10 Horror Films Perfect For Valentine’s Day

If you’ve seen Ari Aster’s first film, Hereditary, you know that his venture into examining a troubled relationship was never going to be romance fodder.

Described by Aster as an “apocalyptic breakup”, Midsommar is a modern folk tale about losing family, mourning, and a failing relationship. Florence Pugh stars as Dani, who is greiving her murdered family, when she travels to Sweden with her boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor), and his friends, played by Vilhelm Blomgren, William Jackson Harper, and Will Poulter.

The film is a slow deep dive into Dani’s mental state, and her growing feeling of belonging in an unconventional community. Pugh delivers and unforgettable performance, and Aster’s directing is almost unbelievably good for his second feature film. It’s a shame horror doesn’t get much recognition when award season comes around, because Midsommar fires on all cylinders and it would have been nice to see industry recognition for Pugh and Aster, in particular.

Midsommar should be an anti-Valentine’s mascot at this point. It will make you glad you’re single this Valentine’s Day, or have you side-eying your partner for quite a bit after if you’re brave enough to swim the murky waters of watching it with a significant other. Either way, you might want to watch another film on the list as a relationship pallet cleanser after Midsommar's unforgettable ending.