A generous helping of horror with my cup of cuteness, please

They shuffle. They groan. They desperately need a layer of quality makeup and some deodorant. They sway as awkwardly as a horde of teenagers at a high school dance - except that they want to tear the flesh from your bones with their teeth.

Zombies are literally the stuff of nightmares; a true tidal wave of terror. But the undead are also, quite frankly, kind of ridiculous.

Zombieland is the horror-comedy, action-romance underdog film we absolutely needed; it was a balm to our cynical souls. In it, Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is an adorably bewildered, obsessive compulsive college student who trudges through the devastation of a zombie apocalypse, collecting an assortment of lovable yet lethal companions on the way. In typical zombie movies, people are forced accept atrocity as a necessary means to survival. In Zombieland, people are forced to accept that there’s more to life than just survival. At its heart, this is a quest movie. And the elusive treasure? Well, the characters figure that out as they go. Zombieland delivers a love story, wrapped up in an action movie, packaged as a comedy, but dressed from head to toe in gore.

Are you looking for another horror movie steeped in irreverent jokes and unexpected sweetness? Well, look no further than Love and Monsters, which is set to be released for streaming in North America in mid-April. This time it’s a Monsterpocalypse, and Joel Dawson (Dylan O’Brien) bumbles his way across the monster-riddled country to reunite with a high school sweetheart. Despite being less gory, Love and Monsters has all the ingredients to capture the same vibe as Zombieland, complete with its own version of a grumpy mentor and sarcastic kid. This movie is a rollercoaster. We are whisked from heart-stopping action-horror scenes with terrifyingly warped versions of predatory insects to surprisingly tender moments of vulnerability punctuated by exasperated eye-rolling and snide muttering. Love and Monsters is funny. It’s sweet. And yet death lurks around every corner.

Both of these movies throw completely average, naively earnest losers into violent dystopias and then pit them against their worst fears. But instead of coming out jaded and cutthroat, our sort-of heroes find their strength - and their families. Both movies poke fun at teen angst and romance tropes, but it’s done with surprising self-awareness and without contempt. Sure, mortal danger never really goes away in either movie. But the characters remain humorously optimistic and likeable. Perhaps this is commentary on how we allow some of the most absurd things divide us as families, communities, and countries. Perhaps we’re meant to recognize our own version of ridiculous monsters in our societies. Or perhaps we’re just supposed to sit back, relax, and watch a really violent, really funny movie that doesn’t make us hate people.

Other movies you might like:

Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies.

This movie is so corny and weird that’s it’s hilarious. The zombies are strangely civilized, but then again, it is based on a famous British novel about manners and marriage. The action features waif-like warrior women slaying zombies with all manner of bladed weapons - and it’s glorious. If you’re into some regency romance, but you’re feeling a bit bloodthirsty, then this one’s for you!

Shaun of the Dead.

I don’t think it’s possible to talk about zombie-comedy without mentioning this pioneering film, Shaun of the Dead. Shaun (Simon Pegg) lives a life of monotonous mediocrity when the zombie apocalypse takes him by surprise. Its slapstick humour and witty banter are offset by some gross gore, but at its heart, this is a buddy movie.

Ready or Not.

This darkly comedic horror movie doesn’t have zombies, but the people are disgusting enough on their own. The film presents deadpan humour in a terrifying game of hide and seek. It’s filled with horrible people saying horrible things during horrible acts of violence. You’ll wince at some of the brutally inventive bloodshed, but you’ll also get a laugh out of how ridiculous rich people can be. The saving grace? Well, it comes in the form of a character named Grace (Samara Weaving), who is wonderful as a plucky, vengeful innocent who rains revenge on everyone.

The Hunt.

No romance here. No zombies either. But this political-thriller gore fest is full of dry, absolutely absurd humor. It's not light-hearted or uplifting, but it might scratch your itch for a dark comedy. Literally nothing goes as planned in this movie, and the abrupt twists may just startle a horrified laugh out of you. The Hunt is a clever, darkly satisfying satire, mocking the absurdities both ends of the political spectrum through a lens of insane violence.