If you’ve ever sat through a modern "spoof" movie and felt your soul slowly leaving your body because the jokes were just... bad, you’re not alone. The 2013 Marlon Wayans flick A Haunted House was a weird moment in horror-comedy history. It arrived right when the "found footage" craze—think Paranormal Activity and The Devil Inside—was hitting a fever pitch. It wasn't trying to be high art. It was basically Marlon Wayans humping a stuffed animal and screaming at ghosts. But honestly? It worked for a lot of people because it tapped into that specific, chaotic energy of the early 2010s.
Finding movies like A Haunted House is harder than it looks. You can't just pick any comedy. You need that specific blend of slapstick, meta-commentary on horror tropes, and a complete lack of shame. Most people jump straight to Scary Movie, which makes sense since the Wayans brothers literally invented that franchise, but the DNA of these films goes deeper than just "making fun of scary stuff." It's about taking the tension of being trapped in a house and popping the bubble with something absurd.
Why the found footage parody works (and why it usually fails)
Most parodies fail because they just repeat the scene they are mocking without adding a punchline. A Haunted House succeeded—commercially, at least—because it focused on the "black experience" within a genre that usually ignores it. Malcolm (Wayans) isn't just a victim; he's a guy frustrated by the logistics of a haunting. When you look for similar films, you’re usually looking for that subversion of the "final girl" or "clueless protagonist" tropes.
Take Scary Movie 2. It’s probably the closest sibling in terms of tone. While the first film poked fun at slasher flicks like Scream, the second one dove headfirst into the supernatural. You’ve got the foul-mouthed parrot, the butler with the "strong hand," and the over-the-top practical effects. It’s gross. It’s loud. It’s exactly what people want when they search for movies in this vein.
But then there's the more "elevated" side of this. Not everything has to be a Wayans production to capture that vibe. Shaun of the Dead is the gold standard for a reason. It’s a "Zom-Com," but it treats the horror with respect while the characters act like total idiots. It’s a different flavor of the same soup.
The best alternatives to A Haunted House you should watch tonight
If you want that specific "found footage" satire, Ghost Team One (2013) is the one nobody talks about. It’s remarkably similar. Two roommates realize a ghost is haunting their place, but they both try to impress a girl who is obsessed with the paranormal to get her into bed. It’s low-budget, it’s raunchy, and it uses the shaky-cam aesthetic to hide how cheap it is—just like the movies it’s mocking.
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Then there’s Hell Baby. Written and directed by Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon (the geniuses behind Reno 911!), it’s a masterclass in deadpan absurdity. A couple moves into a haunted "fixer-upper" in New Orleans. They ignore every red flag. The Vatican sends "elite" exorcists who are basically just two guys eating po' boys and hanging out. It’s a different rhythm than Marlon Wayans’ high-octane performance, but the logic is the same: horror is inherently ridiculous if you stop and think about it for more than two seconds.
The Marlon Wayans Factor
You can't talk about these movies without mentioning A Haunted House 2 or Fifty Shades of Black. Marlon Wayans has carved out this specific niche where he is the primary engine of the movie. If he’s not on screen, the energy drops.
- Little Man: Not horror, but shares the same "how is this happening?" physical comedy.
- Dance Flick: A bit more scattered, but targets the same demographic.
- Sextuplets: Shows his range in playing multiple characters, much like his work in the earlier parodies.
Is "horror-comedy" actually a dying genre?
Some critics say the "spoof" movie died with Epic Movie and Disaster Movie. Those films were lazy. They just referenced pop culture without having a soul. Movies like A Haunted House survived because they stuck to a theme. They didn't try to parody American Idol and The Exorcist in the same breath. They focused on the house. The isolation. The cameras.
The landscape has shifted now toward "social horror" or "elevated horror" (a term many directors actually hate). This has led to a new wave of parodies that are more subtle. The Blackening (2023) is a perfect example. It asks the question: "If the entire cast is black, who dies first?" It’s hilarious, it’s sharp, and it’s a spiritual successor to the Wayans' philosophy of horror. It moves away from the "fart jokes" and toward "cultural jokes," which feels like a natural evolution.
What to look for in a good parody
Don't just watch anything with "Movie" in the title. Honestly, stay away from Stan Helsing or 30 Nights of Paranormal Activity with the Devil Inside the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Those are the bottom of the barrel. They lack the timing.
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Look for films where the actors are actually committed to the bit. In What We Do in the Shadows, the actors play it completely straight. That’s why it’s funny. When a vampire is complaining about doing the dishes, it’s funny because he’s a four-hundred-year-old monster. In A Haunted House, Malcolm is genuinely terrified, which makes his absurd reactions land better than if he were just winking at the camera the whole time.
Breaking down the "Found Footage" trope
The reason A Haunted House worked was the timing. Paranormal Activity (2007) changed everything for Hollywood. It cost $15,000 and made nearly $200 million. Suddenly, every studio wanted a movie shot on a GoPro.
- The "Why are they still filming?" Problem: Parodies always lean into this. Malcolm keeps filming even when he's being dragged down a hallway.
- The Night Vision Look: That green-tinted, grainy footage became a visual shorthand for "scary." Parodies use it to hide "ghosts" that are clearly just people in sheets.
- The Time Stamps: Fast-forwarding through 8 hours of "nothing happening" is a staple of the genre that A Haunted House mocks perfectly by showing the mundane, gross stuff people do when they think no one is watching.
Actionable steps for your next movie night
If you're planning a marathon, don't just pick one. Mix the styles. Start with the "classics" and move into the weird stuff. It keeps the energy from getting stale.
Step 1: Start with the Blueprint. Watch the original Scary Movie. It sets the tone for everything that followed. It’s the DNA of the modern spoof.
Step 2: Transition to Found Footage Satire.
Go with A Haunted House or Ghost Team One. This is the core of what you're looking for. It’s high energy and relies on the "caught on camera" gimmick.
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Step 3: Cleanse the Palate with "Smart" Horror-Comedy.
Finish with Tucker & Dale vs. Evil. It’s a masterpiece of misunderstanding. It flips the "hillbilly slasher" genre on its head by making the hillbillies the victims of "suicidal" college kids. It’s brilliant.
Step 4: Check the Streaming Rotators.
These movies bounce around between Tubi, Max, and Netflix constantly. Use a tool like JustWatch to see where they currently live. Usually, the more "indie" ones like Hell Baby are buried on platforms like Shudder or Prime Video.
The Reality of the Genre
Most people watch these movies for mindless fun. That's fine. But the best ones—the ones that actually stay with you—are the ones that understand why we are afraid of the dark in the first place. They take our genuine fears (home invasion, demons, being watched) and make them look stupid. It’s a form of catharsis.
If you want more movies like A Haunted House, you have to be willing to dig through some garbage. For every Shaun of the Dead, there are ten Meet the Spartans. Stick to the creators who actually love the horror genre. Marlon Wayans clearly loves horror; he just thinks it's hilarious. That's the secret sauce.
Check out Student Bodies (1981) if you want to see where this all started. It was the first real slasher parody, coming out right after Friday the 13th. It’s dated, sure, but you can see the roots of the Wayans' style in its DNA. The "Breather" is a classic character that paved the way for Ghostface and the A Haunted House demons.
Stop looking for "critically acclaimed" hits. These movies aren't made for critics. They’re made for Saturday nights when you’ve got a bowl of popcorn and you want to see a guy try to fight a ghost with a frying pan. That's the real magic of the haunted house comedy. It doesn't need to be deep. It just needs to be funny.
To get the most out of this sub-genre, start by identifying which "type" of horror you actually find the most annoying. If you hate possession movies, watch Repossessed (1990) with Leslie Nielsen. If you hate slasher tropes, go for The Final Girls (2015). Matching your personal gripes with the right parody makes the experience significantly better.