Valentine’s Day Horror is Heart-Stopping Fun

Valentine’s Day, a celebration of love in all its forms and a time to bear one’s soul to the world, is an especially sentimental holiday for many. Fond memories of familial, platonic or romantic encounters can make hearts pang during this soon-to-be spring. 

Capitalizing on this sentimentality, American corporations market sappy, affectionate accouterments and decor en masse to equate love with consumption. 

But for those who have a complicated relationship with the sweethearts, cupids and heart-shaped lollipops of the world, where can they celebrate the day of love? 

The movie theater can be a temple of love, not only for hopeless romantics looking for a sweet escape, but also for those infatuated with all things macabre. Horror movies screened on or near Valentine’s Day offer a fun, thought-provoking and artistic alternative for those who aren’t interested in the holiday’s typical festivities.

Yet, within the horror movie industry, springtime is known as the “dump months” or slow season for public release, and it’s seen as a time to release cheap, rushed and — typically — bad films. 

But this isn’t necessarily true. Horror as a genre has been historically undervalued by critics and consumers alike. The possibility of reframing dump month films to perversely enjoyable horror fare, despite the quality, offers a campy alternative to the sickly, sweet rom-com reruns typical of the season. 

This isn’t to say there haven’t been critically praised horror movies released in February. But more often than not, these films become inducted into the cult classic hall of fame — like George Mihalka’s 1981 Canadian slasher “My Bloody Valentine” — rather than lodged in the public consciousness.

A rare exception to the law of dump months is one of the most critically acclaimed and awarded horror films of all time — director Jonathan Demme’s 1991 “Silence of the Lambs,” which had a Valentine’s Day release. 

This year, there will be an array of horror options available for Valentine’s Day enjoyment, such as Drew Hancock’s “Companion” and Josh Ruben’s “Heart Eyes.” 

Horror movies, while often gruesome, perturbing and terror-inducing, serve as a reminder of human mortality and the dangers of moral evil. The films act as cautionary tales, warning of the dangers spawned from selfish and absurd actions made against humanity. 

The reality of the human condition, ever-raging against one’s moral failings, is presented in heaps of horror films which avoid using symbolism or allusion to ignore the harsh truths of life. The goodness of life can’t be fully understood without also understanding its evils. 

The struggle between humanity’s expression of good and evil creates tensions which have been explored across all forms of art throughout time. But perhaps that tension can be explored further ideologically, remembering the uncouth and animalistic expressions of violence and fear on a day dedicated to selflessness and the ultimate good — love.

On Valentine’s Day, a holiday which can fall flat from excessive saccharine nonsense, horror films serve as a cautionary reminder of the human capability to thwart evil within ourselves and hold compassion for one another. 

So take the opportunity this Valentine’s Day to concentrate on the ability to love despite the evil and daunting aspects of life. Celebrate the season of love a tad alternatively and maybe even have a scary good time in the process. Get out there and watch the seasonal underdog — a Valentine’s Day horror extravaganza.