A couple years ago, I wrote an article about the top romance horror movies from the 1980’s. It featured some classic films that have certainly stood the test of time. But this time out, I wanted to mention some new films that may not be classics yet, but I suspect that a couple of these 2025 films may wind up memorable to horror fans in years to come.
I’ve selected four of my favorite from last year, and while a longer list could have been considered, I wanted to focus on what in my opinion were the best of the best.
I begin with Companion, an early 2025 release which blends elements of romance and horror exceptionally well. Although the film contains twists that make it difficult to review without giving too much away, writer-director Drew Hancock was not overly concerned with keeping any secrets himself, and avid filmgoers will mostly know the storyline going in. The ending is pretty much given away in an opening monologue by a main character. However, this reveal doesn’t detract at all from the experience of seeing this movie, which is similar to waiting in line for a roller coaster, where you know what you’re in for but it’s the thrill of the ride that you show up for.
Companion stars Sophie Thatcher as Iris and Jack Quaid as Josh, a young couple in love. All seems well until they visit a lake house for a getaway with friends.
A startling revelation that prompts the rest of the action occurs when Iris learns that she is not human, but a robot companion. She’s been programmed to be safe and honest and all the other good things you want in a companion, with the addition of being fully programmable by your mate.
If that sounds like trouble, it is.
When she commits an act of violence in self-defense, that’s when things go haywire.
The interplay between the other characters at the lake house, and their reasons for being there, spurs the narrative forward and to its ultimate conclusion, and while everything about the plot is intentionally transparent, there are plenty of surprises along the way.
Thatcher has been praised for her performance. She was asked to do a lot with her character, showing remarkable emotional depth which made her love for Josh believable, and that is would put the true romance in this rom-hor movie.
Together is a romance-horror film that also features elements of the supernatural and cringeworthy body horror that make it one of the top movies of 2025 in this genre.
You often hear about couples that start to look alike after many years together, but his film unabashedly takes this phenomenon to a whole other level.
In Together, we have a close and loving couple who move to the countryside where they encounter something supernatural which drastically alters their relationship. After their relocation, Tim and Millie (played by Dave Franco and Alison Brie, a couple that is married in real life) go for an innocent hike and fall into a cave, where Tim drinks from a murky pool. The next morning, the couple wakes up and find that their legs are partially stuck together. Dismissing the incident as a one-off, they attempt to move on with their lives. However, Tim finds himself literally drawn to Millie in even more unsettling and disturbing ways.
Jamie, a neighbor and co-worker of Millie, informs them that New Age church once existed on the exact spot where they had fallen into a cave. Jamie knows even more than he’s letting on, and the secrets he’s hiding are eventually revealed to Tim and Millie, as well as the audience. Even if you think you know how this one is going to end, the horrific spectacle that plays out is a masterclass of body horror presented by director Michael Shanks.
If you’re on a date watching this movie or at home with a loved one, you may find yourself not wanting to hold hands or get too close to the person beside you until after the credits start rolling at the end of Together.
Heart Eyes was a Valentine’s release last year, but if you haven’t seen it yet, this February is just as fitting, although it would also be enjoyable for horror fans during the other eleven months of the year.
This film plays off the fear of an active serial killer, known as “The Heart Eyes Killer” because he wears a mask with glowing red hearts for eyes. The maniac only kills couples on Valentine’s Day, and his killing fields are never in the same region of the country, so no couple is safe. Enter Ally McCabe (portrayed by Olivia Holt), a marketer for a jewelry company who falls in love with consulting advertiser, Jay Simmons (Mason Gooding).
No surprise, they are attacked by the masked killer. They manage to escape, though Jay is suspected of being the killer and the couple spend the rest of the film trying to track down The Heart Eyes Killer. The introduction of secondary characters adds depth and tension to the narrative, and there are some plots twists and spoilers that I won’t mention, but the stage is set early on for the raucous horror and savage killings that ensues. Romance is at the dark heart of this film, but there is also generous doses of humor, which is welcomed and natural. Successful indie horror filmmaker Josh Ruben fits all these elements together to make Heart Eyes a potential seasonal favorite around Valentine’s Day for years to come.
The Bride is not actually a 2025 release. In fact, it is slated for March 6, 2026, but it is a current romance horror movie that a lot people are going to be talking about and I wanted to get a head of the buzz and go on record as saying that The Bride is going to become an instant classic.
The film draws inspiration from the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein, directed by James Whale, itself inspired, of course, by Mary Shelley’s 1818 classic gothic novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.
The film features Jessie Buckley as the bride of Frankenstein while Christian Bale plays Frankenstein’s monster. It also stars Peter Sarsgaard as a detective, Annette Bening as Dr. Euphronious, Penélope Cruz as Myrna, and Jake Gyllenhaal in an undisclosed role.
The production was practically a family reunion, as well. The movie was written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, who is Jake’s sister and Peter Sarsgaard’s husband.
Some aspects of the film are still a secret, but what we do know is that The Bride is set in 1930s Chicago rather than 19th century Europe. The plot is simple as it follows the Frankenstein creature’s desire for a mate. He seeks Dr. Euphronius to create a companion for him, and together they manage to return a murdered woman back to life as sparks fly, literally and figuratively. But this budding romance has its challenges, not the least of which is a terrified populace who seek to destroy them both. What more can you ask of a monster film?
Buckley has described The Bride as a combination of Bonnie and Clyde and Wild at Heart. However, The Bride, she adds, “has petrol in its skin and we’re holding a match to it.”
For horror fans, the anticipation of this film comes with a high expectations, for sure, but The Bride seems ready to deliver. We just have to wait until March 6 to find out.
Published 2/14/26