*This story covers movies with R-rated content.

From Scream’s very own Billy Loomis to the elusive Adrian Griffin from the Invisible Man, it’s an unspoken rule that the love interest is always the killer. Always!

The issue with a significant portion of pure horror movies is their seeming lack of character dynamics and theme development. Of course, I’m addicted to the familiar tingling feeling that rushes up my body when the monster emerges from under the bed, or when the killer finally makes it into the house. But where’s the plot? Where’s the growth? What’s the story outside of a killer in a scary mask?

They’re always STAB, STAB, STAB and GORE, GORE, GORE and DEATH!

So much death.

But what about love?

Whoever said opposites attract was absolutely right. With Friday the 13th Valentine’s day weekend already upon us, it’s time to kick into gear, heat up some buttery microwave popcorn, and dive headfirst into a weekend of horror and love.

Here are my top four horror-romance movie recommendations to keep you on the edge of your seat, anxiously awaiting the next kill (or kiss!).

“Ready or Not” – 9.5/10

(Disclaimer: This movie is rated R and contains significant gore and some adult content.)

After falling in love with the estranged son of the wealthy La Domas family, headstrong orphan Grace is seen as an outsider by the family, but she is determined by her love for Alex to fit in. After the marriage, Grace is asked to play hide and seek — but with a deadly twist and an even deadlier, creepier soundtrack.

Grace, who is now drunk out of her mind, must hide until the sunrise. All while the La Domas family — including her own FIANCÉ — bicker like children and hunt her down like a wounded deer in a forest.

I never thought that a movie would be able to make being impaled with an arrow or getting shot in the hand hilarious, but the family’s ‘Oh well’ attitude toward the violence kept me smiling throughout the film, laughing at scenes that would have usually made me queasy.

This movie explored themes of love versus family. Alex appears to love Grace wholeheartedly, disassociating from his toxic roots just to marry her. However he refuses to tell her about the ritual, knowing that she could potentially be killed. He remains loyal until the realization dawns on him that Grace will never trust him again, and he falls back on his family.

I guess you could say that a breakup feels like a dagger to the heart; it just depends on who’s at which end of the knife.

If you’re looking for a wonderfully bloody film with a seemingly perfect relationship that’s tested at every turn, then you’ve found your next watch. The special effects and beautiful set make this movie one of my all time favorites.

You can watch this movie on Amazon Prime Video.

“The Gorge” – 8/10

It’s common saying that true love has no barriers, but what about a colossal gorge full to the brim with nightmarish monsters galore? Two snipers, Drasa from the East, who’s coping with her father’s illness, and Levi from the West, the stoic ex-military sniper with a love for poetry, are told to do one task and one task only:

Protect the gorge, and under no circumstances should they communicate with their sniper counterpart.

But of course that would be no fun at all, and the playful banter between Drasa and Levi begins with writing on whiteboards, dancing despite Levi’s initial reluctance, and trying to one-up each other with their masterful sniper skills.

One of the best scenes in this film is the Christmas scene, where they celebrate, make toasts and even build snowmen to fend off the growing loneliness.

But nothing can stay perfect forever, and their ambition to see each other leads to a fight for their lives down in the gorge, where they encounter mutilated plant hybrid men, who they refer to as the “Hallow Men.” (Link contains spoilers.)

The “Hallow Men” are mutated genetic hybrids of the flora and fauna within the gorge that function as a territorial hive mind, dead set on killing anything that enters their domain. While the creatures themselves were designed well, the introduction of interdimensional portals confused me slightly.

Despite this, one of the highlights of this film is the silence. The best parts of this movie are not spoken in words, but spoken in action, with segments as long as 15 minutes occurring without a single word. The silences force the couple to speak through actions, intensifying the relationship between Drasa and Levi and making the movie more engaging to watch.

You can watch this movie on Apple TV.

“Companion” – 7.5/10

(Disclaimer: This movie is rated R, and contains significant gore and some adult content.)

They said it could never happen. That man and robot could never unite in holy matrimony … and I hate to say it, but they’re right.

In the movie “Companion,” Josh and his AI girlfriend Iris attend a weekend getaway, but little does Iris know, she is simply a pawn in a bigger criminal scheme. Josh, hungry for money and power, customizes Iris to become increasingly violent, despite her company’s programming that she shall inflict no harm, and we can all take a wild guess how this goes.

Stab, stab, stab.

This movie explores themes of toxic and abusive relationships, as well as the question of life itself. Does Iris being a robot justify Josh’s horrible treatment of her, and do generated emotions constitute general feelings? It’s a bloody circle of philosophy and ethics, and I, for one, am more than happy to hang along for the ride.

You can watch this movie on HBO MAX.

“Heart Eyes” – 8/10

(Disclaimer: This movie is rated R, and contains significant gore and some adult content.)

“Heart Eyes” is the definition of fighting for love or, better yet, fighting for life. This film combines over-the-top gore with slapstick comedy to create the perfect blend of a gimmicky horror combo.

Ally, an anti-romantic still salty about her last failed romance, and Jay, a firm believer in romance, share a fake kiss. This makes them the target of the infamous Heart Eyes Killer, despite not being a true couple. Throughout the night, they must combine their resourcefulness and physical agility to survive.

When I say this movie has gore, I mean it has GORE. Like lots of it. Let’s just say after seeing the movie, I fully understand Ally’s aversion to blood.

However, though the romance is originally fake, the couple-esque vibes turned true committed relationship allows the movie to jump from a rom-com to a Hallmark movie on steroids.

What makes this movie stand out as one of my favorites is its gut-wrenching gore and peak comedy gold — a combination that should seemingly never be paired together, but when it is, it’s fantastic.

This is a movie that the watcher has to be 100% devoted to. It’s not always going to make sense, be logical or serious, but if you’re willing to let loose and laugh a little, it will be one of the funniest movies of your night.

You can watch this movie on Netflix, Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.

And there you have it — my top five horror romance movie recommendations to spice up your long weekend. Buckle up, enjoy and get to watching.