Have a date night planned for this Valentines Day? Why not toss out all the plans and snuggle in with your partner, for these offbeat movies – romance turns horror in these six movies we picked out just for the day!
My very first date ever was going for a horror flick, The Village in 2004. Holding each other’s hand and sneaking in to snuggle into one another’s shoulders is perfectly acceptable in a horror movie, so I guess my date picked smartly. But truth be told, I was more scared of getting caught together, that I hardly saw the movie. What I do remember is sweaty palms and an anxious bike ride home.
But come next day, and the conversations came easy. The ice was broken, we were past the awkwardness and we tried to piece the movie together laughing at how one was too scared to watch, while the other was too interested in the date to notice anything else.
So, believe me when I say, toss out any plans you might have for Valentine’s and snuggle in for a romantic horror movie night with your partner, it will be the best choice you make. And folks going on their first dates – I married mine, so past the awkward sweaty palms, you can find a love forever!
Here’s a list of romantic horror films to choose from. A good scary movie with a hint of love and tenderness too is just the spice you need on Valentine’s.
The Invitation
After watching this movie, you’ll be glad you stayed in. Although the film starts slow, the end is creepy and unsettling as hell.
Synopsis: Will (played by Logan Marshall-Green) accepts his ex-wife’s dinner party invitation and heads to the Hollywood Hills one evening with his current girlfriend. The divorced couple is seeing each other after two years since the death of their five-year-old son, which happened at the very house Will has been invited too. What follows is Will’s suspicions of the motivation of this dinner invite and a slow-simmering tension in the house. The Invitation blurs layers of mounting paranoia, mystery, and horror until both Will-and the audience-are unsure what threats are real or imagined.
Let the Right One In
Grotesquely beautiful, this highly-regarded Swedish vampire movie is a must watch. I’m not a huge fan of vampire movies, but this one about love, friendship and overcoming one’s own vampires is so moving.
Synopsis: A fragile, anxious boy, 12-year-old Oskar is regularly bullied by his classmates. All he longs for is a friend, and his wishes seem to come true when he meets Eli, a young peculiar girl who has just moved in next door to him. Soon a subtle romance blossom between the two, and Eli gives him the strength to fight back against his aggressors. However, when Oskar discover the truth about his new friend, he is faced with a dilemma.
Sleepy Hollow
Okay, this might not be your outright horror film but who can say no to the genius combination of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. The frightening and legendary story with a touch of romance and witty humor makes this an excellent pick for Valentines Day.
Synopsis: The movie is an adaptation of Washington Irving’s tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. Ichabod (Johnny Depp) a New York City detective is sent to the remote town of Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of bizarre murders, in which a number of people have been found dead in the woods, with their heads cut off. Ichabod is convinced that there must be a logical explanation for the murders and becomes determined to solve this gory mystery.
Honeymoon
The newlyweds are madly in love, enjoying each others company in a far-off cabin they chose for their honeymoon; until a strange late-night occurrence changes everything. The story is really the King here, no CGI or special effects have been inserted to create this horror flick, but the understated yet skin-crawlingly creepy scenes will give you the chills!
Synopsis: Paul (Harry Treadaway) and Bea (Rose Leslie) travel to remote lake country for their honeymoon. Shortly after arriving, Paul finds Bea wandering and disoriented in the middle of the night. As she becomes more distant and her behavior increasingly peculiar, Paul begins to suspect something more sinister than sleepwalking took place in the woods.
Spring
I haven’t watched this movie yet, but looking from the trailer ‘Spring’ is the perfect example where romance gives way to a beastly horror. Hence, an apt pick for our Valentine’s selection of romantic horror movies.
Synopsis: Evan (Lou Taylor Pucci) is a young American fleeing to Europe to escape his past. While backpacking along the Italian coast, everything changes during a stop at an idyllic Italian village, where he meets and instantly connects with the enchanting and mysterious Louise. A flirtatious romance begins to bloom between the two — however, Evan soon realizes that Louise has been harboring a monstrous, primordial secret that puts both their relationship and their lives in jeopardy.
May
Although ‘May’ follows the traditional outlines of a horror film, it is hugely driven by the central character who makes the story believable, sympathetic and terrifying. A social outcast, breaking out of her shell to find love and a meaningful relationship – is something most of us can relate to, but the madness that follows is unreal.
Synopsis: May (Angela Bettis) has had no friends growing up, so her over-protective mother gave her a doll with a piece of wisdom attached; “If you can’t find a friend, make one.” As an adult, May still has this doll as her best friend. She has never had a boyfriend, never been out on a date, and never had any real friends to speak of.
Any of your favorite romantic horror movies you’d like to suggest for Valentine’s Day?
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