Violence, gore, and thrilling suspense are what most audiences associate with the horror genre, but sometimes, the most unexpected plot lines can be the best. This is the case with the scary movies that tackle romance as well as terror within their narratives, blending the seemingly opposite genres perfectly. It stands to reason that the love stories in horror movies would appeal to viewers, as rooting for the central couple to be together creates an added layer of stakes and tension. However, more often than not, horror movies don’t deliver the happily-ever-after that most romance films do.
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While plenty of romance movies have creepy and disturbing plots, in many horror romances, the love story is the least unsettling part of the narrative. The external scary elements are used as metaphors and allegories for the real-life obstacles that come between the lovers. More often than not, the relationship at the center of horror romances is one of star-crossed lovers who have to overcome insurmountable odds to be together. However, this makes it all the more satisfying when they find a way to make their relationship work.
10 Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Bram Stoker’s Dracula RRomanceHorror
Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a horror drama film that retells the classic tale of the iconic vampire Count Dracula. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the film stars Gary Oldman as the titular character, alongside Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves, and Anthony Hopkins. The story follows the centuries-old vampire as he moves from Transylvania to England, preying on humans and spreading terror.
Director Francis Ford Coppola Release Date November 13, 1992 Studio(s) American Zoetrope , Osiris Films , Columbia Pictures Writers James V. Hart Cast Gary Oldman , Winona Ryder , Keanu Reeves , Anthony Hopkins , Sadie Frost Runtime 127 Minutes Expand
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The campy and visually astounding Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a surreal addition to Francis Ford Coppola’s filmography, but this doesn’t lessen the impact of its romance. Though many of the best vampire TV shows and movies paint vampires as an irredeemable force of evil, Dracula reminds the audiences that the titular villain was once a man, and it was an incredible loss that drove him to his horrific state. Gary Oldman plays Dracula, with Winona Ryder joining him as Mina/Elisabeta, his reincarnated long-lost love.
Though the audience and Mina know that Dracula is dangerous and cruel, they can’t help feeling for him and his plight.
The tragedy of their circumstances and the fact that Dracula was cursed with such a forsaken existence following her death is heartbreaking, as are all the forces that come between them when they find each other again. Though the audience and Mina know that Dracula is dangerous and cruel, they can’t help feeling for him and his plight. When they’re reunited in death, it’s a small mercy for the hundreds of years that Dracula was tormented by his loss.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
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Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) |
69% |
79% |
9 Lisa Frankenstein (2024)
Directed by Zelda Williams
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8.7/10 Lisa Frankenstein PG-13ComedyFantasyHorror
Lisa Frankenstein is a comedic fantasy-horror film by first-time director Zelda Williams and is a twist on the classic Frankenstein formula. Set in 1989, a high school outcast named Lisa accidentally revives a handsome corpse from the Victorian era and resolves to rebuild him into the perfect man.
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*Availability in US Director Zelda Williams Release Date February 9, 2024 Studio(s) MXN Entertainment , Lollipop Woods Writers Diablo Cody Cast Kathryn Newton , Cole Sprouse , Liza Soberano , Henry Eikenberry , Joe Chrest , Carla Gugino Runtime 101 Minutes Expand
It wouldn’t be surprising if Lisa Frankenstein had a major critical reevaluation in the years to come. Though it didn’t have strong reviews or box office performances, the heavily stylized and offbeat horror comedy was written by Diablo Cody, who also wrote the cult classic Jennifer’s Body. Like Jennifer’s Body, Lisa Frankenstein struggled to find an audience despite having a compelling emotional core between Lisa (Kathryn Newton) and the Creature (Cole Sprouse).
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The misunderstood and death-obsessed Lisa finally meets her match in the Creature, a man from the Victorian era who never found love and is resurrected to meet Lisa. They make the perfect pair, and though they embark on a killing spree to bring the Creature fully back to life, this doesn’t stop the audience from rooting for them. Though they’re a little different, Lisa and the Creature find solace in their mutual understanding, which is once in a lifetime.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
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Lisa Frankenstein (2024) |
52% |
81% |
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8 Crimson Peak (2015)
Directed by Guillermo del Toro
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6.6/10 Crimson Peak RHorrorDocumentaryFantasyMysteryRomanceThriller
In turn-of-the-century England, young heiress Edith Cushing marries Sir Thomas Sharpe, who whisks her off to his family’s mansion in a largely rural and mountainous region. But when she is visited by spirits and inflicted with mysterious ailments, she discovers that her charming new husband is not who he appears to be.
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*Availability in US Director Guillermo del Toro Release Date October 13, 2015 Studio(s) Universal Pictures Writers Matthew Robbins , Lucinda Coxon , Guillermo del Toro Cast Charlie Hunnam , Jessica Chastain , Tom Hiddleston , Mia Wasikowska , Doug Jones , Burn Gorman Runtime 119 minutes Expand
The gruesome secret the characters are hiding in Crimson Peak entrenches the narrative in horror territory, but there’s also a genuinely sensitive love story within the narrative. Mia Wasikowska plays Edith, a young woman who falls in love with the handsome and mysterious Thomas (Tom Hiddleston), only to discover that he isn’t telling her everything. At the start of the movie, Thomas is only using Edith on behalf of his evil sister, but by the end, he grows to truly love her.
Related 10 Best R-Rated Fantasy Movies, Ranked
While some fantasy movies are meant for kids, others have a darker edge for older audiences, earning them an R-rating for their gritty themes.
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In his twisted way, Thomas ends up helping Edith escape the clutches of his sister and start a new life, even though he’s the source of her terror and mystery for so long. It’s a complicated and imperfect romance, but it’s impossible not to feel for Thomas and Edith, as any chance they had at a normal life is squashed. However, Edith’s love and faith in herself are what bring her out of the nightmare and help her move on from Thomas.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
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Crimson Peak (2015) |
72% |
56% |
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7 Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Directed by Karyn Kusama
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6.4/10 Jennifer’s Body RHorrorComedy
Directed by Karyn Kusama and written by Diablo Cody, Jennifer’s Body is a horror-comedy film starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried. When a newly possessed high school cheerleader (Fox) turns into a succubus specializing in seducing and killing her male classmates, her best friend (Seyfried) is the only thing that stands in the way of her sultry killing spree.
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*Availability in US Director Karyn Kusama Release Date September 18, 2009 Studio(s) 20th Century Writers Diablo Cody Cast Megan Fox , Adam Brody , J. K. Simmons , Johnny Simmons , Amanda Seyfried Runtime 102 minutes Expand
Jennifer’s Body and Lisa Frankenstein share a movie universe, which makes sense since Jennifer’s Body was an earlier project penned by the writer Diablo Cody. Today, Jennifer’s Body is regarded as a seminal cult classic and a truthful examination of girlhood and the love shared by young women. Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried play Jennifer and Needy, the best friends who are simultaneously jealous of and enamored with each other. This complex relationship is further complicated when Jennifer is possessed by a demon.
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Whether or not the audience interprets the relationship between Needy and Jennifer as fully romantic, this doesn’t take away from the fact that the pair share a deep bond and mutual love. Jennifer’s Body explores how adolescence impacts young women and drives them apart to see each other as competition and objectify themselves. Needy’s actions prove how much she loves the real Jennifer, as she won’t let the demon inhabit her any longer and will stop at nothing to get revenge on the people who did this to her.
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Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
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Jennifer’s Body (2009) |
46% |
35% |
6 Bones And All (2022)
Directed by Luca Guadagnino
Bones and All RDramaHorrorRomance
Bones and All is a horror/romantic drama from director Luca Guadagnino starring Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet as two new cannibalistic lovers living on the fringes of society. When Maren (Russell) falls back into her compulsion to eat flesh at a slumber party, she is sent out on the run to avoid being arrested. She soon meets Lee (Chalamet), another “eater,” just like her. The two begin an intense romance as they finally find someone who understands them – but unfortunately for them, they aren’t the only eaters nearby.
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*Availability in US Director Luca Guadagnino Release Date November 23, 2022 Studio(s) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Writers David Kajganich Cast Chloe Sevigny , Timothée Chalamet , Taylor McKenzie , Michael Stuhlbarg , David Gordon Green , Mark Rylance Runtime 130 minutes Expand
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There’s something about cannibal movies that lend themselves to being such a clear and direct metaphor for the act of love, and Bones and All tackles this history. Two cannibals find each other as they wander the U.S., played by Maren (Taylor Russell) and Lee (Timothée Chalamet). This setting allows the director, Luca Guadagnino, to incorporate elements of the Western and a Bonnie and Clyde-esque narrative into the film. In Bones and All, Maren and Lee can’t help being cannibals any more than they can help falling in love.
By the movie’s end, it’s clear that they love each other for their flaws, not in spite of them.
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Their coming-of-age and search for acceptance plays out through their growing connection and the isolation they impose on themselves to cultivate their lifestyle. Of course, being a cannibal isn’t sustainable, and it doesn’t take long for their past to catch up with them, cementing the pair as star-crossed lovers forever. However, through each other, Lee and Maren find some peace and reckon with the darkest parts of themselves. By the movie’s end, it’s clear that they love each other for their flaws, not in spite of them.
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Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
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Bones and All (2022) |
82% |
62% |
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5 Warm Bodies (2013)
Directed by Jonathan Levine
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9/10 Warm Bodies pg-13RomanceHorror
Based on a novel and inspired by Romeo and Juliet, Warm Bodies stars Nicholas Hoult as R, a zombie living in an abandoned airport who falls in love with a living girl despite his undead status. As R works to protect the girl, Julie, from his fellow zombies, her presence begins to help him remember what is was like to be alive. Teresa Palmer, Rob Corddry, and John Malkovich also star.
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*Availability in US Director Jonathan Levine Release Date January 31, 2013 Studio(s) Lionsgate Writers Jonathan Levine Cast Nicholas Hoult , Teresa Palmer , Dave Franco Runtime 97 Minutes Expand
Love conquers all, even a zombie plague, in Warm Bodies, one of the most hopeful horror romances of the past several decades. Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer play the lovers in this takeoff of Romeo and Juliet, as plays a zombie, R, who longs to be human and does so through this romance with Julie (Palmer). Of all the post-apocalyptic stories out there, Warm Bodies tells a more touching and hopelessly romantic tale than most.
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Through Julie’s belief in him, R is able to start transforming back into a human, demonstrating that the cure for the undead is acceptance and love. While this narrative could have easily leaned into sappy or corny territory, Warm Bodies balances its sincerity with plenty of zombie humor and compelling stakes. R’s life hangs in the balance as the pair try to convince others that he’s not like other zombies and that there’s a way to save the world.
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Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
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Warm Bodies (2013) |
81% |
73% |
4 Corpse Bride (2005)
Directed by Tim Burton & Mike Johnson
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9/10 Corpse Bride PGAnimationFantasyHorrorMusical
Directed by Mike Johnson and Tim Burton, Corpse Bride is a stop-motion fantasy-horror musical released in 2005. Set in the Victorian Era in England, a groom named Victor accidentally weds Emily, a skeletal woman, while practicing his vows alone in a forest. Whisked away to the Land of the Dead, Victor attempts to help Emily with the circumstances surrounding her fate while trying to escape his new temporary undead home.
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*Availability in US Director Mike Johnson , Tim Burton Release Date September 23, 2005 Studio(s) Tim Burton Productions , Laika Entertainment Writers John August , Caroline Thompson , Pamela Pettler Cast Johnny Depp , Helena Bonham Carter , Emily Watson , Tracey Ullman , Paul Whitehouse , Joanna Lumley , Albert Finney , Richard E. Grant , Christopher Lee Runtime 77 Minutes Expand
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There isn’t just one love story in Corpse Bride, but a love triangle between Victor, his human fiancée Victoria, and his dead wife Emily. Though Victor is determined to get back to the land of the living and marry Victoria, he can’t help finding himself falling for Emily and feeling for her tragic tale. In life, Emily never found true love. She was duped by a malicious pretender and murdered for her money, cursed to always be a bride waiting for her groom.
It’s clear throughout
Corpse Bride
that the line between life and death cannot be easily crossed and that Victor’s place is with the living.
It’s clear throughout Corpse Bride that the line between life and death cannot be easily crossed and that Victor’s place is with the living. In allowing Victor to return to his world, Emily finds peace within herself, and Victor becomes a better and more caring man through his time with Emily. The visuals brilliantly set the tone for their tragic tale. Of the many stunning stop-motion animation movies, Corpse Bride makes good use of its medium, even if it isn’t as visually complex as similar works like Coraline or The Nightmare Before Christmas.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
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Corpse Bride (2005) |
84% |
77% |
3 Pride And Prejudice And Zombies (2016)
Directed by Burr Steers
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies PG-13ActionHorrorRomance
Directed by Burr Steers, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies follows five sisters who face the pressure of marriage in 19th Century England, while zombies run the streets. The film is based on Seth Grahame-Smith’s novel, which itself parodies Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Lily James leads the film alongside Sam Riley, Jack Huston, and Bella Heathcote.
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*Availability in US Director Burr Steers Release Date February 5, 2016 Studio(s) Lionsgate Writers Burr Steers Cast Suki Waterhouse , Jack Huston , Aisling Loftus , Sam Riley , Charles Dance , Emma Greenwell , Matt Smith , Douglas Booth , Bella Heathcote , Lena Headey , Lily James Runtime 107 Minutes Expand
Of the many screen iterations of Jane Austen’s seminal work, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is one of the most unexpected but delightful. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies doesn’t pretend to be a deep or searching exploration of humanity and society like its source material. However, it is plenty of fun and does justice to the iconic romance. Lily James tries her hand at playing the well-known heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, with Sam Riley as her love interest, Mr. Darcy.
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Related Pride & Prejudice: The 17 Best Movie & TV Adaptations
Jane Austen’s iconic novel Pride And Prejudice has been adapted to movies and TV shows many times. These are the best adaptations of the book!
Simultaneously hitting the novel’s story beats while seamlessly weaving zombies into the narrative, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies doesn’t let the action and gore detract from the romance. James and Riley have good chemistry, exploring the banter and mental sparring of the characters as much as the physical attraction. The fact that the characters are also highly skilled fighters makes their scenes together all the more dynamic and intriguing. Thankfully, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies ends with a white wedding, just like the novel.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
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Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016) |
47% |
45% |
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2 Underworld (2003)
Directed by Len Wiseman
Underworld RFantasyActionThriller
Underworld is a 2003 action-horror film directed by Len Wiseman. The plot revolves around Selene (Kate Beckinsale), a vampire warrior caught in a centuries-old conflict between vampires and Lycans, a race of werewolves. As she delves deeper into the ongoing war, Selene uncovers hidden truths that challenge her allegiance and perception of both factions. The film features a dark, gothic aesthetic and blends elements of horror and thriller genres.
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*Availability in US Director Len Wiseman Release Date September 19, 2003 Studio(s) Screen Gems , Lakeshore Entertainment , Laurinfilm , Subterranean Productions LLC , Subterranean Productions UK Ltd. , Underworld Produktions GmbH Writers Danny McBride Cast Kate Beckinsale , Scott Speedman , Michael Sheen , Shane Brolly , Bill Nighy Runtime 122 Minutes Expand
Kate Beckinsale stars as Selene, the lethal vampire assassin in Underworld, who comes to question what she believes thanks to her relationship with Michael Corvin (Scott Speedman). When the audience first meets Selene, she vehemently hates Lycans, AKA werewolves, and does everything she can to stop them. However, it turns out that Michael is a hybrid of Lycans and vampires, which could disrupt the war and awaken Selene to the truth of her past.
It soon comes to be that Selene must choose between her allegiance to the vampires and her newfound love for Michael, pitting the pair of them against the most powerful forces in the world.
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Though she’s hesitant to trust him, it doesn’t take long for Selene to start breaking down her walls when Michael shows genuine interest in her. It soon comes to be that Selene must choose between her allegiance to the vampires and her newfound love for Michael, pitting the pair of them against the most powerful forces in the world. However, because of their connection and deep love, the choice is obvious.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
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Underworld (2003) |
31% |
79% |
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1 Little Shop Of Horrors (1986)
Directed by Frank Oz
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10/10 Little Shop of Horrors PG-13HorrorMusicalComedy
Based on the stage musical of the same name, Little Shop of Horrors stars Rick Moranis as Seymour Krelborn, a shy young man working at a florists shop in New York City who acquires a strange plant that begins to bring in more business for the shop. When Seymour learns that the plant is not only sentient but requires human blood to grow, he comes caught up in a nightmarish farce in order to keep the plant fed. Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia, and Steve Martin also star.
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*Availability in US Director Frank Oz Release Date December 19, 1986 Studio(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers Howard Ashman , Roger Corman , Charles B. Griffith Cast Rick Moranis , Ellen Greene , Vincent Gardenia , Levi Stubbs , Steve Martin , Tichina Arnold , Michelle Weeks , Tisha Campbell-Martin Runtime 94 Minutes Expand
The campy classic movie musical Little Shop of Horrors adapted the stage musical of the same name and has come to be regarded as one of the best horror comedies of all time. However, that isn’t to say that romance isn’t a large part of why audiences adore Little Shop of Horrors, as the relationship between Seymour (Rick Moranis) and Audrey (Ellen Greene) is iconic. Even as Seymour sinks deeper into his doomed partnership with the evil plant, Audrey II, all he wants is to be with the real Audrey.
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It takes a long time for Audrey and Seymour to admit their mutual feelings for each other, but once they do, it results in an explosion of music and passion. Though Little Shop of Horrors is a distinctly comedic addition to the horror genre, there are some scary moments that juxtapose the overarching love story between Seymour and Audrey. Though neither character is perfect, they do fit together and make a sweet pair.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Little Shop of Horrors (1986) |
91% |
79% |