Netflix’s Best Horror Movies to Watch on Valentine’s Day

Whether you’re single or in a relationship, commercials and greeting card companies often convince everyone to celebrate Valentine’s Day in the same mundane ways. Whether it be going out for a romantic dinner or offering a surprise proposal, there’s often a lot of pressure for someone on how they’re expected to honor February 14. One option that is largely ignored is staying in and watching a movie filled with demons, killers and gore.

Romance has often been depicted in horror films, as killers have been known to target couples going to secluded places to make out or depicting a love that is so strong, it can extend beyond the grave. Luckily, Netflix offers plenty of horror films that give audiences a wide variety of relationships, with movies being available to fit whatever mood you’re in on Valentine’s Day.

Check out our picks for the best movies to spend your Valentine’s Day watching!

‘Hellraiser’ (1987)

The first image most audiences have of the Hellraiser films is the demonic entity Pinhead, who doesn’t instantly spark images of romance. Unless, of course, you do a lot of swiping on the dating app designed specifically for demons, “Pinder.”

After Frank accidentally opens up a portal to another dimension, resulting in his death and dismemberment, his brother Larry moves into Frank’s former home. When Larry accidentally spills blood in the house, Frank’s resurrection begins, with Larry’s wife Julia offering blood sacrifices to bring Frank back to life, one gruesome piece at a time.

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and in the case of Frank and his exposed skeleton, central nervous system and muscular structure, it takes true devotion for Julia to commit heinous crimes to cause Frank to rejoin the world of the living.

‘It Follows’ (2014)

Sexual education teaches teens about using protection when they’re ready to take their relationships to the next level but, unfortunately, it’s hard to teach protection from a supernatural entity that drains you of your life force.

After a seemingly successful date with Hugh, high schooler Jay thinks this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship. The encounter does result in a “relationship,” but that’s one between her and an entity that will stop at nothing to kill her, unless she has sex with someone else, which immediately makes that person the new target.

For those of you who miss the physical intimacy of a relationship on Valentine’s Day, just be thankful that the only surefire way to avoid a demon following you to the ends of the earth to kill you is abstinence.

‘Monsters’ (2010)

A common trope in every type of romantic movie is two characters seemingly clashing with one another shortly after meeting, only for that passion to turn into romance and create a compelling love story. In the case of Monsters, few things can cause romance like attempting to traverse a de-militarized zone that’s infested with otherworldly creatures.

Following a crash landing of a NASA probe in Mexico, massive tentacled beasts inhabit the land, making it a virtually uninhabited area. After a photojournalist is ordered by his boss to escort his daughter through the danger zone, the two characters must pursue the road less taken to get back to the United States as directly as possible.

The most riveting element of Monsters is how it puts off showing the titular creatures to the audience for as long as possible, leaving our imaginations to run wild about the horrors that lurk in the darkness. The further this duo gets into the infected zone, the more passionate their feelings grow for one another, yet the monsters could result in a quick ending to their budding romance.

‘The Conjuring’ (2013)

There’s an old saying that the couple the exorcises demons from a family home together, stays together, as evidenced by the relationship between Ed and Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring.

Whether it be demonic dolls or a poltergeist, the Warrens stop at nothing to make sure families can rest easy, even if it means confronting demons. Based on the real-life couple who became famous demonologists in the ’70s and ’80s, The Conjuring offers glimpses of how the powerful connection between the two results in endless amounts of support, even in the face of certain death.

Many relationships begin in the workplace, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better working relationship than the one between the Warrens.

‘The Eyes of My Mother’ (2016)

No two relationships are alike and our upbringing can often influence how we approach romantic partnerships, even if that means you have a hard time distinguishing violence with adoration.

After an intruder murders her mother, Francisca brutally attacks the intruder, removes his vocal cords and eyes, chaining him up in their barn. The girl is tasked with taking care of the man and, despite the disturbing situation, grows to believe there’s a direct connection between violence and emotional connections, resulting in violent outbursts directed towards those that she cares for.

If you spend your Valentine’s Day home alone, wondering why your relationships never succeed, maybe Eyes of My Mother will show you that you are a masochist in serious need of reevaluating your life, as maybe your outbursts are what make people not want to be around you.

‘The Invitation’ (2015)

For special occasions, leaving the house with your significant other to meet some of your friends for a dinner party can be a romantic affair. Other nights, you hit a coyote on the drive there and realize you really should have stayed home.

After years of relative silence, a couple invites many of their closest friends over for a dinner party to explain where they’ve been and how enlightened they’ve become since the last time they were seen. The couple has discovered “The Invitation,” an organization that appears to be a cult, despite this couple explaining everything the organization has offered them spiritually.

What follows is a memorable evening, as both the film’s characters and viewers are left guessing whether there’s a nefarious motivation behind the organization or if the protagonists are being paranoid, reminding us that sometimes it really is better to skip dinner parties altogether.

‘Tucker and Dale vs. Evil’ (2010)

Valentine’s Day isn’t meant to necessarily focus on romantic relationships, but it serves as a day to celebrate any time of love you have in your life, including your best friend that you take to the woods to renovate your vacation cabin with.

Tucker and Dale want nothing more than to enjoy one another’s company and clean up their remote home, but college kids who are staying nearby can’t help themselves from projecting that the duo are creepy, backwoods hillbillies. After a series of accidents results in the death of these neighbors, Tucker and Dale must find not only help, but also a way of clearing their names from the horrible crimes.

The film isn’t without its love interests, but the far more compelling love story in Tucker and Dale vs. Evil takes place between our titular characters, with their chemistry together making for an adorable film that reminds you not to judge a book by its cover.