Spooky Movies for People Who Love Rom-Coms
Halloween’s coming up. A time of year usually marked by embracing the macabre and creativity. This is also a time to catch up on horror movies as well which leaves us rom-com fans in a bind. You want to be festive and all but maybe we’d prefer it if Michael Myers channeled some of his passion into something a little more positive. We’re fans of tension but more in the will-they-won’t-they sense of the word. Below are some films with plenty of spooky imagery that can still be enjoyed under a warm blanket with a hot cup of tea.
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Available with subscription on HBO Max or as a rental on Vudu, Google Play, Microsoft Movies & TV or FandangoNOW.
You’ve probably seen this Broadway show performed in some capacity. Whether it’s a school play or at a community theatre but Frank Oz’s film adaptation of the work is absolutely worth checking out.
The campy musical about a blood thirsty alien plant may not sound immediately like a great viewing for fans of rom-coms but this is where you see the difference between seeing this filmed versus seeing it on stage. While the romance aspect comes across as charming on stage, on film you can really feel a tangible chemistry between Seymour (Rick Moranis) and Audrey (Ellen Greene).
In the film, Seymour is a nerdy florist who has a crush on a down-on-their-luck co-worker Audrey. In it, he sees her in an abusive relationship with a deliciously sinister dentist played by Steve Martin. As Seymour finds a remarkable alien plant, he finds himself getting closer to Audrey.
In both the film and the stage show, Seymour makes quite a few selfish decisions in the name of fame and winning Audrey’s affection. This led to one of the most controversial changes between the stage show and the film version. In the stage show the human characters get what’s coming to them in what could be considered a downer ending. Initially the film had a similar ending but it tested so poorly they had to reshoot it again with something that gives the audience something to cheer for. In particular in relation to the romance at the center of the goofy comedy.
You can watch the original ending in the director’s cut available on HBO Max or if you own the film on iTunes or Blu-ray disc. Highly recommend checking it out after watching the theatrical cut of the film. I’d say ultimately the theatrical cut works better because as an audience we are so invested in seeing Seymour and Audrey be happy together as a couple. It’s an off-beat relationship worth rooting for and a fun Halloween pick for any fan of rom-coms!
Practical Magic (1998)
Available with subscription on Hulu or as a rental on iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu, Google Play or FandangoNOW.
Probably the closest you’ll come to a traditional cable television rom-com on this list, Practical Magic is an unconventional story that pairs a yearning for romantic love, the pitfalls that come with and the importance of sisterhood as a means for getting through all of it.
This one has a unique tone because it has a tongue-in-cheek approach to the world of witchcraft while still following a level of consistency with the rules it sets up. The themes in the film about family history, growing up different and overcoming past traumas would all function great on their own but the magical metaphor makes it all a lot more fun. Then having it all against the backdrop of a quaint New England town gives the film a charming texture, further selling the idea of the sense of family going throughout the whole film.
While this received poor reviews upon release, I’d highly recommend checking it out for just how unlike it is from anything else. It’s an incredibly underrated Sandra Bullock flick.
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Available with subscription to Starz or or as a rental on iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu, Google Play or FandangoNOW.
No matter what Blink-182 says, I think we can have a better Tim Burton branded romance than Jack and Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas. In Edward Scissorhands, the romance and comedy are separate but intertwined in a way with the movie’s sense of place.
In it you have Johnny Depp as the titular Edward Scissorhands. A character who exists literally straight from a horror movie, living on top of a gothic castle overlooking a pastel colored suburb. We are introduced to his life as a robot boy being built by his creator, played by none other than 1950s Horror Icon Vincent Price in his final role before his death.
As he is taken into the home of a friendly door-to-door skincare salesman, comedy ensues as we see Edward adjusting to living in a highly satirical version of a conservative suburban town. As Edward goes from being a topic of hot gossip around the town to falling into a line of work as a mod hairdresser, the romantic elements of the movie start to surface.
Edward starts to get the attention of the town’s local women and we start to question his own feelings about intimacy as a largely asexual character. As a character who has never left society, you can see this is something that is quite terrifying for him especially when he is desired more for something casual.
This is where we start to see the Avon lady’s daughter; Kim (Winona Ryder) grow from being a side character to the main romantic lead. While underwritten to a degree, she represents the first person who starts to see Edward for the old soul that he is. The film takes the shape of a horror movie, but it plays out more like a modern fairy tale as well.
Worth it alone for the production design, the film is a lot more sensitive and sweet than it is scary.
Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Available with subscription to Starz or or as a rental on iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu, Google Play or FandangoNOW.
The last recommendation on this list, is also the strangest. Jennifer’s Body leans the strongest in the horror direction but the way this movie explores relationships in the framework of a horror comedy is incredibly interesting.
After screenwriter Diablo Cody won an Academy Award from Juno which was her first screenplay, she really had the creative freedom to make anything she wanted. While her first film was something very, charming, pleasant and human, her second movie swung towards having a much harder edge. Trading a twee indie rock and folk sensibility for something more in line with the emo scene from the late aughts. This edge also comes in areas you would not expect.
When it was first released, the film’s star; Megan Fox was probably most famous for her role in the Transformers franchise and between pages of Maxim magazine. As a result, the feminist text of the movie’s screenplay was entirely ignored by the marketing and instead they sold the film off of Fox’s sex-appeal, focusing entirely on a teenage male audience. This was incredibly unfortunate because it framed the film as being something it explicitly wasn’t.
The film centers around the friendship between “Needy” (Amanda Seyfried) an awkward teenage outcast and her best friend Jennifer (Megan Fox) who is a popular cheerleader in her high school. The film plays out in some ways like you would expect with the same witty dialogue you’d remember from Juno but the film is also a revenge story as well against harmful societal beliefs. At the time of release many saw this as just superficial scares, over time in the wake of the #MeToo movement the film gained a second life as one that explores the horrors women have to face every time they enter a new relationship.
In addition to all this, the film also talks about Needy’s sexuality as well. As the film goes on we see more and more is revealed about the nature of Needy and Jennifer’s friendship. While it’s not a traditional rom-com by any means, the way the movie explores romantic relationships is worth noting. It’s definitely a lot more interesting than the trailers would make you want to believe and it has earned it’s following as a popular midnight movie in horror circles. If you’re up for a few thrills, I think this is a great pick for those who love rom-coms as well.
Chris Cookson is an animator based in Los Angeles and lover of genre cinema. Whether it’s underground, cult movies or following trends in underrepresented niches like rom-coms, I can always appreciate a good story from a new perspective. Currently eager to go to a drive-in movie with his bombay cat. You can follow me on Twitter @coldmilk or Instagram @coldmilk.