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Join us as we dive into the world of dark "love" stories, where romcom fantasies quickly turn into full on nightmares! Let's unpack the rise of these twisted tales, how they help us cope with...
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00:00While we all love a good rom-com, in recent years we've also seen the
00:04resurgence of a genre on the other side of the coin—the romantic horror.
00:08They can be found within a number of subgenres,
00:11from psychological thrillers to dramas and beyond.
00:14These films take a look at love from a much less whimsical,
00:17much more terrifyingly realistic angle.
00:20That realism is frightening because nothing is more unsettling
00:24than a love story at the heart of a horror movie.
00:27From unrequited love to doomed relationships,
00:30anti-rom-coms of the horror variety blend the two genres
00:33for the ultimate look at the dark side of love.
00:37So let's take a look at the rise of this hybrid genre,
00:40how it speaks to our very real fears of romance,
00:43how even our favorite non-horror rom-coms can sometimes be pretty scary in hindsight,
00:48and why we're so attracted to stories about love gone wrong.
00:52While it might feel ultra-modern, the overlap of romance and horror
00:56dates back to the 18th century with the gothic romance genre.
01:00Characterized by atmospheric, haunting settings and brooding characters,
01:04these stories blend suspense and terror with the allure of falling in love
01:08and having a deep emotional connection with someone.
01:11For its time, this was considered a rebellious genre,
01:13one that pushed boundaries by exploring the blurred line between love and death, fear and desire.
01:19And it was a way of expressing things about society in the 18th century that were repressed,
01:25which were sexuality and the fear of death.
01:28Hallmark examples include Anne Radcliffe's A Sicilian Romance in 1790,
01:33Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in 1818, Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre in 1847,
01:39and Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca in 1938.
01:42These novels challenged societal norms, looking deeper into the complexities of human nature,
01:47and the enticing notion of the supernatural and unknown.
01:51It is a monstrous love,
01:55and it makes monsters of us all.
01:57We can still find gothic horror and romance in plenty of contemporary storytelling.
02:02Mike Flanagan's adaptation of Shirley Jackson's The Haunting on Hill House
02:06mostly focuses on familial love.
02:08The Cranes lose their matriarch and years later their sister Nell,
02:12a tragic character who also grieved the sudden loss of her husband.
02:16His follow-up, The Haunting of Bly Manor, had multiple doomed relationships,
02:20Danny and Jamie, Hannah and Owen, Peter and Rebecca, Henry and Charlotte,
02:25all of which ended in tragedy.
02:27If you can't feel anything, then I'll feel everything for the both of us.
02:33Supernatural romances between humans and vampires, werewolves,
02:37reanimated corpses and zombies have seen different trends over the centuries,
02:41and the allure of seductive, mysterious creatures has stood the test of time.
02:45But for those looking for different kinds of stories,
02:48ones that still bridge the gap of horror and romance,
02:51but comment on the perils of modern relationships,
02:54a new kind of genre blending is on the rise.
02:57No matter how much we love romantic comedies and dramas,
03:00when we look at them in retrospect,
03:02many have plots that sound like they could be horror movies.
03:05Since its release, Christmas rom-com Love Actually has been scrutinized for its
03:10casual depiction of stalking, infidelity, and questionable power dynamics.
03:15Beloved classic The Notebook, based on the Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name,
03:19captivated audiences when it came out in 2004,
03:22and continues to be a favorite among romance fans.
03:24But looking back, Noah's persistent pursuit of Allie,
03:28a girl who isn't interested in him, is pretty creepy.
03:31They only go on a first date because he threatens to end his life.
03:35Then they have an on-off romance for decades, where they constantly fight.
03:39Stalking and harassment have been staples in several rom-coms and dramas,
03:43not to mention movies about manipulating people who have amnesia.
03:46And even though it's perfectly fine to still love them,
03:49their romanization of predatory behavior is finally being called out.
03:53I mean, if you just turn off the sappy music and turn on, like, a David Fincher score,
03:58romantic comedies are stalker movies.
04:00Romantic comedy behavior in real life is criminal.
04:03Author Caroline Kepnes' novel series You and the TV series
04:06digs into the psychology of bookstore owner Joe Goldberg,
04:10a self-described romantic who stalks women in the name of love.
04:14Even when he found someone who had similar killer instincts and obsessive tendencies,
04:19he was so repulsed by her behavior that he couldn't love her,
04:23or let himself love a monster.
04:25But his relentlessness and deep devotion to his targets
04:28comes off attractive to some viewers,
04:30who find the lengths he'll go to protect someone to be romantic.
04:34There's not a line in the world that I wouldn't cross for you.
04:38I didn't ask you to swoop in for me.
04:41You did. Your life was a mess.
04:42Yes, but it was my life!
04:43With modern audiences being more genre-savvy,
04:46horror anti-rom-coms like to lure us in with familiar tropes.
04:50Meet-cutes, grand gestures, love triangles,
04:53enemies to lovers, and play on our expectations.
04:56They tap into our very real fears when it comes to dating.
04:59There's always the chance the nice guy is actually a serial killer.
05:03In Fresh, Noah has a standard meet-cute with Steve,
05:07a charming surgeon who appears to be similarly disillusioned with dating.
05:11He does everything right, taking her on dates
05:13and not pressuring her into sex.
05:15She feels they have a real connection,
05:16and when he suggests a romantic getaway, she accepts.
05:19Her friend Molly sees the red flags right away.
05:22He has no social media presence
05:23and wants to whisk her away to a surprise destination.
05:27But these days, someone not chronically online,
05:30who seemingly likes old-fashioned romance, can seem appealing.
05:34Those red flags, however, turned out to be telling.
05:37Noah wakes up in restraints,
05:38and the horrifying reality of the situation hits her.
05:41No, this isn't happening.
05:43Yeah, it's happening.
05:44This isn't happening.
05:45This isn't happening.
05:46Yes, it is.
05:46Please, please, please, please, this is a joke.
05:51Instead of being a love story, Fresh is a horror story
05:54that highlights the strong relationship between friends,
05:57as Molly puts herself in harm's way to try to save her friend.
06:00Rejection is another catalyst in horror anti-rom-coms,
06:04showing how obsession and unrequited love can lead to terrifying scenarios.
06:08Unfortunately, there are plenty of real-life examples of this phenomenon,
06:12since women and girls responding negatively to unwanted advances
06:15can often put them in a vulnerable, dangerous situation.
06:19The 1996 thriller Fear takes the intensity of young love, or lust,
06:24to a sinister level.
06:25Teenager Nicole, played by Reese Witherspoon before her days as a rom-com heroine,
06:30meets and falls for David,
06:31who quickly makes a bad impression with her father
06:34by keeping her out late and becoming increasingly possessive.
06:37The plot unfolds into what some critics considered outlandish territory,
06:41but David's violent actions – attacking Nicole's male classmate
06:44and assaulting her friend Margo, among other things –
06:47aren't that far-fetched.
06:49We have something that everybody wants, but nobody has.
06:54You can't let them take that away from us, Nicole.
06:56Movies often explore the other end of the spectrum as well.
07:00Fatal Attraction is a prime example of an unhinged woman refusing rejection,
07:05and going to extreme lengths to either force a relationship or seek revenge.
07:10The titular character in Pearl dreams of becoming a star, someone loved by all.
07:14When she brings the handsome projectionist she slept with back to her home,
07:18he is almost immediately put off by her behavior.
07:21But as he tries to gently, if abruptly, let her down, she flies into a rage.
07:25Why are you leaving me if I don't do anything wrong?
07:28I don't understand that, so you like me!
07:30I do like you, I just…
07:32Tell me the truth!
07:33You're scaring me, Pearl.
07:34And as we see in other parts of the movie,
07:36people who even indirectly get in the way of Pearl's happiness don't survive.
07:41Aussie horror flick The Loved Ones is one of the most recent and brutal examples
07:45of rejection taken to the extreme.
07:47Often described as prom night meets hostile,
07:50the film sees high schooler Lola Stone as she asks Brent to prom.
07:54Already planning to go with his girlfriend, he politely declines.
07:58Later, he's knocked out and kidnapped by Lola and her equally creepy father,
08:02who tie him up in their home that's decorated
08:04so they can have their own twisted night to remember.
08:07We learn that he is just the latest victim of the depraved father-daughter duo.
08:12Brent, who's already traumatized and contemplated taking his own life,
08:15is tortured and nearly lobotomized.
08:17He manages to eventually break free, attack his sadistic captors,
08:21and get home to his mom and girlfriend.
08:23While incredibly brutal, the movie still has heart.
08:26Brent's love for them motivates him to survive.
08:28Even after the initial dating phase,
08:30entering a new relationship is as exciting as it is terrifying.
08:34You're surrendering your heart to someone,
08:36entrusting them not to hurt you emotionally or physically.
08:39But horror anti-rom-coms pose the question,
08:42how well can you ever really know someone?
08:45In Get Out, Chris Washington finds out his girlfriend and her family
08:49are more than just wealthy.
08:50They're in the business of kidnapping black people,
08:53auctioning off their bodies,
08:54and implanting the brains into white people
08:56who desire their traits and talents.
08:58Rose and Chris's relationship was all a big lie.
09:01He was merely her project intended for a sadistic legacy.
09:04You know I can't give you the keys, right babe?
09:09You were one of my favorites.
09:11These types of betrayals are at the center of many modern horror,
09:14and good-for-her movies like Ready or Not,
09:16which sees a new bride discovering that the family she just married into
09:20is way more messed up than she thought.
09:22Adhering to the Ladomas tradition of playing games with new family members,
09:26Grace draws the hide-and-seek card.
09:28But their version of the game has deadly consequences,
09:31all of which her brand new husband was well aware of beforehand.
09:35Our final girl survives the carnage,
09:37watches the family literally explode for not sacrificing her by dawn,
09:41and has the satisfaction of throwing the ring in Alex's face
09:44before he perishes.
09:46No, Alex.
09:48Yeah.
09:51I want a divorce.
09:53Erin in Your Next has a somewhat similar experience
09:56when she visits her boyfriend Crispian's family.
09:58He and his siblings plan to kill their parents and inherit their money.
10:01But the plan goes south because, just like Erin didn't know
10:04she was dating someone who could do this,
10:06Crispian didn't know his girlfriend was a badass survivalist
10:09who'd take down everyone.
10:11Had you reacted, um, normally, my parents and siblings would have been killed,
10:16you'd have been untouched, and we'd be rich.
10:19She may not have a wedding ring to throw, but she had a knife.
10:22Breakups are at the center of many a rom-com.
10:24Either the couple gets back together,
10:26or they find someone who's a better match.
10:28Or better yet, they embrace being single.
10:31But in horror, the end of a relationship takes on a different level of heartache.
10:35While writing Midsommar, Ari Aster was recovering from a bad breakup,
10:38and set out to make a movie that captured the catastrophic feeling.
10:42I think if there is any legacy for the film,
10:45I would love for it to be a movie that people go to
10:47when they're going through a breakup.
10:48Even in just the first few minutes, we realize Danny and Christian
10:51should have ended their unhealthy relationship a long time ago.
10:55But after the shocking deaths of her parents and sister,
10:57the couple decides to stay together.
10:59Christian continues being emotionally abusive and distant,
11:02while Danny's codependence and recent trauma keep her from letting go.
11:06When they go to Sweden with his friends, they are each ensnared by the Harga cult,
11:10and their relationship ends with her smiling as he dies a fiery death.
11:15Whether they're being chased by silent slashers,
11:17or nocturnally tortured by dream demons,
11:20it's always satisfying to see final girls triumph in the face of evil.
11:24When it comes to the protagonists in anti-rom-coms,
11:27they're trying to survive the violent wrath of boyfriends, spouses, or stalkers
11:31they don't even know exist, or sometimes can't even see.
11:342020's The Invisible Man put a new spin on the original universal horror classic,
11:39centering the story on a woman escaping an abusive relationship.
11:42In the opening scene, Cecilia flees the home she shares with her boyfriend,
11:46Adrian, but even when she's seemingly safe and out of his grasp,
11:49he stages his death and begins terrorizing her,
11:52while going undetected in an invisible bodysuit he engineered.
11:57While it's incredibly frustrating to watch her family and friends
11:59question her sanity instead of believing her,
12:02thankfully she comes out victorious in the end,
12:04killing Adrian with his own creation.
12:06Being trapped in a controlling relationship is a legitimate,
12:09understandable fear, and seeing women take back control of their lives
12:13and sense of self will forever be cathartic.
12:16The days of you controlling me are over.
12:18Anti-rom-coms, and horror in general,
12:20may not necessarily be the most respected genres,
12:23but there's no doubt audiences crave these stories of terror and romance.
12:28Just look at the projects premiering in 2025.
12:31Companion is about a robot gaining autonomy over her boyfriend-slash-creator,
12:36Heart Eyes, a Valentine's Day slasher that sees two young people falling in love
12:40as they outrun a killer,
12:41and Drop, a quintessential anti-rom-com about the dangers of dating apps.
12:46Of course, there are thrillers and horror movies that do have light outshining darkness,
12:50the power of genuine love prevailing despite the odds.
12:53Still, there's a relief knowing that it's okay to admit that sometimes
12:57we're terrified of love, and that doesn't make us crazy.
13:02That's the take.
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