I would consider myself a romantic. The idea of finding love unexpectedly excites me as much as finding cash in an old pair of jeans. And I’d like to think that “unexpectedly” doesn’t include dating apps or parental interference. Some days, even something more than bumping into a finance bro outside of a Cava. And I know I’m not the only one. 

Talks about what the ideal boyfriend and meet-cute look like are abundant on social media, from “hear me out” cakes to BookTok discussions to the sudden boom of Rodrick Heffley and Regina George crosship edits. All of which can be boiled down to meeting and falling in love with someone you didn’t anticipate, in a way that breaks up the mundanity of everyday routine. 

In my search for this type of dopamine hit, I found that, surprisingly, horror movies can give you the romance that bulldozes the normalcy of everyday life. I’m not talking about the specific type of horror that leaves you scared to close your eyes when washing your face. It’s horror in its purest form, which, as Meg Downey from The Hollywood Reporter aptly explained, “[is] scary, unsettling or otherwise uncomfortable, because it’s a genre built on the destruction of normalcy”[1]. 

Horror movies allow the audience, especially women, the chance to explore a world of romance that is unencumbered by Hollywood’s routine sanitization of what a relationship should look like. Watching two conventionally attractive people flirt, fight because of a miscommunication or some avoidant tendencies, then finally admit to each other they’ve fallen in love in the span of one week gets boring.

Guillermo del Toro’s Shape of Water (2017) is one of the most disturbingly romantic movies in the past 10 years, maybe ever. We watch as a muted woman living a mundane life in a seemingly dark world finds friendship and love in a humanoid water creature. I remember young me in the cinema shocked seeing them consummate that relationship. But the movie was bigger than the sum of its weird parts. For two hours, del Toro gave us space to indulge in the idea that love can still happen to people that live on the outskirts of society, that softness can still bloom in a cold environment, and that finding someone that speaks the same inner language as you is possible.

Shape of Water represents the strain of horror romance that leans into a more melancholic and magical tone—something akin to folklore. Another strain of horror romance is one that is steeped in dark humor. Horror rom-coms are usually set in the contemporary world, similar to normal rom-coms, but are saturated with subversive concepts, making it an exciting yet absurd watch. 

There are three movies that I believe make up the contemporary horror rom-com trifecta:

Warm Bodies (2013)

A dystopian young adult movie, imbued with the right amount of comedy. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, this movie follows a quirky zombie named R (Nicholas Hoult) who becomes enamored by Julie (Teresa Palmer), a human girl he met during a hunt, and saves her from his fellow zombies. While stuck at an abandoned airport together, Julie realizes that R is more in touch with his humanity than she originally thought and a friendship blossoms between them. When their friendship turns into more, they set a chain of events that ultimately change the world. 

This movie is the blueprint for contemporary horror rom-coms. Much to my surprise, this movie is more funny than it is scary. Straight from the bat, we are introduced to a relatable zombie, a supposed villain that you can’t help but empathize with. His post-living existential dread and self-aware inner thoughts give this dystopian story a grounded realism relatable to us humans. While flawed, R was smitten with Julie from the get-go. Watching R put effort into his crush, navigate awkwardness, and genuinely care for Julie was a fun watch.

Lisa Frankenstein (2024)

There’s no better boyfriend than the one that you made. Set against the 80s suburbia, teenage outcast Lisa Frankenstein (Kathryn Newton) falls in love with the resurrected corpse. Lisa, feeling misunderstood by her peers, often visits the grave of a young man who died in the 1700s to talk. One night, after lightning strikes his grave, the man came back from the dead and visited Lisa at her house. From then Lisa and The Creature (Cole Sprouse) became closer, with him helping eliminate her enemies and her building him back up limb-by-limb.

This movie really said, “I support women’s rights, but more importantly, I support women’s wrongs.” Like her other movies, Diablo Cody created a subversive female character as the protagonist. Lisa starts out as a sympathetic character whose past and family life are akin to that of Cinderella (minus the evil stepsisters). But as the movie progresses, she becomes more confident, albeit unhinged, motivated by her anger towards her unfair life. 

Compared to R, The Creature is downright head over heels for Lisa. He was unblinking in protecting her and supporting her unhinged behavior. He followed her around even when she had another person in mind. She’s sick in the head in the best way possible, and he’s there! With its vibrant set and costume design and dark humor, Lisa Frankenstein is a stylish and surprisingly upbeat movie to watch.

Your Monster (2024)

This is for the ones who are looking for someone to match their freak and a movie with a bang. Following a cancer diagnosis and a breakup from her playwright boyfriend Jacob, Laura (Melissa Barrera) finds herself depressed and moving back to her late mother’s house only to find Monster (Tommy Dewey) squatting in the attic. What started out as a hostile relationship, Laura and Monster found themselves bonding in the confines of her townhouse, finding in each other the support and companionship they needed. 

I can say confidently that Your Monster is the best horror rom-com out of the three. Laura’s character is nuanced; a complex mixture of softness and rage with a tinge of darkness. Laura feels like a fully formed person who’s a delight to follow. On top of a great romance plot, we get to see Laura navigate the aftermath of her breakup, cancer diagnosis, and her ambitions to be on the stage. Barrera is a star, and I’m excited to see more of her.

I would also say that Monster is also the best male love interest out of the three. Monster is equally in love and loyal as the others, but Monster is the one that pushes our female protagonist the most. He is unafraid to challenge Laura, and vice versa, creating an earnest character growth and relationship trajectory. Their butting heads also made for a romantic tension that makes the payoff worth it.