From tongue-in-cheek slasher parodies to fan-favorite Twilight Zone spoofs, here are some of the finest Treehouse of Horror segments we’ve seen yet, ranked in order from worst to best.
For the past 30 years, The Simpsons has delighted mainstream viewers with its light-hearted humor, colorful gags, and the unforgettably iconic characters that populate the town of Springfield. As lovable as The Simpsons is on a year-round basis, the series has earned standout acclaim for its numerous holiday-themed specials – none more so than the show’s famous Treehouse of Horror anthology episodes.
Offering up parodic takes on various horror subgenres, Treehouse of Horror has been a Simpsons staple practically since the show’s inception. Satirizing beloved horror movies, TV shows, video games, and international folk lore, Treehouse of Horror has truly earned its reputation as an integral part of The Simpsons’ continued programming. From tongue-in-cheek slasher parodies to fan-favorite Twilight Zone spoofs, here are some of the finest Treehouse of Horror segments we’ve seen yet, ranked in order from worst to best.
One area of Treehouse of Horror that The Simpsons has consistently thrived in is the humorous parody of pre-existing horror properties. Case in point with “Treehouse of Horror VI”’s “Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace,” a hilarious homage to Wes Craven’s famed A Nightmare on Elm Street. Casting a vengeful Groundskeeper Willie as the dream-dwelling serial killer Freddie Krueger, “Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace” provides an imaginative love letter to Craven’s landmark slasher film.
There’s a reason “Treehouse of Horror IV” stands out as the greatest Treehouse of Horror anthology episode of all time. Brimming with entertaining segments from start to finish, every moment of “Treehouse of Horror IV” is pure campy hilarity. Such is especially the case with “Bart Simpson’s Dracula,” a stylish take on the 1992 horror film, Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Packing an endless amount of jokes into its main narrative, viewers can’t help but heartily chuckle throughout “Bart Simpson’s Dracula,” if only for the casting of Mr. Burns as the titular vampiric dark lord.
As mentioned above, “Treehouse of Horror IV” is that rare Simpsons Halloween episode with no weak segments. As proof of that fact, just look at the superior quality of “The Devil and Homer Simpson,” a sillier horror story that pits Homer against the Lord of Darkness. Of course, what makes this segment so singularly ingenious is the reveal that Flanders himself is the Devil in disguise. (As Flanders himself comments, “It’s always the one you least suspect.”) Add to that some humorous cameos from Benedict Arnold, Blackbeard, and Richard Nixon, and you have the makings for a thoroughly entertaining segment.
One of the earliest memorable Treehouse of Horror segments came with “Treehouse of Horror III”’s “King Homer.” A faithful translation of the legendary horror film King Kong, “King Homer” works so well because it treats its source material with reverence and good-natured humor. Naturally, casting Homer as the titular hulking ape also proved a stroke of unrivaled comedic genius.
Over the past three decades, The Simpsons have routinely looked to The Twilight Zone as a source of inspiration for their atmospheric horror segments. While plenty of Twilight Zone spoofs have come out over the years, “Terror at 5 ½ Feet” has to rank as the best of the bunch. A satisfying take on “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” “Terror at 5 ½ Feet” succeeds simply because it takes its plot so seriously, gradually heightening the suspense of its increasingly absurd narrative.
In the case of most TV shows, time travel can unintentionally result in a messy, clouded, downright confusing one-off episode. With “Time and Punishment,” on the other hand, The Simpsons intelligently took advantage of the paradoxical butterfly effect, constructing dozens of fascinating alternate timelines stemming from Homer’s misadventures in the past. While each of these realities are fully-formed and imaginative, our hearts instantly gravitate towards the dystopian reality ruled by Flanders (which, as a James Earl Jones-voiced Maggie might say, “is indeed a disturbing universe”).
Don’t we mean The Shining? “Ssh! Do you wanna get sued?” Quite possibly the best horror spoof we’ve seen on The Simpsons came with “Treehouse of Horror V”’s “The Shinning.” A classic horror segment that most fans continue to acclaim, virtually every line of “The Shinning” is capable of eliciting laughter, establishing it as a taut and effective take on Stanley Kubrick’s immortal horror film.
You can watch all The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episodes in one place on Disney+.
