TV & Film
AUDIENCES OFTEN think of adorable meet-cute scenarios and angsty break-up scenes when the romance genre crosses their minds. Over the years, though, some movies have tried to challenge the notions of what a romance film is supposed to be. One of the striking results of this experimentation in cinema is a new genre called “romantic horror,” which mixes two seemingly opposing genres–horror and romance.
If films like Warm Bodies (2013) and Get Out (2017) are right up your alley, Vantage is here to give you more horror romance movie recommendations that will probably make you glad that you’re single.
Let The Right One In (2008)
Based on the eponymous John Lindqvist novel, this Swedish movie crosses the paths of 12-year-old Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) and next-door neighbor Eli (Lina Leandersson). Their friendship starts to bloom as Eli encourages Oskar to stand up to his bullies, but this is tested when a body is discovered during Oskar’s field trip.
A frightening revenge fantasy, Let The Right One In depicts a budding romance between two adolescents with their unusual appetite for murder.
Thirst (2009)
Thirst (2009) explores the newfound appetite that Sang-hyun (Kang-ho Song) gains as he is turned into a vampire after an experiment gone wrong. This horror film also tells viewers of the affair between Sang-hyun and Tae-ju (Kim Ok-bin), the wife of Sang-hyun’s childhood friend. Much of the movie elaborates on the consequences that the two receive when Tae-ju and her new lover commit a vicious crime. Thirst is a vengeful love story that showcases the great lengths people go for love and lust.
Thelma (2017)
Thelma starts off with its titular character (Eili Harboe) moving to Oslo for college. There, she starts to experience epileptic seizures after meeting fellow schoolmate Anja (Kaya Wilkins). This event soon reveals that Thelma wields psychokinetic powers triggered by her romantic feelings for Anja.
Thelma is a coming-of-age thriller about the power of feelings—how we have the capacity to turn our emotions into something either completely destructive or life-giving.
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)
The title alone may already give you the creeps. Set in an Iranian ghost town, an unnamed young woman (Sheila Vand) poses as a lonely pedestrian and torments passers-by at night. Things start to get interesting when the strange girl is taken back home by ruthless drug-dealer Saeed (Dominic Rains) and the girl pulls an Uno Reverse card on him, turning into a fang-toothed predator. The murder plays out well for her, until Arash (Arash Marandi) sees the scene of the crime.
More than a tale of a blood-thirsty vampire, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night is also about companionship. The film finds an unlikely duo in Vand’s and Marandi’s characters; their relationship a testament to shared vulnerability and empathy between strangers.
Crimson Peak (2015)
This Guillermo del Toro-directed film revolves around the rocky relationship between budding author Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) and penniless baronet Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston). After the brutal murder of Edith’s father, the couple decides to marry and live in the Sharpe’s estate. While there, Edith is plagued by nightmares about the mansion and discovers the secrets of the Sharpe siblings through these visions.
Crimson Peak is a gothic film that will shock you with all its twists and turns. The story of Edith and Thomas cautions viewers about seemingly perfect men, revealing that charming suitors may not always have the best intentions.
Romance films often depict love stories that are all sunshine and rainbows–as if nothing truly sinister could ever happen. However, these flicks prove that even romantic movies can have their dark side too.
