The 14 best streaming horror movies for Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2023

From “Mandy” and “Misery” to “Fresh” and “The Lobster,” these are the scary movies that are sure to twist knives and/or cause heartache this February 14th.

Roses are red. Violets are blue. We hate Valentine’s Day. And what about you?

OK, “hate” is an exaggeration. At the very least, capitalism’s annual ode to big LOVE is a great excuse to revisit our favorite rom-coms and dramatic love stories. From “The Notebook” to “Moonlight” to “Notting Hill” to “Crazy Rich Asians,” the best movies about the highs and lows of finding The One can bring a smile to your face and a tear to your eye. Arguably, these movies make the strongest case for a holiday devoted entirely to flowers, greeting cards, and other displays of chocolate-dipped devotion.

Still, Valentine’s Day is frowned upon for its materialistic center and vaguely exclusionary culture. More than ever, singles, couples, and so-called “situations” are ditching the traditional dinner for two and enjoying Galentine’s, Palentine’s, and other countercultural celebrations on or around February 14th. Whether your life honors platonic relationships or your pointed middle finger to the largely heteronormative holiday, horror movies can be a great outlet for your anti-Valentine feelings.

George Mihalka’s 1981 Canadian slasher “My Bloody Valentine” is set in a troubled mining town with a human heart in a chocolate box. It’s the most iconic scary movie to take place on February 14, but at number three, it’s not number one on this year’s list of streaming recommendations. Yes, it’s a huge joy to see season-specific details in scary movies. (See Hulu’s holiday-themed horror TV anthology “Into the Dark” and its three Valentine’s Day specials: “Le,” “My Valentine” and “Tangles.”) But you have more options in better quality if you want to record more. usually terrifying tales of romance and revenge.

Stranger danger cautionary tales like Anna Biller’s “The Witch in Love” and Mimi Cave’s “Fresh” are strong contenders in the dating singles category. Alternatively, people who are together can have a bad time watching Ari Aster’s infamous breakup movie “Midsommar” or Yorgos Lanthimos’ absurd tragedy “The Lobster.” For off-the-beaten-track romance, there’s always Guillermo del Toro’s Best Picture Award: “The Shape of Water.”

Here are 14 horror movies, ranked in any order this Valentine’s Day.

Register: Stay up to date with the latest movie and TV news! Subscribe to our email newsletter here.