Image Credits: Jesse Goll via Unsplash
Even if you’re a romantic at heart, we all know how commercial Valentine’s Day is. The day-old phrase “love is in the air,” gets old after a while because of how often it’s thrown in your face. This year, I’m going to combat that commercialism by recommending strange, off-putting, borderline-unhinged movies. From satirical horror romance to feminine rage-fueled narratives, let’s reclaim Valentine’s Day and embrace a wackier, more unhinged perspective.
Heart Eyes (2025)
Perhaps the most obvious recommendation that comes to my mind is “Heart Eyes,” a slasher horror film set on Valentine’s Day. Something about the juxtaposition of love and horror fascinates me, so I’m excited to delve into this one. Set in Seattle, Washington, Valentine’s Day is no longer a normal holiday for the city. Every year on Feb. 14, a masked serial killer with – you guessed it – heart eyes, targets and brutally murders couples. In 2023, the “Heart Eyes” killer hit Boston; in 2024, they hit none other than Philadelphia; in 2025, as you can expect, Seattle is next on the list.
Played by Olivia Holt, the main character, Ally McCabe, is on the verge of getting fired from her job in advertising at a perfume company. After she connects with a stranger in a coffee shop with the exact same order as hers, she later finds out he’s been hired to essentially one-up her, which increases her worry that she will be fired. Jay asks Ally out to dinner for work-related reasons, but it’s clear they are interested in each other. After accompanying Ally home, she realizes she’s lost her keys, so Jay helps break a window to get into her apartment. However, things are not as they seem. Could these two be Heart Eyes’ next target, or are they fated to survive and end up together?
If you don’t like gore, this might not be the movie for you. If you’re a slasher lover, though, I urge you to give this unconventional film a chance.
Holidate (2020)
Yes, yes, this might be a “Christmas movie,” but if you look at the synopsis… is it really? Starring Emma Roberts as Sloane and Luke Bracey as Jackson, both strangers run into each other at a store return counter shortly after Christmas. Fed up with being single on the holidays, they decide to be each other’s platonic dates on New Year’s Eve. Though they don’t make any further plans after this, they run into each other in a store on Valentine’s Day, both as single as ever, and they officially commit to being each other’s “holidates.”
Over various holidays, Sloane and Jackson spend more and more time together, first as friends, but as time goes on chemistry develops between them. Though the film circles back to Christmas at the end, it really lives up to the title as it showcases moments from holidays throughout the year, including Valentine’s Day. If you’re looking for a raunchy romantic comedy, “Holidate” is truly a treat.
The Love Witch (2016)
This is no doubt the most unhinged movie on the list. “The Love Witch” is a horror comedy written, directed and produced by Anna Biller. Starring Samantha Robinson as Elaine, this movie is the epitome of the “whimsigoth” aesthetic. Following her husband’s death, Elaine moves to a small town in California that accepts witchcraft. What really adds to the “whimsigoth” feeling, though, is her Victorian-style apartment. If you’ve seen “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” her apartment embodies a similar aesthetic, fit with plum purple wallpaper, red candles and various trinkets and treasures. The purple and red color palette fits well with Valentine’s Day, so if you appreciate a whimsical, witchy atmosphere, I recommend watching this solely for the apartment decor. If not that, the bright hues create a 1960s Technicolor movie effect, which adds to the overall trippiness.
Regarding the plot, Elaine, who calls herself “the love witch,” casts spells and brews potions to make men fall in love with her. As she does so, she commits some questionable crimes along the way, which may or may not involve murder. If you’re open to watching a highly psychedelic film with a great deal of explicit scenes – I wasn’t lying when I said this was unhinged – you’re sure to have a good time. Trust me, you’ve never seen anything like this before.
Runners-Up: “Heathers” (1989), “Ginger Snaps” (2000), “Spree” (2020)
Charlotte Ruth is a third-year English major with minors in Creative Writing and Italian Studies. CR1009174@wcupa.edu