Love is in the air this week with the arrival of Valentine’s Day. Naturally, that means this week’s streaming picks are dedicated to Valentine’s Day-appropriate horror movies.
While there is no shortage of horror dedicated to exploring and exploiting the best and worst of love and romance, these titles cast a wider net. These five horror movies play with concepts of love or simply take place on Valentine’s Day. So cuddle up with these horror movies that are perfect for the holiday this week, from demonic lust to enigmatic genre-benders.
Here’s where you can stream them this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
Luz – Crackle, Plex, The Roku Channel, Tubi, Vudu
Luz, a taxi driver, arrives at a police station for help and a lengthy tale of demonic possession. Meanwhile, the demon is working its way there to reunite with the object of its desire, Luz. It’s not just the setup that makes Luz feel different from any other possession horror film out there, though the demon’s body-hopping style is reminiscent of The Hidden. It’s the avant-garde way in which director Tilman Singer relays this story and the unique motivation driving the body-hopping horror: love. Through wide-tracking shots, dreamlike and smoky staging, and an electronic score to boot, Luz is firmly planted in the experimental. With Singer’s Cuckoo on the way, now is a great time to catch up with this unique possession gem.
Pontypool – AMC+, Shudder
Stephen McHattie is a commanding presence in this atypical outbreak horror movie. The actor plays shock jock DJ Grant Mazzy piecing together an outbreak on Valentine’s Day in Pontypool, Ontario, from his radio station booth as events play out in real-time on air. That means much of the action happens via audio, with reports and town residents calling into the station. Yet, none of that detracts from the suspense. It’s an unusual yet effective take on an outbreak, and winter serves as an excuse to keep its main character trapped inside and feeling secluded. Not in the mood for love this week? This pick is for you, as the immediacy of the outbreak leaves no time for romance here.
Picnic at Hanging Rock – Criterion Channel, Max
Director Peter Weir’s moody, atmospheric, and enigmatic feature is for those who don’t mind unwieldy mysteries and an abstract sense of reality similar to “Twin Peaks.” The plot revolves around the strange disappearance of multiple school girls and a teacher during a Valentine’s Day picnic at Hanging Rock, and it’s an adaptation of the 1967 novel. There’s an eerie, romantic quality that makes this beguiling Australian film feel more like a surreal nightmare. The more clues that surface, the weirder things get. Don’t expect easy answers here, but do be prepared for one unsettling Doctor McKenzie (John Fegan), who frequently inspects the girls that return for their “intactness.” It’ll give you the creeps.
Spring – AMC+, Shudder, Tubi, Vudu
Evan Russell (Lou Taylor Pucci) is on a significant tailspin after losing his mother to cancer. His friend recommends traveling to clear his head, so he flees to Italy. He meets the enigmatic Louise (Nadia Hilker), a guarded woman who eventually gives in to Evan’s feelings. Louise harbors a dark, monstrous secret that will irrevocably change both of their lives. Filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead use sci-fi and horror to deliver a romantic, Lovecraftian reminder that change might be scary, but it can also be beautiful. Spring offers the most swoon-worthy horror movie on the list, making this the pick for those wanting something more traditional this Valentine’s Day.
Tales from the Crypt – Crackle, Cultpix, Plex, The Roku Channel, Tubi
This classic horror anthology features five segments based on EC Comics stories. The wraparound features five strangers confronted by a Crypt Keeper who regales them with tales of their demises. While the first segment, “…And All Through the House,” receives the most attention thanks to its television series’ update and yuletide theming, Tales from the Crypt also features a Valentine’s Day segment. The great Peter Cushing appears in this story, “Poetic Justice,” as a mostly beloved neighbor, Arthur Edward Grimsdyke, who finds himself at the center of a smear campaign by someone who seeks to drive him from the neighborhood. Of course, there’s more to Grimsdyke than meets the eye, and Valentine’s Day serves as the pivotal turning point toward, well, grim poetic justice.
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