Film

A Haunted House

A Haunted House is a broad parody of found-footage horror films, particularly Sinister and Insidious. Marlon Wayans plays the hapless boyfriend determined to fix his demon-possessed girlfriend problem before it ruins his sex life. It's silly, crude, and swings wildly—sometimes landing, sometimes not. For fans of sketch comedy and spoof films who can tolerate a film that doesn't always work but keeps trying.

TMDb rating3.0

If you liked this

Scary Movie 22001

The OG spoof that proved horror-comedy could be smart and hilarious. Wes Craven's fingerprints are all over it, and it nails the formula that makes these films tick.

But It's twenty-plus years old now, so some references have calcified. If you're younger, some of the shock may be gone.

Scary Movie 2 poster

The Conjuring2013

The actual film A Haunted House is riffing on. James Wan's masterclass in building dread through suggestion rather than jump scares—it earns every scare. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson are perfect.

But Straightforward horror, no comedy at all. If you want to understand the joke, you need to sit through genuine tension first.

The Conjuring poster

Tropic Thunder2008

A spoof that works because it loves what it's mocking. Robert Downey Jr., Ben Stiller, and Jack Black commit so fully to the absurdity that it becomes its own thing. Proof spoofs can be brilliant.

But It's nearly three hours and assumes deep knowledge of war film tropes and '90s action cinema. Some references won't land if you're not plugged in.

Tropic Thunder poster

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The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Ghostbusters II1989

Both films follow the template of well-meaning guys trying to solve a possession problem through increasingly chaotic expert interventions. Ghostbusters II does it with charm; A Haunted House does it with chaos.

A film about people systematically trying to handle supernatural possession in Manhattan, played with deadpan exasperation. It's got the same DNA as A Haunted House—ordinary people versus comedy monsters—but with Ivan Reitman's control and Bill Murray's withering delivery.

But It's a 1989 blockbuster with dated special effects and pacing that modern comedy has trained us to find slow. The supernatural stuff is played more straight than you might expect.

Ghostbusters II poster
More like this (7)

Vampires Suck2010

Another Wayans spoof (he directed this one too) that targets Twilight with surgical precision. The absurdist humor is stronger here than it has any right to be, and it knows exactly what to mock.

But You need to have Twilight's particular brand of brooding in your system to find this funny. Without that context, it's just odd.

Vampires Suck poster

Big Money Rustlas2010

A truly unhinged comedy-western that shares A Haunted House's willingness to be ridiculous without apology. Insane plot, fearless performances, and committed weirdness throughout.

But The tone is all over the place and the plot barely holds together. It's messy in a way that can feel exhausting rather than fun.

Big Money Rustlas poster

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping2016

A comedy that spoofs pop culture and celebrity with genuine affection underneath the roasting. The sketch work is tight, the cameos are stellar, and it's smarter than it first appears.

But If you're not at least somewhat plugged into current pop music and celebrity, huge chunks will whoosh past you unnoticed.

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping poster

You're Next2013

A horror film that's surprisingly funny without ever stopping being genuinely tense. It deconstructs home-invasion tropes while also delivering real thrills. Smart and satisfying.

But It's not a spoof—it takes itself seriously, so if you're hunting pure comedy, you'll be disappointed by long stretches of actual stakes.

You're Next poster

Zombeavers2014

A committed attempt to make zombie-beavers a thing. It's absurdist, gory, and genuinely weird in ways that stick with you. A cult film that earns its status.

But The humor is so specific and offbeat that it can feel like you're on a wavelength nobody else is on. Frequently bewildering rather than reliably funny.

Zombeavers poster

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon2006

Both films use parody to expose how absurd possession narratives really are—Leslie Vernon does it by making the slasher protagonist's plans laugh-out-loud ridiculous; A Haunted House does it by showing how desperate and ineffectual the response teams are.

A mockumentary that deconstructs slasher films by following a would-be serial killer planning his 'spree' like a business project. It's wickedly smart about horror tropes while also being genuinely creepy when it needs to be.

But It's a found-footage style film masquerading as a documentary, so if that format exhausts you, you'll bounce off immediately. The tonal whiplash between comedy and horror can feel uneven.

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon poster

Little Evil2017

Same setup as A Haunted House—guy dealing with supernatural evil threatening his domestic life—but Little Evil chooses sincerity and character development where A Haunted House chooses chaos and sketch comedy. They're opposite answers to the same question.

A Netflix film about a man raising his wife's son who might actually be the Antichrist. It's heartfelt and genuinely funny without ever condescending to the material. Adam Scott brings real dad-energy to supernatural absurdity.

But It commits to emotional stakes alongside the comedy, so tonal shifts can feel jarring if you're hunting pure laughs. The Netflix production values might feel small-scale to you.

Little Evil poster

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