Let's face it: campy horror films are a staple of the genre. Sometimes, you just want to pop a big bag of popcorn and have a ridiculously good time while watching a gore-filled movie. And campy horror hits that exact spot.
Often borderline cheesy, these films lean into the absurd and tend to include over-the-top special effects, plot lines, and drama. They’re the kind of horror that makes grotesque death fun. Who thought I’d ever write that sentence? But it’s true.
Campy horror always fulfills the promise that if you aren’t scared, you’re at least having a good time. Great films do both. We went through the movie archives and found 34 campy horror movies ranging from cult classics to modern films. If you love campy horror movies, this list is for you.
M3GAN (2022)
Robotics engineer (Allison Williams) tests an artificial intelligence humanoid robot doll to be her niece’s (Violet McGraw) companion after she loses her parents. Everything is fine until M3GAN takes on a life of her own.
The Evil Dead (1981)
When Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) and his friends accidentally unleash an ancient evil, they have to fight for their lives or become one of the evil dead. But as Ash watches his friends become possessed, he realizes he has to make an impossible decision before the sun rises.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Newly engaged Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon) find themselves on the doorstep of the reclusive Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry) after their car breaks down in the isolated countryside where things take a bizarre twist.
Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)
When teens Mike (Grant Cramer) and Debbie (Suzanne Snyder) find a crashed alien ship filled with what looks like killer clowns on the outskirts of their small town, no one believes them. But when they kidnap Debbie, Mike knows it’s up to him to stop their murderous rampage.
Tucker & Dale vs Evil (2010)
Two friends (Tyler Labine & Alan Tudyk) just wanted a vacation in the backwoods. But when a bunch of college students take them for murderous hillbillies, their vacation takes a gory turn for the worse.
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Shaun (Simon Pegg) works a dead-end job and lives with his slovenly best friend (Nick Frost). His girlfriend (Kate Ashfield) wants him to grow up. When zombies overrun their town, Shaun has to step up if he wants to save his mom and girlfriend.
Leprechaun (1993)
Ten years ago, Dan O’Grady (Shay Duffin) stole 100 gold coins from a leprechaun (Warwick Davis) and trapped him in a crate. Now, J.D. Redding (John Sanderford) and his daughter (Jennifer Aniston) accidentally release him and he embarks on a murderous rampage.
Army of Darkness (1993)
Getting accidentally transported to 1300 A.D.? Not great. Having to fight an army of the dead to find the Necronomicon to go home? Even worse. But that’s another day in sarcastic hardware store clerk Ash’s (Bruce Campbell) life.
Fright Night (1985)
When a reclusive neighbor (Chris Sarandon) moves next door to teenage Charlie (William Ragsdale), he knows it’s a vampire. Putting his horror film knowledge to the test, Charlie gets help in the only logical place: washed-up TV star Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall).
Young Frankenstein (1974)
After Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) inherits his infamous grandfather’s Transylvanian Estate, he begins to recreate some of his grandfather’s experiments. But things get complicated when he creates a monster (Peter Boyle) and his girlfriend arrives (Madeline Kahn).
Gremlins (1984)
There are three rules to owning a Mogwai. Never expose it to light. Never get it wet. And never, ever feed it after midnight. When Billy (Zach Galligan) accidentally breaks rule number three, he unleashes a horde of mischievous monsters on his town.
Dead Alive (1993)
A Sumatran rat-monkey bites Vera (Elizabeth Moody) as she spies on her son, Lionel (Timothy Balme), at the zoo and turns into a zombie. Lionel tries to keep her locked in the basement but she’s good at escaping—and at turning the neighborhood into zombies, too.
Tremors (1990)
After noticing strange disruptions around their small, isolated town, a group of people have to fight against monstrous underground creatures that are killing them one-by-one.
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
As two Americans backpack through Europe, they’re attacked by a wolf. David (David Naughton) escapes with only a bite, but his friend his killed. Plagued by vicious nightmares, David realizes he’s becoming a werewolf. And the full moon is coming.
Sleepaway Camp (1983)
When traumatized teen Angela (Felissa Rose) is sent to the summer camp that killed her brother, she’s an instant target for bullying. Until everyone picking in her meets a bloody end.
Idle Hands (1999)
Slacker teen Anton (Devon Sawa) finds that being possessed by a demon isn’t all that bad when it’s only his right hand. At least his two best friends (Elden Hensen & Seth Green) come back as snarky zombies when his hand kills them. But all the murder starts to become a burden when Anton wants to get closer to his neighbor (Jessica Alba).
Jennifer's Body (2009)
After a demon possesses her, high school hottie Jennifer (Megan Fox) turns her flesh-eating appetite to all the boys who never stood a chance. But her nerdy friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried) finds out, she sets out to stop her.
Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959)
Two aliens (Dudley Manlove & Joanne Lee) plan on taking over Earth by resurrecting the corpses in a Hollywood cemetery. As curious humans come to the graveyard to look for UFOs, they’re stalked by the living dead.
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978)
When mutated, oozing, killer tomatoes go on a rampage, it’s up to a group of scientists to save the world.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
After the spirit of a serial killer with a bladed glove starts attacking her and her friends in their dreams, teenager Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) has to uncover the dark truth her parents are hiding.
The Blob (1958)
Teenagers Steve (Steve McQueen) and Jane (Aneta Corseaut) first see a weird substance kill an elderly man and grow, no one believes them. But when the alien goo starts devouring their town, they fight to protect their hometown and everyone in it.
Beetlejuice (1988)
When Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam (Alec Baldwin) wake up in their country home after a car accident, they realize they didn’t survive. Before they can adjust to life beyond the grave, a family moves into their home and harasses them. To get their undead lives back, they hire a malevolent spirit to scare them away.
Zombeavers (2014)
A bunch of friends find their fun weekend take a turn into deadly chaos when they discover a nearby swamp is infested with undead beavers.
Zombieland (2009)
If you want to survive the zombie apocalypse, you have to follow the rules. That’s exactly what survivors Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) and Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) so as they make their way to a safe haven in LA. But when they run into Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), things get complicated.
The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
Releasing a gas that turns the dead into flesh-eating zombies is a terrible way to start your first day. New employee Freddy (Thom Mathews) has to fight with foreman Frank (James Karen), their boss (Clu Gulager), and a mortician (Don Calfa) to survive.
Brainscan (1994)
Teenager Michael (Edward Furlong) loves horror movies and computer games. When he plays a game from the eyes of a killer, he thinks it’s just virtual reality. But when cyber-ghoul Trickster (T. Ryder Smith) forces him to keep playing, he realizes it’s all too real.
Troll (1986)
To get his life as a wizard back, Torok takes over an apartment building and possesses Wendy (Jennifer Beck). Luckily, her brother (Noah Hathaway) notices something is wrong and enlists help of their witch neighbor (June Lockhart) to stop Torok from turning the rest of the building into mythical creatures.
Bubba Ho-Tep (2003)
His iconic hip gyrating put Elvis (Bruce Campbell) in an extended coma. He wakes up in an East Texas nursing home where he meets an African-American senior claiming to be President John F. Kennedy (Ossie Davis). Together, they work to stop Bubba Ho-Tep (Bob Ivy), an Egyptian mummy murdering the residents of the quiet community.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1986)
The infamous family of cannibals terrorize a radio host (Caroline Williams) as a former Texas Marshall (Dennis Hopper) hunts them down.