims for the Twilight crowd, but with less angst.
A classic Romeo and Juliet tale, the couple face seemingly insurmountable obstacles to their forbidden love, but ultimately cause the world around them to change. About as romantic as zombie movies get, Warm Bodies is sickeningly charming.
Another rom-com is Joe Dante’s Burying the Ex. Here, rather than being set around a zombie apocalypse, there is just the one undead character. Starring the late Anton Yelchin, Alexandra Daddario, and Ashley Greene, Burying the Ex sees Yelchin’s Max stuck between his high-maintenance and controlling girlfriend, Evelyn (Greene), and Daddario’s horror-mad ice-cream parlour owner Olivia. Before Max can break up with Evelyn, she dies, which he sees as a lucky break, but that is until Evelyn returns from the dead.
Much of the comedy here comes from Evelyn’s brattish and possessive nature, along with the off gag based around various parts of herself dropping off. Much more of a rom-com with a zombie character, Burying the Ex is a perfectly palatable option for those averse to gross stuff. Be sure to have a tub of ice cream nearby, though, as you’ll definitely be craving it.
Even with its title, Night of the Living Deb is poking fun at zombie movies before it. Directed by Kyle Rankin, Night of the Living Deb finds titular Deb come face to face with a zombie outbreak, right in the middle of her walk of shame. Having no other choice, Deb must turn to her planned one-night stand, Ryan, for help. As the pair navigate the horde of undead, sparks of love start to sizzle.
Along with Warm Bodies and Burying the Ex, Night of the Living Deb is another sweet, often hilarious take on the zombie film. Perfect for those who like their horror of the bubblegum popcorn variety.
After Shaun of the Dead expertly married comedy to zombies, everyone was looking for a new, fun hook and subversion. In 2009, Seth Grahame-Smith's novel, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, married zombies with Jane Austen, and after the book's success, it wasn’t long until it got adapted into a feature.
Starring Lily James, Matt Smith, Sam Riley, and many more familiar faces, the story begins as the Jane Austen story that audiences are familiar with, before throwing zombies into the mix. Rather than being a headstrong lady averse to society’s constraints around gender and marriage, Elizabeth Bennet also happens to be an expert martial artist. After zombies descend, Elizabeth and famed zombie killer Mr Darcy join forces to obliterate the undead masses. Stuffed full of laughs for fans of both zombies and Austen, you’ll never see Pride and Prejudice with the same eyes again.
If you have yet to experience the Japanese zombie comedy One Cut of the Dead, please do seek it out at your earliest convenience. From start to finish, the film is an absolutely joyous film to watch. The plot involves a crew of filmmakers making a zombie movie, during which actual zombies attack. One Cut of the Dead feels a lot like what it might look like if Wes Anderson were to make a zombie film. It does not have his visual style, but it certainly has some of Anderson’s quirky character types.
One Cut of the Dead also boasts an impressive opening act that was filmed as one continuous take. To share anything further would spoil some of the movie's magic, but this film will almost certainly leave you with a big, stupid grin on your face. For those already initiated into the cult, why not check out the French language remake, Final Cut, which remakes and expands some of the story.
Anna and the Apocalypse is potentially still on the gory side for the squeamish, but it is a very different take on the zombie movie. This zombie offering from director John McPhail also works as a Christmas movie and a musical. That’s right, a zombie musical. Set on the last day of Christmas term in a Sixth form, the title character Anna sings her way through the approaching zombie apocalypse.
Full of extremely fun and painfully catchy songs, Anna and the Apocalypse is a must-watch during the holiday season, adding a smattering of horror to the joyful time of year.
In 2019, director Jim Jarmusch rounded up an impressive cast, including Adam Driver, Bill Murray, Selena Gomez, and Tilda Swinton, for his take on a zombie movie: The Dead Don’t Die. Although still played for laughs, The Dead Don’t Die is much more in keeping with Jarmusch’s dry sense of humour. As such, it is lacking the slapstick comedy of Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland, and could be described as the avant-garde movie viewer’s zombie comedy.
By far the most divisive zombie comedy included in this list, if you prefer your films less silly, then The Dead Don’t Die might be one for you.
In addition to being Timothée Chalamet’s uncle, director Rodman Flender is responsible for the cult teen-horror classic, Idle Hands. For some reason, however, it took him 20 years to make another horror film. Based on the novel by Jeff Hart, Eat, Brains, Love finds stoner Jake and cheerleader Amanda infected by a disease that turns them into zombie-like cannibals. With no one else to rely on, the couple embark on a mission for a cure, finding romance along the way.
Just like Idle Hands, Eat, Brains, Love is a humorous slice of high-school horror. Full of - as the title suggests - eating brains and love, Eat, Brains, Love is a fun-filled film for those of us who never grew up.
