10 Romances In Horror Movies That Will Melt Your Heart

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.

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

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.

9 Lisa Frankenstein (2024)

Directed by Zelda Williams

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).

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.

8 Crimson Peak (2015)

Directed by Guillermo del Toro

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.

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.

7 Jennifer’s Body (2009)

Directed by Karyn Kusama

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.

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.

6 Bones And All (2022)

Directed by Luca Guadagnino

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.

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.

5 Warm Bodies (2013)

Directed by Jonathan Levine

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.

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.

4 Corpse Bride (2005)

Directed by Tim Burton & Mike Johnson

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.

3 Pride And Prejudice And Zombies (2016)

Directed by Burr Steers

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.

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.

2 Underworld (2003)

Directed by Len Wiseman

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.

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.

1 Little Shop Of Horrors (1986)

Directed by Frank Oz

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.

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.