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Valentine’s Day is less than a week away, and what’s better than curling up with the one you love and watching someone getting their arm chopped off? The romance genre doesn’t often cross over with horror, but when it does, it’s always interesting. For those couples who can’t decide on a horror movie or a rom-com for movie night, this list of romantic horror movies is for you. 

Whether these films show the good side of relationships, the bad side or the “it’s complicated” side, all of them will have you gasping in lust or terror. Celebrate Valentine’s Day the horror way with our favorite romantic horror movies streaming right now. Note: all of the service availabilities are in America.

Best Romantic Horror Movies Now Streaming

Spring (2014) – Hulu, Tubi 

Before Sunrise but make it Lovecraftian. Horror superstars Aaron Morehead and Justin Benson’s (The Endless, Synchronic) earlier film Spring is perhaps one of their best, successfully blending an emotional romance with disgusting scenes of body horror.

Evan, played by Lou Taylor Pucci (Evil Dead remake), decides to travel to Italy following the death of his mother and the loss of his job. There, he meets the mysterious Louise, played by Nadia Hilker (The Walking Dead) and begins to pursue her despite some initial misgivings and odd behavior, leading to a touching romance that may be cut short for supernatural reasons. 

This film seems like it’s going in a specific horror trope direction, but ends up not and being entirely surprising with its subject matter. The body horror elements here are strong, with some scenes that will challenge your stomach. At the same time, the romantic story surrounding it is grand, full of yearning, and will tap into that longing to randomly meet the love of your life in a foreign country. 

Corpse Bride (2005) – HBO Max

What more can be said about this beloved animated gothic romance from director Tim Burton? Fantastically designed with a great gothic style, this spooky, romantic stop motion film is a great nostalgia watch for Valentine’s Day.  

Victor (Johnny Depp) is about to get married to Victoria (Emily Watson) in an arranged affair to raise the social status of their parents. While practicing his vows and putting a wedding ring on roots in a forest, a root turns into the decrepit finger of a dead woman, Emily (Helena Bonham Carter), who declares that he is now her husband and takes him with her into the world of the dead. 

While very similar to A Nightmare Before Christmas, I have always been partial to Corpse Bride for its grand romance and beautiful gothic style. It’s hard not to be invested in the various relationships in this film and hope the best for everyone, even though it seems unlikely. This one is definitely the most tame on this list, so it’s horror for all ages!

Dracula (1992) – Netflix

One of the best best adaptations of the well known vampire book Dracula is also the one of the most romantic. Dripping in gothic excess, this vampire film reminds us of the amorous nature of vampires and the alluring look of the Victorian era. Francis Ford Coppola took a surprising turn into the horror genre with Dracula, being known for The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, but his experience as a director paid off.

‘This film leans more into the romance aspects by altering the story to show a new intro where Dracula (Gary Oldman) lost a great love when he was still human. The rest of the film follows the familiar Dracula plot:  Jonathan Harker (Keanu Reeves) shows up to Dracula’s castle to help him move to America, unwittingly getting trapped there as Dracula heads to America to steal Harker’s wife Mina (Winona Ryder) and causing havoc along the way.

This romantic horror film puts a higher emphasis on the lost love between Dracula and Mina, reincarnated as his former wife that he calls to throughout the film. Between this as well as the sad end of love between Mina and Jonathan through distressing letters, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is perfect to snuggle up to someone during.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014) – Shudder, Tubi, AMC +

Speaking of vampires, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night stands out as a particularly moody love story with some kills sprinkled in. This film is a black-and-white Iranian vampire western set in the fictional ghost town of Bad City. A young man (Arash Marandi) falls on some hard luck with a local drug dealer (Dominic Rains) when he encounters a mysterious woman (Sheila Vand) dressed in a black chador who rides a skateboard down the empty streets of the city. 

This was the feature debut of Ana Lily Amirpour (The Bad Batch) but expertly crafts so many elements to make one of the most unique horror films that came out in the last decade. The romance in this film is endearing, sensual, mysterious and most importantly, full of complications that make you yearn for love. 

Audition (1999) – Tubi, AMC + 

Before society had Tinder as an app, it had real-life Tinder: girlfriend auditions. Horror master Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer, 13 Assassins) directs this disturbing “love story” that will make you rethink the next time you get close to a new romantic interest. 

Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) lost his wife several years ago, but is still reluctant to see other women. His friend suggests he hold auditions for a film, while secretly auditioning them as his wife. His eye is caught on Yamazaki Asami’s (Eihi Shiina), a shy, mysterious girl who may not be exactly as she seems. 

Audition isn’t exactly the most romantic movie, especially near the surprisingly gory end, but it does capture that feeling of yearning for a romantic partner, and even making sacrifices for the idea of love, despite the reality of love. If you haven’t seen this romantic horror classic, now’s the time! 

Warm Bodies (2013) – HBO Max 

Who knew a zom-rom would make a delightful and introspective horror flick. While this is very much in the camp of Twilight, Warm Bodies improves upon the popular teen romance in almost all ways and is much less cringey (very important). In a breakout role from Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road, X-Men: First Class), a lonely zombie, R, braves the apocalypse mostly alone until he shambles into Julie (Teresa Palmer, Lights Out), a human woman sent out on a gathering mission for her survivor colony. What follows is an unconventional but heartwarming love story that unites the zombies and the humans. 

The main character’s names, R and Julie, are no random choice. That’s right, this is a Romeo and Juliet adaptation, but with zombies. And while this could be very tacky, the film is existential in the most positive way and makes you ponder how similar we’ve come to being zombies, craving human connection, but not knowing how to show it. Plus, its got a killer soundtrack!

Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) – Tubi

Jim Jarmusch may be more known for artsy dramas like Paterson and Night on Earth, but he’s had a few successful forays into the horror genre with The Dead Don’t Die and perhaps his best, Only Lovers Left Alive. 

Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston star as a vampire couple, Adam and Eve, who have been together for centuries. Living on opposite ends of the world, Eve goes to visit Adam, a depressed famous musician, as her younger sister (Mia Wasikowska) enters their lives and starts causing chaos. This is an unconventional and very grunge version of the vampire story without being too horrifying or violent. 

There’s something about love lasting through decades that just makes you get all mushy inside. This romantic horror movie doesn’t include as much relational drama as some of these other entries, so it’s nice to watch a loving relationship play out for once amid the chaos of the surrounding world.

Byzantium (2012) – Showtime

Yes, another vampire film. Are you sensing a pattern here? This one was made by Interview with a Vampire director Neil Jordan and goes for a more traditionally-romantic vampire tale while still being distinct with the complicated and relatable characters and intense violence. 

Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones, Hanna) and Gemma Arterton (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, The Girl With All The Gifts) lead as a mother-daughter vampire duo traveling from town to town trying to stay on the down-low. It is here that Ronan’s character Eleanor meets Frank, played by Caleb Landry Jones (Get Out, The Dead Don’t Die) a young boy dying from leukemia. Once again we have elements of the much desired “forbidden love” and this film definitely excels in it. 

Spontaneous (2020) – Hulu

This may not immediately come off as a horror film, but Spontaneous is seriously disturbing and my top film of 2020. While it takes a lot of influence from teen dramas, Spontaneous stands out due to the excellent writing from director and writer Brian Duffield (The Babysitter and Underwater) who elevates the genre to a new level. 

Mara, played by Katherine Langford (Knives Out, Thirteen Reasons Why) is a regular high school student when suddenly members of her class start spontaneously exploding, traumatizing everyone around them. During this period, Mara spontaneously meets and falls into a close romantic relationship with Dylan, played by Charlie Plummer (The Clovehitch Killer, Moonfall). 

While that description may sound ridiculous and schlocky, I guarantee this film will hit you right in the feels as it mixes truly distressing sequences with a cute and touching love story.  

Tromeo & Juliet (1996) – Troma Now

Another Romeo and Juliet adaptation graces this list, although this is a Shakespeare adaptation like you’ve never seen before. If you know anything about Troma films (The Toxic Avenger), you’ll know that this film is not for everyone. Notably, this was the first film written by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, Slither) and directed by the face of Troma himself, Lloyd Kaufman (The Toxic Avenger, Class of Nuke ‘Em High). 

This is the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet, but restyled as a punk-rock, disgusting comedy that tries to be the modern, lowbrow, raunchy tale aimed at entertaining the commoners that Shakespeare intended it to be. Also, it features a practical effects monster penis puppet. This film is vile and repugnant, but at the same time captures the same young romance that you would find in the play. And before you ask, yes, Troma has a streaming site, and why are you not already on it?

Are We Not Cats (2016) – Shudder, Tubi, AMC +

This horror romance is the definition of one thing leads to another and now you’re in over your head… literally. This bizarre underrated romance is not for the faint of heart, with a twisted ending that will stick in your mind for a while. Eli, a man who loses his house, job and girlfriend on the same day, finds himself living out of a moving truck in an unfamiliar city, when he meets Anya at a party. He notices that they share the unusual habit of eating hair, and they quickly start a romance together with unfortunate consequences. 

Are We Not Cats is a great testament that sometimes people are toxic together, and will just fuel each other’s toxicity. The relationship between the two characters may be off-putting and repugnant at times, but still is always coming from a place of genuine love.  

The Love Witch (2016) – Pluto TV, VUDU Free, Crackle, Popcornflix

Anna Biller’s cult classic The Love Witch is simply the most “Valentine’s Day”-themed horror movie ever made. This film revels in saturated reds and pinks, soft impressionistic lighting, erotic dancing, beautiful men and women and lots of relationship problems, what could be a better watch for a holiday centered around love? 

Elaine (Samantha Robinson) a beautiful witch, moves to a new town after mysterious events, and will do anything to find a man who loves her. She makes love potions and seduces men, but she can’t seem to get the potions just right. 

This film perfectly captures the look of 1970s femme fatale films and the production design, costuming and makeup is luscious and gothic in the most romantic way. As Elaine says, “I’m the love witch! I’m your ultimate fantasy!” this film will leave you satisfied and with love on your mind. 

Honeymoon (2014) – Pluto TV, Tubi, VUDU Free

Marriage is hard. Beautiful, but stressful. Leigh Janiak, known for recently directing the Fear Street trilogy on Netflix, started out with the horrifying gem Honeymoon. A recently married couple, Bea and Paul (Rose Leslie and Harry Treadaway) celebrate their honeymoon by going to a lakeside cabin in Bea’s hometown. It’s all going well, until one night Bea sleepwalks into the forest and her new husband finds her disoriented, naked and acting strangely. 

Honeymoon is a fantastic horror film, and a fantastic relationship film, as the horror comes at the same time that both characters start to have anxieties over their marriage. This film progresses in a terrifying direction while also being an intimate story between two lovers struggling with external events and distrusting each other. 

Hounds of Love (2016) – Tubi

This is an off kilter, true crime horror film based on the serial killer couple David and Catherine Birnie. In Hounds of Love, this couple is renamed John and Evelyn White (Ashleigh Cummings and Steven Curry) and they kidnap a young girl (Emma Booth) with plans to use her for ransom and then murder her. Trying desperately to prolong her life, she tries to create drama between the couple to find a chance to get away.

While not exactly the most romantic entry on this list, it still shows an interesting and messed up perspective on relationships. If anything, maybe it will make you appreciate your relationship more, or if you’re single, make you thankful you are. 

That’s the list of some of the best romantic horror films that you can find streaming online right now. Relax with your loved one this Valentine’s Day by turning on one of these love-tinged horror movies to satisfy your your desires of love AND gore. Even if you don’t have some of these streaming services (I can’t be the ONLY person subscribed to Troma Now, am I?) most of them offer free trials you should take advantage of, and maybe you’ll find your new favorite horror streaming site. 

How are you spending your Valentine’s Day as a horror fan? Comment your favorite romantic horror movies and have a lovely Valentine’s Day!