The smell of love is in the air as Valentine’s Day approaches, a time for spending time with loved ones, or spending time annoyed at the couples around you. Most go for a romantic comedy, but there’s nothing wrong with celebrating Valentine’s love with some horror. If that’s the category you fit into, here’s some of the best romantic horror movies to watch snuggled up with your partner. These horror movies are all about romance, and just a few beheadings. In no particular order, here are the top 10 horror movies to watch this Valentine’s Day.
Best Horror Movies to Watch on Valentine’s Day
1. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)
You can’t have a list of romantic horror movies without including the monsters that basically introduced a sexy element to the horror genre: the vampire. This beautiful Iranian black and white film shows a more modern female vampire in the form of Sheila Vand, who stalks the streets of the fictional Bad City. She encounters the troubled Arash (Arash Marandi) who is dealing with his heroin-addicted father as well as debts caused by his father to his drug dealer. These two troubled beings connect and come to terms with the fact that they are both damaged and have done horrible things they are not proud of. This is definitely a slow flick, so don’t be expecting too much vampire action.
2. Spring (2014)
Spring starts out as a foreign romance with a jaded American man (Lou Taylor Pucci) who travels to Italy and meets the mysterious Louise (Nadia Hilker) who is harboring a dark, disgusting secret. This Lovecraftian tale, made by the duo (Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead) behind Resolution (2012) and The Endless (2017), perfectly blends romance and body horror in a refreshing way that will most likely lead to a unique twist for many.
3. Let the Right One In (2008)
One of the more well-known vampire romance movies, this Swedish horror film is both beautiful and disturbing. The young Oskar (Kare Hedebrant) is frequently bullied in his school to the point of developing aggressive and violent tendencies in a very bleak, snow-covered Swedish town. He falls in love with a mysterious girl his age (Lina Leandersson) and they both find out they need each other, for nefarious reasons. This movie is brutal but still filled with the feelings of young love and friendship.
4. Villains (2019)
Villains takes on a more “Bonnie and Clyde” storyline, if Bonnie and Clyde were young people in 2019 and not too bright. This movie, starring the amazing Maika Monroe and Bill Skarsgard is a fun romp as a couple on a crime spree get involved with a family that may be more depraved than them. Watching the precious relationship between the two main characters is one of the best parts of this quirky horror movie, with a decently tense story that they’re trapped in.
5. Warm Bodies (2013)
As it turns out, you can watch a romantic comedy and still be watching a horror movie this Valentine’s Day. This bizarre zombie update to Romeo and Juliet still ends up being pretty charming if you can stomach the premise. Nicholas Hoult leads in this as the thoughtful zombie “R” who saves a girl (Teresa Palmer) from a zombie attack, starting a bizarre but wholesome relationship between the two. Their union leads to big changes in the zombie and human communities that will further warm your heart.
6. Byzantium (2012)
Byzantium is yet another vampire film to grace this list directed by Neil Jordan, the man behind Interview with the Vampire (1994). Led by powerful performances by Saoirse Ronan and Gemma Arterton as mother and daughter, who pass as sisters, tied throughout time and history as vampires. They move to a coastal town and Ronan’s character, Eleanor, gets involved with a romantic friendship with a local teenager, Frank, who suffers from leukemia, while her mother, Arterton’s character Clara, starts a brothel in the derelict hotel they live in. This romantic story shows a more tragic and classical view of the vampire, while also dishing out some serious gore.
7. Are We Not Cats (2016)
This movie is one of the most bizarre on this list and not for the easily grossed out. This is the first feature from Xander Robin and follows the increasingly desperate life of Eli (Michael Patrick Nicholson) as he loses his job, girlfriend, and apartment on the same day. With only a delivery truck to his name, he agrees to a moving job where he meets the mysterious Anya (Chelsea Lopez). Sparks fly, but they soon find out they have one particular thing in common… a desire to eat hair. This gross body horror film will make you gag while also make you think about the strange nature of love.
8. Mutants (2009)
Another zombie movie on a list of romantic horror films? What? Yes, Mutants is a French film of love in the midst of the apocalypse. It’s definitively got its flaws, but it succeeds in showing a surprisingly tender relationship in the midst of zombie and human carnage. A couple hid in an isolated building as they struggle to survive. There, they meet tragedy as the man gets infected and the woman finds out she is both immune to the virus and pregnant. A good mixture of emotional romance and old fashioned zombie killing.
9. Honeymoon (2014)
A honeymoon at a small-town lakehouse turns into a horrific week for couple Bea (Leslie Rose) and Paul (Harry Treadaway). Bea starts disappearing in the middle of the night and acting mysteriously. It doesn’t help that Paul discovers Bea’s old love interest still lives in this town. He starts suspecting his new wife of cheating, but what’s happening in this town is not so simple. This dark body horror film will have you feeling the love, and maybe being a little suspicious of your significant other.
10. Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
Closing off this list is one last vampire flick. Only Lovers Left Alive, stars the mysterious and dignified Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton as THE Adam and Eve. Directed by the celebrated Jim Jarmusch, this is definitely one of the most unique vampire movies out there. Adam and Eve are vampire lovers who have been together for centuries. They reunite in the modern era as Adam becomes depressed with the state of humanity. Eve’s younger sister, played by Mia Wasikowska, unexpectedly arrives, stirs up trouble in their eternal romance, and threatens their lives. Only Lovers Left Alive is a great reflection on a love of humankind tied up in a cool vampire tale.
And that’s the list of some of the best romantic horror movies to watch on Valentine’s Day! All of these movies have love stories that will stand the test of time… and have you looking for someone to grab onto in fear. What are some of your favorite romantic horror movies to watch for Valentine’s Day? Let us know in the comments.
