Anti-valentine movies take the traditional mushy love stories and twist them in ways that are not for the faint of heart. The characters often struggle with love, heartbreak, or obsession, and the stories often offer a skewed perspective of love and romance. With horror and gore in the mix, viewers are often left with a swirling cocktail of emotions.
So, if you get the urge to roll your eyes whenever you watch intensely romantic movie scenes, or you’re up for some twists on the genre, then this list will make you feel right at home. Here are ten of the best anti-valentine horror movies, ranked from least to best.
10. My Bloody Valentine (1981)
My Bloody Valentine is an iconic movie that never ceases to make an appearance in slasher movie discussions. The classic is set on Valentine’s Day in a mining town, and tells the story of a crazed killer seeking revenge for a past tragedy. The graphic violence and suspense that the film provides will bring immense joy to lovers of classic slasher movies. Although the movie has aged a bit, the special effects and props give it a certain air that movies today simply cannot replicate.
9. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
At first glance, Rosemary’s family looks like a regular one with all the typical things you would expect—a loving husband, a city apartment, and to make things even better, they agree to have a baby. After a steamy night of lovemaking, Rosemary wakes up to find herself covered in scratches and lesions. Her husband waves it off as some freak occurrence and continues to downplay the occurrence until the day the cat was let out of the bag. Rosemary’s Baby is definitely not for the weak, and packs a huge psychological punch for viewers.
8. A Cure for Wellness (2016)
A Cure for Wellness is yet another psychological horror movie to keep your brain clear of Cupid’s arrows and ready to reject the love in the air on Valentine’s Day. The horror story takes place in a mysterious wellness center in the Swiss Alps. A young bright-eyed employee is sent to retrieve the company’s CEO from the center. The journey reveals that there is more to the wellness center than meets the eye.
7. Gerald’s Game (2017)
Gerald’s Game shows us a different side to marriages than what is typically shown during the season of love. Imagine all that could go wrong when you put a remote cabin vacation, a rape fantasy, and some handcuffs in the same place. As we come to see, things do go wrong. The attempt to rekindle the dying flames of their relationship ends with a dead man and a woman handcuffed to the bed in the middle of nowhere, with no help in sight. The thriller shows us all the reasons why rekindling dying relationships should not begin with handcuffs.
6. Valentine (2001)
You know what they say—the writer may forget, but the book does not. This tale follows a group of girls who grow up and forget all the horrible bullying they did to a 6th grade classmate. The bullied boy grows up affected by the abuse they dealt him, and harbors thoughts of revenge the entire time. The women prepare for Valentine’s Day in a weird ritualistic manner, and the boy comes after them. This staple slasher movie is a perfect watch on the same level as My Bloody Valentine.
5. Midsommar (2019)
The reviews of Midsommar are littered with words such as “jarring,” “unnerving,” and “disturbing.” After watching, you will also naturally come to the same conclusion. The story shows us a struggling couple that tag along with their friend to a once-in-a-lifetime festival deep in a pastoral paradise. Increasingly weird rituals start to make the guests uncomfortable until it becomes an unbelievable nightmare.
4. It Follows (2014)
It Follows explores the darker and more twisted parts of human relationships and sexuality that toe the line between superstition and spirituality. The film tells a tale of a young woman who is being tailed by a supernatural entity—an evil existence that crosses from person to person through sexual intercourse. A sexually transmitted demon, if you will. This movie is chock full of suspense and horror, and will keep your eyes glued to the screen.
3. Teeth (2007)
Although this selection is more of a horror-comedy, it will keep the Valentine air out of your nostrils for sure. We follow along with the story of the main character, a high school student who has a giant secret in her pants. She is the head of a Christian abstinence group—and rightfully so, seeing as she is equipped with a set of sharp teeth in her nether regions. The movie teases a new dynamic in the sexual relationships between men and women, and it makes one imagine how differently women today would be treated with the foreknowledge that any incidents of sexual harassment may be met with certain castration.
2. Antichrist (2009)
This exciting list of Anti-Valentine’s Day horror movies would be nothing without this film that houses a rabbit hole of emotions. The film starts off telling us about a deeply troubled couple trying all they can to breathe life into their marriage after the passing of their little child. The tragic manner in which the toddler died leaves her with an unspeakable amount of anguish. Her husband, in his wisdom as a psychiatrist, decides that what she needs is to spend some time in a cabin that holds memories of her and the child. What ensues is a series of increasingly crazed acts that descend further and further into insanity.
1. Scream (1996)
With a score of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, it is not hard to see why this movie is worth watching. The meta-horror film puts a spin on conventional slasher movies, making viewers reflect and think about the piece on a deeper level. Scream is centered on a group of high-school students who are being hunted by a masked killer. Each murder is never so apparent, and the killer keeps us wondering about who is going to be next. This classic will leave you engaged, wide-eyed, and horrified, and without a doubt, Scream is a perfect choice for the number one spot of iconic anti-valentine’s day horror movies. It also marked the beginning of a very successful franchise, which has gained a slew of new, younger fans in the 2020s.