Valentine’s Day is a time for romance — a time for couples the world over to come together and celebrate their love for one another. When it comes to movies, V-Day is the perfect excuse for folks to turn on any number of romantic movies, rom-coms and whatever the Hallmark Channel is offering.
That’s all well and good, but what if you don’t want to celebrate Valentine’s Day? In fact, what if you’re one of the many people doing their best to avoid the holiday’s onslaught of heart candies and roses? I’ve been married for over a decade, and my wife and I despise the holiday. With so many saccharin-sweet entertainment options, it’s easy to see how some viewers may want to avoid them. Thankfully, streamers like Netflix, Hulu and Shudder have some good stuff.
Enough with the lovey-dovey fluff. Whether you’re uncoupled or simply looking for the antidote to all this cutesy madness, I’ve got you covered. Below is an anti-Valentine’s Day movie list you can stream right now. Be warned; this roundup is chock full of dysfunctional relationships, revenge and horror. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Read more: In the Mood for Love? Stream These New Movies and TV Shows for Valentine’s Day
Ryan Gosling has been the quintessential romantic lead for a while now. That type-casting gets spun on its head in Blue Valentine. He stars alongside Michelle Williams in this movie about an unraveling relationship between lovers Dean and Cindy. A dysfunctional, slow-moving breakup is woven together with flashbacks from the joyful beginnings of their relationship. You want heartbreak? You got it.
To me, It Follows changed the face of horror movies when it premiered a decade ago. Instead of presenting audiences with a straightforward stalker movie, David Robert Mitchell’s directorial breakout features a standout performance by Maika Monroe. It posits the idea of transmissible, infectious curse that relentlessly stalks its victims. We won’t spoil it for you, but the film brilliantly blends the bleakness of mumblecore horror with supernatural and psychological elements.
Do Revenge follows teenage outcasts Eleanor (Maya Hawke) and Drea (Camilla Mendes), who, after facing reputation-damaging challenges, decide to help each other get payback over their respective tormentors. The quick-witted satire takes a page from titles of a similar ilk like Heathers and Mean Girls.
This ain’t your typical vampire movie. Let the Right One In follows the burgeoning friendship between two child outcasts, Oskar and Eli. They form a loving bond amidst the world’s brutal backdrop. What Oskar doesn’t know, though, is that Eli can only come out at night. She’s hiding a dark secret that may very well be connected to a bunch of murders that have happened in their neighborhood. Is that a dealbreaker?
Possession is one of those movies that’s tough to describe. At its core, it’s about infidelity and jealousy; it’s about a marriage falling apart. But peel back that layer, and you’ll find a complex story that teeters into body horror. It’s filled with unsettling imagery and themes, and when all is said and done, it will leave you emotionally changed.
Carey Mulligan delivers an impactful performance as Cassie, a young woman who takes it upon herself to honor her deceased friend, Nina, by wreaking havoc in the lives of the various men who abused her. Bo Burnham, Max Greenfield, Alison Brie and Adam Brody also star.
Revenge permeates every corner of Panos Cosmatos’s ultraviolent escapade. The 2018 film stars Nicolas Cage as Red, a man on a mission of vengeance after a cult murders his girlfriend, Mandy (Amanda Riseborough). What transpires is a magnificent — and mind-altering — trip through emotional hell as Red takes down every person involved with her death.
Fatal Attraction took the thriller genre to new heights when it hit theaters in 1987. Michael Douglas and Glenn Close star in the movie as Dan and Alex, two lovers involved in an affair that comes back to haunt Dan once he attempts to cut ties. It turns out Alex has some serious attachment issues — that bunny rabbit never stood a chance.
Murdering your husband has never been so… toe-tapping. Rob Marshall’s Oscar-winning crime comedy brings the hit Broadway musical to the silver screen. Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere and Queen Latifah take us back to the 1920s for a darkly comedic good time.
Quentin Tarantino’s two-part classic revenge saga finds Uma Thurman’s The Bride on a redemption journey filled with vengeance and violence. All it took was the betrayal of her lover Bill (David Carradine) and his team of assassins to turn on her to kick off this riveting grindhouse-style martial arts-infused thrill ride.
Source: CNET
