Sommerleigh Pollonais, Horror Head Writer
Did you know the origins of Valentine’s Day is a bit of a dark one? Historians believe the holiday which was started in the late 5th century by Pope Gelasius was to commemorate the death of a martyr named Valentinus (of course) who was imprisoned for helping persecuted Christians. Legend has it he cured the blindness of the official’s/jailer’s daughter and the night before his execution left her a note signed “Love, from your Valentine”. The facts get a bit muddled when you look into it but for the sake of my list I’m going with this version.
Knowing this, it’s kind of fitting that the holiday has had its share of memorable horror movies, some darkly comedic and others a straight up twisted take on a holiday meant to celebrate love. As a horror fan I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy more than a few of them. Way back in 2019 I did a list like this one, but there’s lots more horror love to share. Happy Valentine’s folks!
#5 Cupid (2020)
First of all, I never said they were all good movies!
Faye is a teenager who has a crush on her teacher. Faye is embarrassed by some mean girls who tricks her into making a move on said teacher and then proceed to get the poor man fired when they show the entire school pictures of them (sort of) kissing (there are like seven students in this school, so take the word “entire” with a pinch of salt). Faye is also a practicing witch who then summons Cupid to get revenge on the kids.
If you’re picturing a cute cherub in diapers, then you’ve never seen a schlocky B-movie, which is exactly what this Valentine’s themed movie is. My friends and I love a good cheesy movie and this more than qualifies. Cringe acting and effects coupled with a laugh-out-loud terrible plot, it’s perfect for both the Valentine holiday or a trashy movie viewing with your significant other. You can check this craziness out for yourself on Tubi or YouTube but don’t say I didn’t warn you.
#4 The Love Witch (2016)
Now on to the good stuff. Elaine is a gorgeous young witch intent on finding love. She makes spells and potions all designed to make the men she brings back to her apartment fall deeply in love with her, but they work a little too well and she instead ends up with victims so obsessed they will commit murder to be with her.
Made in 2016 but designed to look like a movie from the golden era of Hammer Horror, it’s trippy (as the old folks would say) because the movie is set in modern times and yet the look of the film evokes that 60’s aesthetic, more so around Elaine as if the magic she uses is causing this to happen.
I won’t spoil this as way too many people missed out on The Love Witch when it came out and may still not have seen it. A slow burn horror movie (that admittedly meanders a bit too much for its own good) with the sort of visuals and details that make multiple viewings enjoyable, there’s also a LOT of full-frontal nudity (both male and female) so be forewarned. Worth seeing for the impressive visuals alone, The Love Witch is a perfect addition to any horror fan’s Valentine’s collection.
#3 My Bloody Valentine (1981)
While the remake made my first Valentine’s Day list, I had to give some Xs and Os to the original which has always been a favourite of mine and one of the best slasher films of the 80s.
In the (on-the-nose) mining town of Valentine’s Bluff the young folks are planning a big party. It’s special as it’s the first one held in over two decades due to an incident that happened where a group of miners died when their supervisors choose to leave their post to attend a Valentine’s Day party. The lone survivor, a man named Harry Warden, later kills them both, leaving their ripped-out hearts in heart-shaped boxes warning the town never to celebrate the holiday again.
Fast forward and as young people do, they ignore the warnings of the older townsfolk and throw a party, even venturing into the coal mine for added insult leading to the apparent return of Harry Warden who begins picking them off one by one.
With all the gory 80’s horror you could swing a pickaxe at, My Bloody Valentine is one of those simple, straightforward horror movies you don’t get to see much of these days. No deeper themes, no hidden meaning, just fun kills and loads of bloody couples left in its wake, Valentine’s Day style!
#2 Companion (2025)
In a world where more and more people are looking for love online, through social media, apps and even with….let’s call them “love dolls”, how long will it be before companion robots become a thing?
With AI being a hot topic right now, Companion makes for a great Valentine’s Day watch as it ticks a lot of fun boxes. Darkly comedic, the story starts like most genre entries, with a group of friends at a remote cabin. Chaos ensues quickly though when one of them is killed and it’s revealed Iris (Sophie Thatcher), ths girlfriend of Josh (Jack Quaid) is his AI companion.
Fantastic performances (especially by Thatcher) and a well-balanced blend of comedy and tension, Companion explores how subtly some people can manipulate and control others in a relationship to their own benefit. Now that I think about it, maybe this might not be the best kind of movie to watch on a holiday devoted to love; it might be more suited to those of us who are happily single. Either way, it’s a great sci-fi thriller that’s smart, suspenseful and diabolically entertaining.
#1 Heart Eyes (2025)
A rom-com horror movie? It has been done before (Warm Bodies, Your Monster, Lisa Frankenstein) but never quite like this. The is the newest slasher added to the Valentine’s Day horror pool, so I won’t go into much detail (no spoilers) but the trailer does give away too much in terms of the fun kills so there’s wiggle room to talk about this one.
Unlike other similarly themed movies, Heart Eyes actually follows a serial killer who’s already well established. Operating over a period of about five years, he targets couples on the titular holiday while wearing a very cool mask with eyes that light up in the dark (let’s not focus too much about how he’s seeing through them though and just roll with it). A couple of co-workers played by Mason Gooding of Scream (2022-present) and Olivia Holt (Totally Killer, Cloak and Dagger) are mistaken for a couple by Heart Eyes and have to fight to survive while also maybe fall in love. It’s a weird movie.
Not exactly what I was expecting, this one reminded me of the way I felt when I first saw Cabin in the Woods. The trailer had made that movie out to be a straightforward slasher so when I first saw it, I wasn’t prepared for the (genius) premise and honestly, had to watch it again to truly enjoy it. While I didn’t have exactly the same issue here, I will admit the direction this movie goes in are in parts highly entertaining and in other parts straight-up disappointing.
So, here’s the good news. The R rating is well earned with some great kills, funny adult humour and even an effective jump scare thrown into the mix. The acting is top quality for this type of movie and the chemistry between the lead characters Ally and Jay is solid and makes for not just likeable folks but add well to the whole romantic comedy vibe the movie is going for.
The bad news is making a movie that leans heavily towards the romantic comedy aspects, with some horror elements thrown in here and there, sucked most of the tension out of the story and made Heart Eyes less intimidating the longer it went on.
So, this one may divide audiences as I see general moviegoers (and Valentine’s couples) enjoying this a lot more than horror fans who are going in expecting something akin to My Bloody Valentine. As for myself, once I accepted this was going to be more along the lines of Happy Death Day (tonally) I found it entertaining. And with Heart Eyes already being established as a serial killer long before the events of the movie, I suspect we may have a prequel or two in our futures. So, like a bag of Sour Patch candy hearts themed Love Me; Love Me Not, I’ll leave it to you to decide where your heart falls with this one.
So, that’s my ranking. What other horror movies would you add to this heart-shaped horror list? And you can fall in love with more horror content below:
Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge-Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever, and I’ll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes. Double Tap Baby! Read More