My Bloody Valentine And 9 Other Horror Movies to Watch On February 14

Some people think that Valentine's Day is a holiday that has nothing to do with horror and mysticism. Some people don't consider it a holiday at all.

In any case, for horror fans, February 14th is a good occasion to remember movies that play with the topic of love in an unusual way.

1. My Bloody Valentine, 1981

A tragedy claimed the lives of five people in a mining town on Valentine's Day. The only surviving man was sent to a mental hospital as the alleged murderer.

But 19 years later, another Valentine's Day is overshadowed by a series of brutal murders. A sinister psychopath, dressed as a miner and wielding a bloody pickaxe, goes on a killing spree to, as he sees it, restore justice.

Slasher movies often revolve around holidays, be it Christmas, prom or Halloween. Of course, horror filmmakers couldn't ignore Valentine's Day, and this may be the genre's most successful exploitation of February 14.

2. Audition, 1999

Widowed businessman Aoyama decides to find a new life partner. To save time, on the advice of a movie producer friend, he stages screen tests and goes through dozens of bride candidates. The widower chooses Asami and invites her on a date, not knowing that a monster is hiding behind the mask of a girl with an angelic face.

In just a few weeks, director Takashi Miike managed to create an extremely unusual movie at the intersection of several genres. The film begins as a sentimental melodrama, develops like a detective story, and finally turns into a body horror with legs being sawed off.

Let us warn you right away: watching these scenes can traumatize even the most seasoned viewers.

3. Cemetery Man, 1994

Francesco Dellamorte is a cemetery caretaker who spends his days digging graves with an assistant, and at night shooting the dead as they rise from their graves. The lonely man's life is turned upside down when he meets a widow who regularly visits her late husband's grave and falls in love with her at first sight. But their relationship is complicated by her late husband.

Italian director Michele Soavi decided to combine zombie horror with typical melodrama. Of course, the result turned out to be a comedy.

4. Picnic at Hanging Rock, 1975

On the last Valentine's Day of the 19th century, the students of a private school go on a picnic with their teachers to a local landmark, Hanging Rock. The trip suddenly turns into a series of mystical events, and several students simply disappear during the walk.

Peter Weir's work has revolutionized not only Australian cinema, but world cinema as well. The movie walks the line between a thriller and a detective story, leaving you with many more questions than answers. It was the unique melancholic mood of Picnic at Hanging Rock that inspired Sofia Coppola's cult classic The Virgin Suicides.

5. Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person, 2023

Sasha is a young vampire suffering from the rejection of her identity. Despite her unbearable thirst for blood, she refuses to take the lives of innocents.

Under pressure from her parents, Sasha goes on a hunt where she meets a young man named Paul who has been contemplating suicide for a long time. It seems that there is no better candidate for the first murder, but feelings unexpectedly arise between two outcasts.

The main character is searching for herself, trying to come to terms with the harsh morals of her family and learning for the first time what love is. The movie successfully balances black comedy and melodrama, looking like an improved version of Twilight – one where the writers at least know what self-irony is.

6. The Love Witch, 2016

The main character of Anna Biller's movie uses real witchcraft to find a worthy man. The problem is that neither of them can withstand her power and die as soon as intimacy is involved.

All of this takes place in an aesthetic reminiscent of 1960s America and in colors so rich that the film is worth seeing for its visuals alone. The experiment of Biller, who acts here as screenwriter, producer, editor and even composer and costume designer, was clearly a success – the film, which was released in a limited edition, immediately gathered a loyal army of fans.

7. Dead Alive, 1992

Members of a zoological expedition remove an unusual animal from the island, whose bite can turn a person into a zombie. The scientists keep silent and sell the dangerous animal to the Wellington Zoo. Soon, the creature bites the hand of Vera Cosgrove, the mother of a humble man named Lionel. After that, Mrs. Cosgrove begins to transform into a monster.

Before adapting the Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson specialized in cheap parody horror movies, and his Dead Alive is an exemplary zombie comedy. Despite being a B-movie, the plot is based on a love story that pokes fun at countless genre cliches.

8. Bride of Frankenstein, 1935

The movie picks up where the original 1931 Frankenstein left off. Angry townspeople set fire to the mill. Deciding that the monster is dead, they go home, but the monster, hiding in the basement, emerges from under the rubble and runs into the woods.

Meanwhile, Victor Frankenstein, realizing his actions, no longer wants to work on the experiment. Everything changes when the creature he created falls into the hands of another mad scientist, Pretorius.

In this sequel, the beloved monster played by Boris Karloff meets his love. The image of the Bride has become one of the most recognizable in the history of cinema. This is a true classic that has inspired many great directors.

9. Piercing, 2018

Ordinary family man Reed struggles with a desire to kill. One day he goes hunting and finds the perfect candidate for murder – sex worker Jackie (played by Mia Wasikowska). But things do not go according to plan, and the madman turns into a victim.

Piercing is probably the movie everyone should see this Valentine's Day. Christopher Abbott and Mia Wasikowska spend an hour and a half trying to stab each other with an ice pick, discussing their parents, listening to music, and generally trying to be better than they really are, as befits a first date.

10. Honeymoon, 2014

Newlyweds Bea and Paul have come to the wilderness for their honeymoon – to the house where Bea grew up. They are sure that they will have a wonderful vacation, which cannot be overshadowed by a strange encounter with their childhood friend.

But the next night Paul finds his wife in the woods, naked and in a kind of trance. She claims to be fine, but since then her behavior changes radically.

Honeymoon is a unique exploration of the nature of relationships between a man and a woman. The way trust is lost and the bond that seemed so strong and indestructible just yesterday can begin to crumble over seemingly insignificant little things.