Love is in the air, and all the romantic horror movies you could want are online. More specifically, they’re on Shudder! As a fanatic for the streaming platform who has had quite a few movie nights saved by its catalog serving up something wild and weird to delight the senses (shoutout the boatloads of weird old Italian horror on there), Shudder can also be your hero when spending time with the person you fancy.

No matter how deep into a relationship or how new it is, there are quite a few films to suit you and your significant other this Valentine’s Day. So I’ve compiled a short list of the best horror movies on Shudder for that special date night.

10 Best Horror Movies for Your Next Date Night

Audition (1999)

Ah, here we have a lighthearted comedy about a man who auditions for a woman to be his wife but realizes he’s looking for love in all the wrong places!

If you know what Audition is actually like, that was funny. But if you aren’t aware, please don’t take that opening line seriously. Directed by Takashi Miike, a man whose name is branded on Japanese cinema’s back with a hot iron because of his transgressive filmmaking, Audition was one of those films I would see regularly included on “Disturbing Horror” lists back in the late 2010s, and it certainly lives up to that reputation with some of the absolutely nauseating visuals it has on offer. But its cinematography is very well-rounded and garners some pretty interesting shots with its camera work when it isn’t showing you its more spine-tingling content.

This one is on the list as a staunch reminder for all our Horror Press readers who are as single as a pringle this Valentine’s Day: there are much worse things you can endure than being alone.

Frankenhooker (1990)

Between Nosferatu in 2024, and the forthcoming Guillermo Del Toro Frankenstein in 2025, gothic horror that is red with romantic blood is proudly making a comeback. There’s a warmth in their cold nature, a world-ending and monstrous expression of love that captures the grand emotions of the human experience.

Frankenhooker is not that. It is purely fun, goofy, slapstick horror about a guy giving a bunch of sex workers super-crack that makes them explode, and then rebuilding his girlfriend who died in a lawnmower accident with their body parts. Frank Henenlotter permanently put himself in my short list of best directors of all time with this film just because of how fluidly and perfectly he made this horror comedy work with such a small budget and the many constraints he, the cast, and the crew were working under. So, if there’s anything this film represents on this list, it’s the intimate bond between a creator and their creation, between artist and their art.

Which, again, is kind of hilarious given the premise of the film. But it still counts!

Tragedy Girls (2017)

If you’ve ever seen the meme about that gay ancient Egyptian couple who are dubbed “history’s first roommates”, that’s kind of how I feel a lot of people watched Tragedy Girls. There’s a clear implied romance here people! This horror comedy is about a pair of friends who frame a serial killer for their own series of murders, planning to capitalize on the deaths of their targets to grow a social media following.

It has some pretty heavy queer subtext in it, led by Brianna Hildebrand and Alexandra Shipp as the charismatic duo of Sadie and McKayla; they deliver a lot of the movie’s funniest lines, and deserve way more credit than they’ve gotten for this film. Supporting performances from Kevin Durand and Jack Quaid round out a phenomenal cast. All in all, it’s a fun little film that needs more acknowledgment.

She Is Conann (2023)

Queer subtext, meet queer fantasy horror that is so blatant it’s basically screaming that subtext is for cowards like Garth Marenghi. It’s hitting subtext with its muscle car and then plunging a bastard sword into its chest.

One of my personal favorites from Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, Bertrand Mandico’s take on the sword and sorcery protagonist who shall not be named for copyright reasons, is a trip of a ride through time and space. It’s about unrequited love between a swordswoman and the dog demon haunting her, traveling through Conann’s life (where several different actresses depict her, each bringing a unique flash to their roles). It backs up that weird premise with some very weird visuals, including a grotesque & gourmet finale you’ll need to sit down for and feast your eyes on.

Villains (2019)

This film had me smiling from the jump, and it’s not just because it’s a black comedy thriller about a pair of bumbling amateur thieves running into a nightmare situation they never could have seen coming. It’s mainly because Maika Monroe and Bill Skarsgård have perfect onscreen chemistry, which synthesizes with their already excellent comedic timing.

Jeffrey Donovan and Kyra Sedgwick, who play opposite them as the two child kidnapping antagonists of the film, also aren’t anything to scoff at since they bring their creepy couple a-game to the table. The movie has some twists on offer, and a bittersweet ending to counter all the boxed chocolates you’ll be snacking on while you watch.

Mayhem (2017)

Speaking of on-screen couples I love, Mayhem is here! Again! I feel like I’ve recommended this film 3 or 4 times across articles on this site. But I wouldn’t be doing that if I didn’t think this was absolutely positively Joe Lynch’s best work.

People get infected with a virus that removes all their inhibitions, usually resulting in bloody brawls as people succumb to their darkest whims and wants. But with this particular quarantine, a recently fired lawyer at a consulting firm and a woman out to get her loan extended become unlikely allies as they realize they can literally murder their way to the top of the building to get what they want without any legal consequences.

Samara Weaving and Steven Yeun are mind-meltingly great together in this, and they both pull it off as unwitting action horror protagonists who will fight and claw to get what they want. They’re also plain cute together and have a whole romcom subplot going throughout this, so that’s why I am also putting it here.

Perfect movie, no notes!

Possession (1981)

On the other end of the relationship spectrum is Possession, the most stressful breakup film you will ever watch, and it really doesn’t ever let up since I was still very anxious after the credits had rolled.

It is not cute, it is not fun. It’s a film about a man whose wife suddenly leaves him and his son, the raw wounds of their separation are salted when he finds out his child’s teacher looks exactly like his wife. Things get more confusing from here as the characters enter a downward spiral of pure madness, involving bizarre creatures that turn out to be devious doppelgangers.

It’s through and through an angry film expressing the malcontent of its director, Andrzej Żuławski, who was grappling with feelings of his divorce from his own wife at the time. It’s the kind of raw and emotional filmmaking that you can only pull from a heavy time in your life and sculpt into something breathtakingly frightening. Get ready for a movie that will make you grateful your relationship isn’t that bad, and an ending shot that will punch you straight in the mouth.

Uh, lets maybe get a less depressing film up on the list to mellow things out huh?

Mother, May I? (2023)

This is quite literally the opposite of what I requested! This film almost made me cry! Which is why it’s on here. One of the less talked about Shudder offerings in general, this film is one of three Kyle Gallner releases from 2023, which sort of pre-emptively got my seal of approval before I even watched it. Because Kyle Gallner can do no wrong, he has the back-to-back-to-back streak of great performances to prove it. If you don’t agree, peep the opening to Smile 2, and if you still don’t agree, argue with the wall.

The premise made me think it was going to be a totally gonzo and off-the-wall horror movie, given it’s about a guy whose fiancé begins to act like his recently deceased mother, and may or may not be possessed by her. What I found was a slow-burn psychological horror with some deeply disquieting moments and an ending that had me hypnotized and leaning into the screen as it unfolded.

The character work Holland Roden does in this film is genuinely incredible, so if you want to see two actors at the top of their game engaging in a mind-bending and uncomfortable relationship, this is the film to look out for. It will keep you and your other half talking about it for hours. 

Mandy (2018)

This might be one of the most romantic movies of all time, and I’m not just saying that because I really like how it looks and how vibrant and red its color palette becomes. After all, what better expression of love is there than forging a battleaxe, getting in your car, and going on a hunt to kill every last member of the demonic drug-dealing biker gang that took your lover from you? It’s a heavy, heavy metal kind of love.

Panos Cosmatos’ mastery of cinematic language here is profoundly affecting, and Nicholas Cage’s performance is the kind built to slap the taste out of the mouths who claim he is simply a “so bad he’s good” actor. He’s just outright incredible in this, and every rewatch of Mandy reaffirms how absolutely, jaw-droppingly good he is at portraying people going through severe emotional distress.

Also, if Cheddar Goblin doesn’t bring you and your partner together through hard times, I don’t know what will.

Jakob’s Wife (2021)

And finally, one more Horror Press staple to round out the list. If there are three character actors I just can’t wait to see in a movie, it’s Barbara Crampton, Larry Fessenden, and Bonnie Aarons. OH WAIT, WHAT’S THIS? A FILM WITH ALL OF THEM? (Also, AEW’s very own CM Punk is here, which scratches an itch in my brain that loves both horror and wrestling.)

Anne is listless and tired of being the small church mouse at her husband’s side. Jakob is violently complacent and domineering over Anne. But Anne’s attack by a vampire gives her a new lease on life, and their marriage a chance at being repaired after decades of degradation. Jakob’s determination to cure her of her vampirism, however, seems set to undo this new chance. And yes, they do earn that hype description with their performances together; they work off each other wonderfully.

The movie is surprisingly well-balanced, with many moments for introspection matching against the film’s sometimes absolutely absurdist humor. I’m a big fan of Jakob’s Wife, and if you watch it, you should also check out one of the earlier pieces on the website that the lovely Alex Warrick wrote back in 2022!

BONUS: Habit (1997)

The above entry also reminded me, if you’re looking for more Larry Fessenden and more vampire romance with a deeply rooted allegory for addiction in it, you should watch Habit. The awesome Brendan Jesus put me onto it after I missed its repertory screening last October, and has also written a cool companion piece talking about the experience of seeing it at BHFF, so check that out too!

And if you didn’t find any of these selections enticing, keep an eye peeled on our It Came From Shudder series! Every month there’s a new list of recommendations hot off the presses from the ever-vigilant Sharai Bohannon, sure to zap your brain meats with cool new cosmic and creepy signals pouring out of Shudder! Happy watching horror fans!