For happy couples, Valentine's Day is a beautiful time. It's an opportunity to express love, care, and affection for each other through gifts, cards, and experiences (and maybe some physical intimacy).
For those without a significant other – especially those who regularly find themselves alone or shunned on February 14th – it can be a challenging time (or at least a less enjoyable one).
Those people may want to go against the grain on Valentine's Day by watching a movie that utilizes anti-Valentine themes. On that note, here are the best anti-Valentine's Day movies for cynical singletons.
12. It Follows (2014, directed by David Robert Mitchell)
It Follows is a psychological supernatural horror movie starring Maika Monroe in the leading role. It's about a young woman who, having found herself pursued by a murderous supernatural entity after a sexual encounter, must have sex again with someone else to pass the curse on and avoid a violent death.
Hugely Creative
The movie is an allegory for the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases – and if that's not anti-Valentine, we don't know what is. It Follows is hugely creative, brilliantly performed by its cast, and stylishly directed by Mitchell. It's one of the finest horror movies of the new millennium.
11. Get Out (2017, directed by Jordan Peele).
Get Out is a psychological horror movie with an ensemble cast that includes Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Stephen Root, and Catherine Keener. It's about a young black man who, while visiting his white girlfriend's family, uncovers shocking secrets that put his life at risk.
Creepy and Thought-Provoking
This brilliant movie is also breathtakingly clever – how it addresses the different levels of racism borders on genius – which tends to be the case with all of Jordan Peele‘s directorial offerings. It's creepy and thought-provoking, and the cast is fantastic in it. It'll make you think twice about meeting a potential Valentine's family for the first time.
10. Fatal Attraction (1987, directed by Adrian Lyne)
Fatal Attraction is a psychological thriller based on James Dearden's 1980 short film Diversion. It stars Michael Douglas and Glenn Close and follows a married man who, after having a weekend affair with a woman, is obsessively stalked by her as she refuses to allow it to end.
Incredibly Entertaining
It's a juicy, over-the-top, incredibly entertaining movie that has elements of the neo-noir genre. Douglas and Close are exceptional, making for a fiendishly rewatchable and entertaining spectacle. It will, however, make you very hesitant to get physically intimate with anyone new.
9. Gone Girl (2014, directed by David Fincher)
Gone Girl is a psychological thriller based on Gillian Flynn's 2012 novel of the same name. It's a postmodern mystery starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike about Nick Dunne, who becomes the prime suspect in the sudden disappearance of his wife, Amy.
Brilliant Performances
A dark, stylish, and intelligent movie, Gone Girl thrives thanks to brilliant performances by its two leads and the core supporting cast – Pike, in particular, is fantastic. It also benefits from a beautiful score and great aesthetics. However, it shows how relationships can involve cheating, violence, and resentment, so it's perfect for those who despise Valentine's Day.
8. The Break-Up (2006, directed by Peyton Reed)
The Break-Up is a romantic comedy-drama movie starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston. It's about a couple's break-up that gets uglier and nastier as they attempt to prevent each other from gaining possession of their luxurious condo.
Anti-Romantic Rom Com
While it's not a great movie – it's distinctly lacking in belly laughs – Vaughn and Aniston do their best with the material. Moreover, it's about as anti-romantic as a rom-com could ever be. It shows how complicated and volatile break-ups can be and will reassure any singletons that they're better off staying that way.
7. Marriage Story (2019, directed by Noah Baumbach)
Marriage Story is a drama movie starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, with an incredible supporting cast that includes Laura Dern, Alan Alda, and Ray Liotta. It's about a warring couple going through a divorce on opposite sides of America.
Brilliant Movie
It's a brilliant movie with phenomenal performances by its two leads. It's sharp, funny, tender, and devastating. It shows how complex divorces can be, which is the ideal Valentine's Day remedy for a singleton who needs reminding how lucky they are not to have to deal with the hassle of such an event.
6. Teeth (2007, directed by Mitchell Lichtenstein)
Teeth is a comedy horror movie starring Jess Weixler. It's about a female high school student who discovers her lady parts have teeth when she becomes the object of male violence, which results in certain appendages getting bitten off.
Unique, Intelligent, and Hilarious
It's a unique, intelligent, and hilarious movie with a refreshingly feminist take on the horror genre – and Wexler gives an impressive performance in only her third movie role. If any movie will make singletons feel relieved to avoid physical intimacy on Valentine's Day, it's this one.
5. Obsessed (2009, directed by Steve Shill)
Obsessed is a psychological thriller inspired by the movies of Roman Polanski and Alfred Hitchcock. It stars Idris Elba, Beyoncé Knowles, and Ali Larter and focuses on an office temp who develops unrequited feelings for her boss and repeatedly attempts to seduce him. When the boss' wife finds out about the temp, she suspects an affair.
A Lunatic's Affection
While comparisons to Fatal Attraction are inevitable, this movie is far inferior. However, with adept performances from its A-list cast, it's worth a watch – most notably for the final confrontation between the wife and the temp. One thing's for sure; it'll make singletons happy they aren't the object of a lunatic's affection.
4. Shallow Hal (2001, directed by the Farrelly brothers)
Shallow Hal is a romantic comedy movie starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Jack Black. It's about a shallow man who falls in love with a 300-pound woman whom he otherwise wouldn't have been interested in after being hypnotized into only seeing a person's inner beauty.
Shows How Superficial People Can Be
It's a sweet, charming, and heartwarming movie with a few laughs. Paltrow and Black give committed performances, and the story's moral is clear. However, it's perfect for singletons on Valentine's Day, as it shows how superficial people can be in cases of attraction.
3. Valentine (2001, directed by Jamie Blanks)
Valentine is a slasher movie starring Denise Richards, David Boreanaz, and Katherine Heigl. It's about a group of women in San Francisco getting stalked by a deranged killer wearing a Cupid mask.
Classic Slasher Throwback
It could be better, but if you liked the classic slashers of the 1980s, it's a throwback to those in terms of its formula. Its leading cast members give decent performances, it's unsettling at times, and some of the deaths are creative. Most importantly, however, if you're an anti-Valentine's Day singleton, it's great for watching people getting murdered on the most romantic of occasions.
2. My Bloody Valentine (1981, directed by George Mihalka)
My Bloody Valentine is a Canadian slasher movie starring Paul Kelman, Lori Hallier, and Neil Affleck. It's about a group of young men and women who throw a Valentine's Day party and quickly find themselves at the mercy of a killer wearing mining gear who goes on a murder spree.
Hugely Underrated
It's a hugely underrated slasher movie and Quentin Tarantino‘s favorite of its kind. It's polished, atmospheric, and different in that it doesn't focus on teenagers getting mutilated one by one. The fact that it takes place on Valentine's night makes it perfect for those who want to avoid traditionally celebrating the occasion.
1. My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009, directed by Patrick Lussier)
My Bloody Valentine 3D is a slasher movie and a remake of the 1981 film of the same name – only this one's in 3D. It stars Jensen Ackles and Jaime King and has the same plot as the original movie.
Marginally Better Than The Original
Arguably, it's marginally better than its predecessor. It's very gory and attacks the audience's senses. The 3D effects add to the movie's impact. If you're not a fan of older films, you'll prefer this one to the 1981 version – and, of course, it's equally as suitable for those singletons wanting to reject the concept of Valentine's Day actively.
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.