There’s no rule that says comedy and violence can’t mix. There’s a reason slapstick comedy is a thing — it can be entertaining to watch people get hurt in silly ways. Buster Keaton made a whole career out of it.
However, some comedy movies take this to the next level. Films like Hot Fuzz and Deadpool get so bloody that they sometimes rival (or even eclipse) actual horror movies. Others, like Home Alone, appear tame because there’s no gore, but the injuries characters sustain are shockingly brutal.
The following article contains spoilers for In Bruges (2007)
10 ‘MacGruber’ (2010)
This comedy, directed by Jorma Taccone of The Lonely Island, is a feature-length adaptation of the SNL sketches of the same name, which in turn parody the classic ’80s TV show MacGyver. Will Forte stars as a former special forces operative who must race to stop his arch-nemesis, Dieter Von Cunth (Val Kilmer), from detonating a nuclear warhead.
Along with his team, including Kristen Wiig and Ryan Phillippe, MacGruber sets out on a mission that includes quirky gadgets, car chases, and even a sex scene involving a ghost. Despite the light-hearted tone, there are several intensely violent scenes, including gun battles, gruesome deaths, and an explosion that takes out an entire building.
9 ‘Home Alone’ (1990)
8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) accidentally gets left behind by his family during their holiday trip and is forced to defend his home from two bumbling burglars, played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. With his quick wit and resourcefulness, Kevin sets up a series of booby traps to thwart the burglars’ attempts to break into his house.
Kevin’s traps and tricks often result in painful and comical injuries for the robbers, including getting hit in the face with paint cans, stepping on sharp objects, and even getting burned. There’s no blood, but Home Alone would be R-rated if there were.
8 ‘Keanu’ (2016)
Keanu follows two friends (played by Keegan Michael-Key and Jordan Peele) as they try to retrieve a stolen kitten, which they believe will bring them happiness and fulfillment. Along the way, they get caught up in a dangerous world of gangsters and drug dealers and hilariously attempt to navigate their way out of trouble.
There are shootouts, fights, car chases, and multiple dead bodies, but these are presented in a comedic way in keeping with the overall lighthearted tone. Fortunately, the stars have the comedic chops to turn even the bloodiest moments into gags.
7 ‘Mom and Dad’ (2017)
Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair star in this comedy-horror movie, in which a mysterious event causes parents to suddenly turn on their children and attempt to kill them. It’s a wacky premise that plays to Cage’s larger-than-life acting style.
Kids get slain in some pretty brutal ways: one is strangled, another is stabbed with car keys, and a third is bludgeoned by their mother with a meat tenderizer. The parents fare no better, getting hit with shovels and driven over by cars. It’s a bloody piece of satire that’s not afraid to go all out.
6 ‘In Bruges’ (2008)
Martin McDonagh‘s masterpiece revolves around two hitmen, Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson), who are sent to the picturesque city of Bruges, Belgium after a job goes wrong. While waiting for further instructions from their boss (Ralph Fiennes), the two men explore the city and confront their own demons, leading to a series of tragic and unexpected events.
Never has there been such a contrast between a movie’s setting and subject matter. In Bruges really puts the ‘black’ in black comedy, culminating in a bloody finale where Ken jumps out of a building in an attempt to save Ray, and the villain shoots himself in the head.
5 ‘Pineapple Express’ (2008)
Dale Denton (Seth Rogen) is a process server who witnesses a murder and goes on the run with his drug dealer, Saul Silver (James Franco), who supplies him with a rare and potent weed strain called Pineapple Express. Along the way, they have to contend with criminals, corrupt cops, and multiple explosions.
It’s one of the 2000s’ most beloved stoner comedies, boasting several terrific performances, especially from Danny McBride. It’s also a lot more violent than you may remember, with tons of over-the-top blood and gore, which only adds to the hilarity.
4 ‘Tucker and Dale vs Evil’ (2010)
This slasher parody centers on two well-meaning but socially awkward friends (Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk) who go on a vacation to their dilapidated cabin in the woods, where they are mistaken for hillbilly killers by a group of college students. Cue a series of hilariously gory mishaps and misunderstandings as Tucker and Dale try to clear their names and survive the onslaught of the students.
The violence is pretty graphic, more than a match for the horrors that the film is poking fun at. The most memorable might be the scene where one of the college kids impales himself on a tree stump.
3 ‘Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle’ (2004)
Another early oughts classic, Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle follows the two friends as they go on a quest to satisfy their cravings for White Castle burgers after getting high one night. In the process, they encounter a series of wacky and eccentric characters, including a racist police officer, a group of extreme sports enthusiasts, and Neil Patrick Harris playing a hilarious version of himself.
Their encounter with the sports enthusiasts turns bloody, and there’s also an intense fight in a convenience store, as well as a car crash and Kumar (Kal Penn) hitting his head on a branch. On top of that, at one point, Kumar is mistaken for his doctor brother and has to try to save the life of a gunshot victim who is bleeding out.
2 ‘Deadpool’ (2016)
Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is a former Special Forces operative turned mercenary who becomes the victim of a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, disfigured skin, and a twisted sense of humor. As Deadpool, Wade seeks revenge against the man who nearly destroyed his life.
Irreverent and self-aware, Deadpool subverts the superhero genre by adding extreme violence. There are several gleefully gory moments, like Wade being stabbed in the head or breaking his bones, not to mention the scene where he drives over a man with a Zamboni.
1 ‘Hot Fuzz’ (2007)
Edgar Wright’s finest work might be this action-comedy about Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg), an overachieving police officer transferred to a sleepy English village, where he partners with bumbling police officer Danny Butterman (Nick Frost). As they investigate a series of “accidents” that occur in the seemingly idyllic village, they uncover a sinister conspiracy and find themselves embroiled in a high-octane shootout.
It might be a comedy, but Wright is clearly also fond of carnage and fountains of blood. The violence is exaggerated and cartoonish but still intense. There’s one particularly wince-inducing scene where Timothy Dalton‘s character falls and is speared through his mouth by the sharp roof of a miniature cathedral. Ouch.