Murder mysteries are a genre that never goes out of style, and some directors elevate the genre by throwing something unexpected into the whodunnit: comedy. The mix of thrilling kills and chases amalgamated with humor is a winning combination that some fans just love to watch.
Many of these black comedies are from the 70s and 80s, while some of them are more recent releases which Redditors love for their darkness, tempered by hilarious dialogue and actions. From cult classics like Scream to newer fare like Knives Out, These staples are a must-watch for lovers of satire and suspenseful murder.
Murder By Death (1976)
Starring the inimitable Maggie Smith, Peter Falk, Eileen Brennan, and Truman Capote amongst others, this parody starts off by calling five detectives to a multimillionaire's house for dinner and murder, and to see who can solve it first.
Murder By Death makes fun of and even pays homage to classical detective stories of Agatha Christie, with hilarious misdirections and wrenches thrown into the murder mystery, and the best one-liners that fans have had the privilege of hearing in a whodunnit movie. Planet_irata said, "Murder By Death is hilarious."
So I Married An Axe Murderer (1993)
This cult favorite movie is recommended by Sweet_Assumption9365 and Default_Sock_Issue, for its lightweight rom-com qualities blended perfectly with a premise that involves a suspected black widow and a main character struggling with suspicion.
Charlie and Harriett fall in love, but Harriett is a butcher and reminiscent of the fearsome "Mrs. X" on the news for killing multiple husbands on their honeymoons. After much humor and comedy, the real Mrs. X is revealed, much to the viewer's shock and bemusement.
Serial Mom (1994)
This suburban melodrama upset some viewers, and delighted many with Kathleen Turner playing Beverly Sutphin, a housewife straight off of a cereal box ad, being an easily triggered serial killer in correspondence with Ted Bundy. Reddit's Cringestagramer thinks this fits perfectly.
Beverly even reaches court but manages to get her charges thrown out, while her children profit off of her crimes, Funnily enough, the hilarious "Serial Mom" goes ahead and kills one of the jurors for wearing white after Labor Day.
Seven Psychopaths (2012)
For fans who like gory murders and blood spatters (ala Tarantino) in their flicks, paired with a sense of humor, Seven Psychopaths is a must-watch. F1zzz seconds the movie as a great funny murder movie, "Each time I watch them I’m shocked how quality they are."
With a sparkling star cast of Colin Farrell, Christopher Walken, Sam Rockwell, and Woody Harrelson, the movie within a movie has seven true psychopaths, running about causing mayhem (and lots of murder). There's a gangster with his Shih Tzu on the loose, too. Needless to say, it all collides into a wild over-the-top, body-filled romp perfect for audiences looking for death and laughter.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
This runaway hit takes cartoons, murder, and humor and creates a winning formula that Redditors like GalacticKitty love. They asserted "You can't go wrong with Who Framed Roger Rabbit..." and they are quite right. The mix of toon humor (think characters getting steamrollered but surviving) and a sinister murder of Acme makes this a comical murder mystery.
There are some great moments of laughter, as well as serious themes in the landmark movie. Few others have received the accolades that Who Framed Roger Rabbit did, especially with its experimental nature.
Jennifer's Body (2009)
This Megan Fox-starrer was a movie that was well ahead of its time, and along with clever feminism, it also delivered on laughs while Fox's menacing Jennifer went around killing boys, not people. The smart script from Diablo Cody definitely made it one of the screenwriter's most fondly remembered films.
Teenage horror tropes got a subtle parody in Jennifer's Body, complemented with gnarly murders and blood-sucking by the titular character. Freezedried suggested this teen flick on Reddit.
Knives Out (2019)
This critically and commercially successful movie was a great blend of traditional mystery with amazing wit and humor, which is why Redditors like Marsupial_Chemical include it in their selection of hilarious murder movies. With a star-studded cast, sharp direction from Rian Johnson, Chris Evans' infamous sweater, and Daniel Craig's truly amazing accent, the movie was smartly hilarious for any mystery fan.
The plot revolves around Harlan's sudden murder, and the sharp and funny observations and characters that surrounded Blanc as he tried to solve the mystery of who killed the author in Knives Out.
Heathers (1989)
Shocking and morbid, Heathers combines the seemingly featherweight high school environment with multiple murders, carried out with ease and by good friends. Three girls named Heather form a clique with Veronica and run the school, but the entry of mysterious J.D leads her down a murderous path.
Kkungergo says that Heathers is "100%" a black comedy that is a cynical and satirical take on life in high school and just how lethal it can get.
The Whole Nine Yards (2000)
Hugely entertaining and almost deliriously fun, The Whole Nine Yards is a movie where everyone is out to kill each other. Willis' Tulip is already a hitman, who is coaching Peet's Jill, who wants to kill her boss' (Matthew Perry's Oz) wife, who wants to turn in the hitman.
The murder movie is hugely silly, which 00collector echoes "This one is a bit silly, but it’s one of my favorite comedies." It definitely is a lighter take on killing, but one that will leave viewers laughing until they cry.
Scream (1996)
Scream was considered the renegade slasher movie of its time since its characters were self-aware and openly discussed the horror movie tropes that they themselves were caught in. Iloveslenderman said "Scream! and the parodies of it..." were some of the funnier murder flicks.
The humor here is in the introspective nature of the movie, almost like a pre-Fleabag, if you may. The caricature that Scream was birthed countless more pastiches, making it both funny as well as a hugely influential slasher film. With it, it birthed a franchise and a whole generation of meta-based horror and mystery movies as well.