Valentine's Day Horror 2026: No Slashers, Just the Unhinged Madness of Wuthering Heights

 Is romance dead? Probably not, but it’s a shame we aren’t getting a dedicated romance/horror movie this year. For the past two Februarys, horror fans were treated to "date night" slashers like Lisa Frankenstein and Heart Eyes.

This year? Nada.

​Or is it?

​Going by the promos for the new Wuthering Heights, the horror hasn't left. It just got a prestige makeover. The movie stars Jacob Elordi (riding high after Frankenstein) and Margot Robbie (yet to be seen in a traditional horror movie) in an adaptation that feels more like a haunting than a love story.

​In the classic novel, Heathcliff and Catherine aren't just in love. They are obsessed, believing to be one soul in two bodies.

After Catherine dies, Heathcliff doesn't just grieve; he begs her ghost to drive him mad until he eventually wastes away and joins her in the dirt.

Yes, it seems his last wish was to be buried next to her, open coffins and all, so that their dust could mingle.

It’s a goth horror story without the vampires, where ghosts drive the living to insanity.

​But perhaps the creepiest part is the real-life promotion. Reports of dressing-room shrines, matching skeleton rings, and codependent method acting make the whole thing feel like a psychological experiment.

According to reports, the actors stayed in each other's vicinity at all times, watching each other eat and drink, and just be.

Catherine and Heathcliff's love is supposed to be unhinged, and going by the behind-the-scenes stories, it very well might be.

In the story, Heathcliff practically begs Catherine to keep haunting him, so he becomes mad. He would rather have her ghost than nothing at all.

Does that make your heart flutter, or give you chills down your spine?

​We might not have a traditional slasher this Valentine’s Day, but with Wuthering Heights dropping on Friday the 13th, it might be exactly the kind of toxic romance horror fans are looking for.

Written by Emerald Fennell, who also serves as director and producer, the film features a high-profile cast led by Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff. They are joined by a strong supporting ensemble, including Hong Chau as Nelly Dean, Shazad Latif as Edgar Linton, and Alison Oliver as Isabella Linton. The cast is rounded out by Martin Clunes as Mr. Earnshaw and Ewan Mitchell.

WUTHERING HEIGHTS releases on 13th February.