Love Is In The Scare: 14 Best Romantic Horror Movies

“I have crossed oceans of time to find you” is hands down one of the most romantic lines ever uttered in cinematic history. Francis Ford's take on the Bram Stoker novel drips with romance throughout. There's a reason Eiko Ishioka won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design for this, the iconic looks have been seared into our memory, from Lucy's lacy death collar to the Count's gorgeous dragon robe and muscle suit of armor.

Gary Oldman is a chameleon and a national treasure, and his skills are on full display here. Our goth dream queen, Winona Ryder, steps into the ultimate gothic love story as love interest Mina. We'd also cross oceans of time for Ms. Ryder. Drape yourself in lace, silk, and velvet, and add this to your yearly rotation.

Nothing screams romance like gothic horror and Guillermo del Toro gave us a gorgeous masterpiece with his 2015 Crimson Peak. Edith (Mia Wasikowska) marries Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and moves into his giant secluded mansion. Thomas' sister, Lady Lucille, also resides within the mansion, oh and she also convenes with the dead. As mysteries unfold within the mansion walls, Edith searches for answers. Mystery, intrigue, and a good old-fashioned gothic, English mansion, del Toro style.

“You have bewitched me,” is also a contender for most romantic lines. Tim Burton's distinctly Burton-esque take on the classic Washington Irving tale turns schoolmaster Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) into an eccentric investigator determined to stop the murderous Headless Horseman. The man of science is bewitched by Christina Ricci as Katrina Van Tassel, the beautiful and mysterious girl with secret ties to the supernatural terror. The Horseman's design is pretty epic, both headless and headed, the latter portrayed by a horrifying Christopher Walken with teeth filed into sharp points.

The concept of immortality is either wildly romantic or absolutely horrifying, depending on who you ask (and how long you've been around). Jim Jarmusch's vampire love story follows two centuries-old lovers as they slip into a bit of an existential crisis examining their place in a modern world. Starring Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston as two of the most stylish vampires committed to film, with excellent music taste.

Bones and All is a movie that sticks with you. It gets caught in your teeth and clings to your insides on the way down. Luca Guadagnino's horrifying, beautiful, coming-of-age story takes us on the road with two young drifters in love, Lee and Maren. The pair just happens to be a couple of cannibals. Guadagnino's cannibal love story follows the two drifters as they run from their past and learn to live with their true forms.

Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead's 2015 dark romance will likely make you ache for a trip to Italy. After a tragedy at home, a young man throws caution to the wind and heads to Italy, where he meets an intriguing woman with a surprising secret. Can love conquer all? This all sounds pretty straightforward, but in the hands of Benson and Moorehead, you'll be uniquely thrust into the tiny Italian town and may just fall in love yourself.

On this list of romantic movies, this is probably also one of the sexiest horror movies. Catherine Deneuve stars as a captivating vampire trading in her longtime vampire lover John, played by David Bowie, for a fresher model. Enter, Susan Sarandon. Seduced by the cosmopolitan and vampiric charms, the two embark upon a sapphic romance. As they navigate new love and some glaring differences of opinion, John continues to quietly wither away.

We already gave you one of the most romantic lines in cinematic history, and now we present one of the most heartbreaking. A boy with scissors for hands falls in love with a girl made of flesh. When she requests, “Hold me,” Edward heartbreakingly replies, “I can't.” Afraid he will cause pain and destruction to the object of his affection. And so she takes his arms and wraps them safely around her anyway.

Tim Burton's take on the Frankenstein mythos set in a pastel-colored suburban hell or utopia, depending on who you ask, is the ultimate misfit love story. Once again, starring goth dream queen Winona Ryder as the very dreamy Kim Boggs, a teenage girl self-assured enough to stand up for (and fall in love with) the misfit.

Another one from del Toro on the list. Academy Award-winning The Shape of Water reimagines Creature From The Black Lagoon as a fantasy love story where Creature gets the girl. Beautifully shot with gorgeous creature FX and phenomenal performances, this is another tale of two misfits existing in a world not built for them, finding each other, and holding on tight.

An under-appreciated gem, this horror comedy swerves into much darker (and gorier) territory than expected. Kathryn Newton slays as the titular heroine; when her long-dead crush is resurrected from the dead, the two embark upon a Heathers-style dark comedy. Written by Diablo Cody, starring Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse with Zelda Williams making her feature directorial debut. If you skipped this one, now is a good time to give it a go.

This horror comedy flew pretty under the radar. In truth, it's more of a dark comedy fantasy, but we had a hell of a lot of fun with it. Melissa Barrera stars as a woman going through a rough patch. Enter, Monster. This Beauty and the Beast-type tale is likely darker than you'd expect and sweeter and funnier, too.

Fresh is a real meat cute. Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan star in what starts off as a charming rom-com, before things go horribly awry. Meet cute turned meat cute, stomach-churning secrets are uncovered and there's also a stellar dance scene. Granted, the movie as a whole is not what we'd call “romantic,” but that first act rivals even our favorite rom-coms, which makes it worthy enough to land on the list, especially if you just want a quick dose of romance before delving into full-blown horror territory.

How far would you go for the person you love? Would you feed their shitty boyfriend to your giant killer extraterrestrial plant? Little Shop of Horrors hero Seymour Krelborn does exactly that, all in the name of love. He even names the alien mutant plant after his love interest, the Audrey II. Frank Oz's 1986 version features an out-of-this-world soundtrack, and as far as horror movie musicals go, “Suddenly Seymour“ is a pretty romantic banger.

Real love is forever. 

Alex Proyas' cult classic film based on James O'Barr's comic book series of the same name shaped a generation. The story centers on musician Eric Draven, who returns from the dead as The Crow to avenge the deaths of him and his fiancé against some local thugs.

The plot material is dark, swirling around multiple tragedies on screen and off. James O'Barr was inspired to create his The Crow comic series after his own fiancé was killed by a drunk driver, and the infamous real-life tragedy on the set of The Crow's film adaptation makes the fictional heartbreaking story on screen all the more painful. Personally, I'd vote The Crow as the most romantic movie followed closely by Bram Stoker's Dracula. I guess there's just something about immortal love.