Zombie movies do not always have to be dark and frightening. Sometimes the best way to survive a zombie apocalypse is to laugh at it.
Comedy zombie movies mix undead horror with jokes, ridiculous situations, strange characters and plenty of chaos. Some are mostly funny with a little horror, while others are proper zombie movies that simply do not take themselves too seriously.
This list covers some of the best funny zombie movies, including English-language films, high-school zombie movies, Chinese and Hong Kong productions, and movies you can find on Netflix.
If you want more than funny zombie films, check out our Zombie Apocalypse Movies list, which focuses specifically on movies where zombies and a widespread outbreak are central to the story. You can also see our Best Zombie Movies Ever picks or browse our 300+ Zombie Movies list for a much bigger collection.
Best Comedy Zombie Movies
If you just want the best ones to start with, these are my recommendations. They are not ranked.
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
If I had to recommend one zombie comedy to almost anyone, Shaun of the Dead would be near the top.
Simon Pegg plays Shaun, an ordinary London man whose already messy life becomes even more complicated when the dead begin walking around the city.
The movie works because it does not forget that it is a genuine zombie horror story. There are plenty of zombies and dangerous situations, but the characters and dialogue keep things funny.
It currently has a 7.8/10 IMDb rating and a 92% Tomatometer score. JustWatch also describes it as one of the defining zombie comedies.
Zombieland (2009)
Zombieland is another essential choice.
Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin play four survivors travelling across zombie-infested America.
The movie is built around survival rules, ridiculous encounters and the personalities of the four main characters. It is violent at times, but the action is deliberately played for laughs.
It has a 7.5/10 IMDb rating and an 89% Tomatometer score.
Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)
If you enjoyed the first movie, the sequel brings the group back for another road trip through the zombie apocalypse.
It does not have quite the same impact as the original, but it keeps the same mixture of zombie action, comedy and unusual characters.
The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
This is one of the classic funny zombie movies.
A group of workers accidentally releases a chemical that brings the dead back to life. What follows is a chaotic night involving zombies, panic and plenty of dark humor.
It is an important title for anyone interested in the history of zombie comedy.
Fido (2006)
Fido takes a completely different approach.
In this strange alternate version of the 1950s, zombies have been domesticated and used as servants. One young boy becomes attached to his family’s zombie named Fido.
The result is a satirical zombie story that mixes comedy, family drama and social commentary.
Warm Bodies (2013)
Warm Bodies puts romance into the zombie genre.
Nicholas Hoult plays R, a zombie who develops feelings for a living woman. That relationship begins changing him and eventually affects the wider zombie world.
It is much lighter than traditional zombie horror and is a good choice if you want something funny, romantic and easy to watch.
Little Monsters (2019)
Lupita Nyong’o stars as a kindergarten teacher who tries to protect her young students during a zombie outbreak.
The unusual combination of children, zombies and comedy gives the movie plenty of ridiculous situations while still allowing the story to have some heart.
The Dead Don’t Die (2019)
Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton and Steve Buscemi lead this deliberately strange zombie movie.
Instead of going for nonstop action, the film uses deadpan humor and absurd situations. It is a good choice if you prefer unusual humor over traditional zombie action.
Netflix currently includes The Dead Don’t Die among its zombie movie selections in some markets.
One Cut of the Dead (2017)
This Japanese movie is one of the most unusual recommendations on this list.
It begins like a cheap zombie movie being made by a film crew, but there is much more going on than you initially expect.
It is funny, creative and surprisingly clever. The less you know about the story before watching it, the better.
Comedy Zombie Movies High School Fans Should Watch
If you specifically want high school zombie movies, the selection becomes smaller, but there are some fun choices.
Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015)
This is probably the most obvious recommendation.
Three high school friends find themselves dealing with a zombie outbreak and suddenly have to become the people protecting their town.
The movie combines teenage comedy, zombie horror and ridiculous situations.
Netflix officially categorizes it as Comedy, Horror and Zombie Horror, and describes the three high-school friends as becoming their town’s first line of defense during the outbreak.
Cooties (2014)
A group of elementary-school teachers have to survive when a strange infection turns their students into violent little monsters.
It has a ridiculous premise and leans heavily into dark humor.
Dance of the Dead (2008)
A high-school prom turns into a nightmare when the dead begin rising.
Instead of waiting around for help, a group of students has to figure out how to survive the outbreak themselves.
Detention of the Dead (2012)
Several students become trapped inside their high school when a zombie outbreak begins.
The movie combines teen characters, school stereotypes and undead chaos.
Fido (2006)
Although it is not really a high-school movie, it is worth mentioning here if you enjoy younger characters dealing with an unusual zombie world.
Chinese Comedy Zombie Movies
Chinese-language zombie cinema is a little different.
A large part of the classic Hong Kong tradition involves jiangshi, the hopping undead of Chinese folklore. They are sometimes described internationally as Chinese zombies, although they are technically a distinct supernatural creature. The Hong Kong Film Archive describes Mr. Vampire as drawing on Hunan folklore about walking corpses while blending Chinese supernatural traditions with Western zombie and vampire imagery.
Mr. Vampire (1985)
If you want to see where the famous Hong Kong hopping-zombie style comes from, start here.
Lam Ching-ying plays the Taoist priest responsible for dealing with the undead, while his apprentices provide much of the comedy.
The movie became a major success and helped launch a wave of similar Hong Kong supernatural comedies.
Mr. Vampire II (1986)
The sequel continues the combination of supernatural action, martial arts and comedy that made the original popular.
Mr. Vampire III (1987)
Another entry in the popular series, with Taoist magic, supernatural creatures and plenty of comic situations.
Mr. Vampire IV (1988)
Also known as Mr. Vampire Saga IV, this Hong Kong production continues the jiangshi comedy tradition.
Mr. Vampire 1992
The fifth film in Ricky Lau’s Mr. Vampire series mixes comedy and supernatural horror and continues the same hopping-undead tradition.
Magic Cop (1990)
Lam Ching-ying stars as a police officer dealing with supernatural threats.
It is another example of the Hong Kong tradition of combining martial arts, supernatural creatures and comedy.
Important: If you are creating a strict Western-style zombie movie database, I would put these Chinese/Hong Kong jiangshi movies in a separate “Chinese Zombie & Jiangshi Comedy” section rather than treating every jiangshi as a conventional zombie.
Comedy Zombie Movies on Netflix
Netflix’s catalog changes depending on your country, so a movie available on Netflix in one country may not be available in another. Netflix itself maintains separate zombie and horror-comedy categories, and its current zombie page includes titles such as The Dead Don’t Die, Army of the Dead, #Alive, Cargo and Zom 100.
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead (2023)
This is one of the best current choices if you want something funny and energetic.
Akira is exhausted from his terrible corporate job. Then a zombie outbreak happens — and instead of immediately being devastated, he realizes that he finally has a reason to stop going to work.
He creates a bucket list of things he wants to do before he becomes a zombie.
Netflix officially classifies the movie as Comedy, Horror, Action & Adventure and Zombie Horror, describing it as an absurd and offbeat horror comedy.
The Dead Don’t Die (2019)
This is another Netflix zombie selection in some regions.
It has a very different style from Zom 100. Rather than fast-paced comedy, it uses dry, deadpan humor and strange characters.
Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015)
If it is available in your region, this is one of the best options for a high-school zombie comedy.
Netflix officially lists it as a comedy and zombie horror movie. Availability varies by country.
Zombieland
Netflix availability changes by territory, so it is worth searching your local Netflix catalog before assuming it is available.
Zombieland: Double Tap
The same applies to the sequel. Netflix’s horror-comedy catalog has included the film in some regions.
Funny English Zombie Movies
If by English zombie movies you mean English-language productions, these are some of the strongest choices:
- Shaun of the Dead (2004)
- Zombieland (2009)
- Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)
- The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
- Fido (2006)
- Warm Bodies (2013)
- Little Monsters (2019)
- The Dead Don’t Die (2019)
- Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015)
- Cooties (2014)
- Dance of the Dead (2008)
- Detention of the Dead (2012)
- Army of the Dead (2021)
- Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)
- Cockneys vs Zombies (2012)
Army of the Dead
Although Army of the Dead is much more action-oriented, it has enough ridiculous moments and larger-than-life characters to work for viewers who want zombie entertainment without a completely serious tone.
Cockneys vs Zombies
This British movie combines elderly residents, bank robbers and zombies.
The basic idea alone tells you what kind of movie you are getting.
Anna and the Apocalypse
This one is especially unusual because it combines zombies, comedy and a Christmas musical.
A zombie outbreak interrupts the Christmas season, leaving a group of young people fighting their way through the chaos.
Comedy Zombie Movies by Type
If you are choosing based on the kind of movie you want tonight, this is a simpler way to pick.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Best overall | Shaun of the Dead |
| Best American comedy | Zombieland |
| Best sequel | Zombieland: Double Tap |
| High school | Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse |
| Japanese | Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead |
| Chinese/Hong Kong | Mr. Vampire |
| Romance | Warm Bodies |
| Dark comedy | The Dead Don’t Die |
| Classic | The Return of the Living Dead |
| Family-focused | Little Monsters |
| Musical | Anna and the Apocalypse |
| British | Shaun of the Dead |
| Action comedy | Army of the Dead |
| Unusual | One Cut of the Dead |
My 10 Recommendations
If you don’t want to go through the entire list, start with these:
- Shaun of the Dead
- Zombieland
- Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
- Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse
- The Return of the Living Dead
- Warm Bodies
- One Cut of the Dead
- Mr. Vampire
- Little Monsters
- Anna and the Apocalypse
These give you a good mixture of British humor, American zombie action, teenage stories, Asian supernatural comedy, romance and completely ridiculous zombie situations.
Final Thoughts
The best thing about comedy zombie movies is that they do not all use humor in the same way.
Shaun of the Dead uses clever British humor while still respecting traditional zombie horror. Zombieland turns the apocalypse into a road trip. Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse puts teenagers in the middle of the disaster. Zom 100 turns an outbreak into an excuse to finally enjoy life. And the classic Mr. Vampire films bring Chinese supernatural folklore, martial arts and comedy together.
So whether you are looking for funny zombie movies, high-school stories, Chinese and Hong Kong jiangshi films, English-language productions or something currently appearing on Netflix, there is plenty to choose from.
And if you prefer your zombies completely serious, you can always go back to Train to Busan, Dawn of the Dead or Night of the Living Dead.
James
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