Unsettling movies to watch on Valentine’s Day

When you think of Valentine's Day, it is likely that roses, teddy bears, chocolates, and couples sitting in overcrowded cafes, staring at each other with heart-shaped eyes come to mind. Unfortunately, this image has been created as a result of commercial propaganda. 

Valentine's Day isn't about buying expensive gifts or proving your undying love through elaborate gestures. It is simply a day to show your appreciation, support, and solidarity to your loved one. And what better way can there be to do it than to watch something unsettling, borderline grotesque with them? After all, sharing a horror experience definitely brings the heart closer.   

Here's a list of a few unsettling movies to watch on Valentine's Day with your loved one.

Into The Dark: My Valentine (2020)

Valentine is an emerging pop singer who has returned to the stage after a hiatus only to be caught up in a flurry of troubles. Her ex-boyfriend and manager Royal is beyond despicable. Stealing her music, replacing her with an almost identical new girl, and micromanaging her life, Royal has left no other choice than for Valentine to retaliate. 

Toxic relationships, pent-up feelings and feminine rage translate into violence when Royal, Valentine, and the new girl become trapped in a club on Valentine's Day.

Neon lighting, pop music, and a neo-noir aesthetic blend together to create a cyberpunk horror setting in My Valentine. The movie is available to watch on Hulu.

Thirst (2009)

A Catholic priest volunteers to be a test subject for a vaccination programme. The experiment goes horribly wrong, but after seemingly making a miraculous recovery, worshippers at his church begin idolising him. However, it soon comes to light that he has turned into a vampire.

Amid his anguish, he develops romantic feelings for his best friend's wife. A series of events lead to him turning the wife into a vampire before taking his own life, leaving a trail of murders in the wake.

Thirst overexaggerates its vampire narrative in a way that makes it equal parts scary and camp. It has a vibe similar to what would happen if Twilight was merged with The Nun. Thirst is available to watch on Netflix. 

Down (2001)

It is the evening before Valentine's Day and two co-workers are making their way down on the lift through their otherwise deserted office building. The elevator suddenly breaks down and seemingly traps them in for the weekend.

Attraction develops between them as they spend time with each other in the closed confines of the lift. However, it isn't long before the deceptions behind their identities are revealed and violence ensues.

Down uses its claustrophobic setting to establish and deepen its horror elements. The movie is available to watch on Hulu.

A Dangerous Method (2011)

Sabina Spielrein enters Carl Jung's care as a patient to seek treatment for her hysteria. Realising her potential, Jung enlists her help in his experiments and soon begins a tumultuous affair with her. Scenes of their relationship are punctuated with deep dives into psychoanalysis, dream interpretation, and an overview of Jung's friendship with Sigmund Freud. 

The movie is unsettling to the extreme in the way it portrays interpersonal relationships, the field of psychology, and the nuances of an extramarital affair. You can watch this movie on Amazon Prime.

Les Diaboliques (1955)

Michel is the headmaster of a French boarding school. Cruel to the extreme, he is equally unsympathetic towards his students, his wife Christina, and his mistress Nicole. Deciding that they have had enough of his tyranny, Nicole and Christina plot to murder Michel. They seem to succeed but it soon becomes apparent that something has gone wrong as Michel, or as it would better seem, his ghost, begins to plague their lives. 

Les Diaboliques is, at its heart, a thriller that utilises horror and macabre elements to achieve its goal of being truly suspenseful. The movie is available on HBO Max.

Zaima is a struggling student, a failed guitarist and a poet in need of better poetic ideas. Send her your sympathies at zaima2004adrita@gmail.com