Love Bites: 35 Horror Movies to Watch on Valentine’s Day
“So, what’s the V-Day plan?” “Well, Miranda and I are going to dinner and then a very violent slasher movie.” “Perfect.”
This line from Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City probably resonates with more viewers than you might think. Not everyone craves a romantic love story or a heartwarming rom-com on Valentine’s Day. Some people want just the opposite. If that’s you, you’ve come to the right place, because RT is here with your Valentine’s Day horror watch list.
While you won’t see Sex and the City here, you will find a slew of terrifying and bloody tales about vampire lovers, toxic romances, demonically possessed high schoolers, and more. There are even a few films centered on the holiday itself, like Josh Ruben’s Heart Eyes. When the Certified Fresh horror film hit theaters last February, critics praised it as smart, funny, and intense, with one critic reporting, “[It] has something for everyone in this season of love and beyond.” Another wrote, “If your Valentine’s Day date doesn’t mind a little red in their gift, this is probably your best bet.” The movie joins our lineup of 35 V-Day-appropriate horror movies, from the Certified Fresh to the Rotten, all ranked by Tomatometer.
Cross over to the dark side this Valentine’s Day and explore the list below. — Stephanie Ornelas
Critics Consensus: Successfully mixing the conventions of the teen and horror genres with a twist, Australian director Sean Byrne makes a striking directorial debut with The Loved Ones.
Synopsis: After a classmate (Xavier Samuel) declines her invitation to the school dance, a teenager (Robin McLeavy) kidnaps him and makes [More]
Critics Consensus: Smart, original, and above all terrifying, It Follows is the rare modern horror film that works on multiple levels -- and leaves a lingering sting.
Synopsis: After carefree teenager Jay (Maika Monroe) sleeps with her new boyfriend, Hugh (Jake Weary), for the first time, she learns [More]
Critics Consensus:The Love Witch offers an absorbing visual homage to a bygone era, arranged subtly in service of a thought-provoking meditation on the battle of the sexes.
Synopsis: Elaine (Samantha Robinson), a beautiful young witch, is determined to find a man to love her. In her gothic Victorian [More]
Critics Consensus: David Cronenberg combines his trademark affinity for gore and horror with strongly developed characters, making The Fly a surprisingly affecting tragedy.
Synopsis: When scientist Seth Brundle completes his teleportation device, he decides to test its abilities on himself. Unbeknownst to him, a [More]
Critics Consensus: Terrifying and funny in almost equal measure, John Landis' horror-comedy crosses genres while introducing Rick Baker's astounding make-up effects.
Synopsis: David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne), two American college students, are backpacking through Britain when a large wolf attacks [More]
Critics Consensus: Similar to the original in all the right ways -- but with enough changes to stand on its own -- Let Me In is the rare Hollywood remake that doesn't add insult to inspiration.
Synopsis: Bullied at school, neglected at home and incredibly lonely, 12-year-old Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) spends his days plotting revenge on his [More]
Critics Consensus: Given an extra sinew of authenticity by the metatextual casting of Alison Brie and Dave Franco at the top of their game, Together is a body horror that's as emotionally sticky as it is memorably gnarly.
Synopsis: Years into their relationship, Tim and Millie (Dave Franco and Alison Brie) find themselves at a crossroads as they move [More]
Critics Consensus: Worth watching for Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton's performances alone, Only Lovers Left Alive finds writer-director Jim Jarmusch adding a typically offbeat entry to the vampire genre.
Synopsis: Artistic, sophisticated and centuries old, two vampire lovers (Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston) ponder their ultimate place in modern society. [More]
Critics Consensus: Marvelously orchestrated by director Robert Eggers, Nosferatu is a behemoth of a horror film that is equal parts repulsive and seductive.
Synopsis: Robert Eggers' NOSFERATU is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with [More]
Critics Consensus: An audacious, unsettling Japanese horror film from director Takashi Miike, Audition entertains as both a grisly shocker and a psychological drama.
Synopsis: This disturbing Japanese thriller follows Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi), a widower who decides to start dating again. Aided by a film-producer [More]
Critics Consensus: Though it ultimately sacrifices some mystery in the name of gory thrills, Candyman is a nuanced, effectively chilling tale that benefits from an interesting premise and some fine performances.
Synopsis: Skeptical graduate student Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) befriends Anne-Marie McCoy (Vanessa Williams) while researching superstitions in a housing project on [More]
Critics Consensus: A mixture of gory slasher and sweet rom-com that ingeniously nails both formulas, Heart Eyes serves up a bloody valentine that'll make the heart skip a beat.
Synopsis: For the past several years, the "Heart Eyes Killer" has wreaked havoc on Valentine's Day by stalking and murdering romantic [More]
Critics Consensus: Blending genres as effectively as it subverts expectations, Possession uses powerful acting and disquieting imagery to grapple with complex themes.
Synopsis: After Anna (Isabelle Adjani) reveals to her husband, Mark (Sam Neill), that she is having an affair, she leaves him [More]
Critics Consensus:Crimson Peak offers an engaging -- albeit somewhat slight -- diversion driven by a delightfully creepy atmosphere and director Guillermo del Toro's brilliant knack for unforgettable visuals.
Synopsis: After marrying the charming and seductive Sir Thomas Sharpe, young Edith (Mia Wasikowska) finds herself swept away to his remote [More]
Critics Consensus: Overblown in the best sense of the word, Francis Ford Coppola's vision of Bram Stoker's Dracula rescues the character from decades of campy interpretations -- and features some terrific performances to boot.
Synopsis: Adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic vampire novel. Gary Oldman plays Dracula whose lonely soul is determined to reunite with his [More]
Critics Consensus: Despite an occasionally imbalanced mix of romance and overly grotesque scares, Dracula offers chilling atmosphere in spades and a seductively enigmatic turn from Frank Langella as the legendary vampire.
Synopsis: A man washes ashore in England after a shipwreck and is found by Mina Van Helsing (Jan Francis). The man [More]
Critics Consensus: This gory, senses-assaulting slasher film is an unpretentious, effective mix of old-school horror stylings and modern 3D technology.
Synopsis: Ten years ago, an inexperienced coal miner named Tom Hanniger caused an accident that killed five men and put a [More]
Critics Consensus:Wolf misses the jugular after showing flashes of killer instinct early on, but engaging stars and deft direction make this a unique horror-romance worth watching.
Synopsis: After being bitten by a wolf in rural Vermont, aging book editor Will Randall (Jack Nicholson) finds himself full of [More]
Critics Consensus: Buoyed by Caleb Landry Jones' haunting lead performance and Danny Elfman's lush score, Dracula reimagines the classic vampire myth as an emotionally charged gothic romance, yet its inconsistent tone holds it back from genre-defining greatness.
Synopsis: When a 15th-century prince (Caleb Landry Jones) witnesses the brutal murder of his wife (Zoë Bleu), he renounces God and [More]
Critics Consensus:Pride and Prejudice and Zombies manages to wring a few fun moments out of its premise, but never delivers the thoroughly kooky mashup its title suggests.
Synopsis: In the 19th century, a mysterious plague turns the English countryside into a war zone. No one is safe as [More]
Critics Consensus:Jennifer's Body features occasionally clever dialogue, but its horror/comedy premise ultimately fails to be consistently funny or scary enough to satisfy.
Synopsis: A beautiful cheerleader (Megan Fox) gains an insatiable appetite for human flesh after a hungry demon takes control of her [More]
Critics Consensus:Halloween Ends -- for now, anyway -- with a frequently befuddling installment that's stabbed, slashed, and beaten by a series of frustrating missed opportunities.
Synopsis: This is Laurie Strode's last stand. After 45 years, the most acclaimed, revered horror franchise in film history reaches its [More]
Critics Consensus:Valentine is basically a formulaic throwback to conventional pre-Scream slasher flicks, which doesn't offer enough suspense or scares to justify its addition to the genre.
Synopsis: Love is in the air. On the most romantic day of the year, would-be lovers woo hearts with flowers, candy, [More]
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