Love Like Ghosts: Romance in Horror Media

Enduring love, eternal love, immortal love. ‘Til death do us part. We all dream of a love so strong that it lasts forever — perhaps even beyond the grave. After all, who hasn’t sighed wistfully at the thought of matching gravestones with their partner? Morticia and Gomez Addams certainly popularized the idea.

Love, life, and death are hopelessly intertwined, which means romance is a key part of many horror films, television series, and books. Either romance persists in spite of the horror — or “the horror was for love.” In every instance, there’s a couple bloody, beating hearts driving the narrative. So let’s look at some of the best of them below.

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Nosferatu

The 2024 Nosferatu remake is a stunning addition to the romantic horror genre. Ellen Hutter is stalked through the night by a monstrous metaphor for her own overwhelming sexual desire. But she’s also adored by her husband Thomas, who fights through his own physical encounters with the vampire in order to return to his wife. And the entire film is submerged in passion, from the two main couples to the close friendships and blood-sucking villain.

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Crimson Peak

Romance is so integral to Crimson Peak that I’d almost call it a dark romance movie, not horror. But I digress. Guillermo Del Toro’s masterpiece features a sweeping, tragic love story bedazzled by luscious ball gowns and sinister sisters. The tension between Thomas and Lucille Sharpe takes our breath away. And so do all the ghosts and secrets slinking around a gorgeous but isolated manor at the top of a snowy hill.

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Hannibal

Cannibalism is an excellent metaphor for love. Eating flesh reflects consummation of desire in the most visceral way as you literally take them into yourself — through your teeth, no less. Biting, devouring, digesting; you get the idea. NBC’s Hannibal series spreads this twisted obsession and affection over three scrumptious seasons. And while many couples start and end over the course of the show, Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham’s intertwined fate endures through the end.

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Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation / The Untamed

The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation is a web novel and bestselling book series. The Untamed is the live-action drama adaptation. Both feature two cultivators who fight monsters both real — like ghosts, demons, and reanimated corpses — and metaphorical, such as prejudice and overbearing family members. Amidst all the night hunting, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji find time to fight and fall in love. Then, they go on to cultivate together forever, proving that in this case, love exists because of horror.

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The Walking Dead

Like many zombie apocalypse stories, The Walking Dead shows us that love survives. Even in the face of a world turned upside down, human beings still cling to each other and find comfort in each other’s embrace. The most notable romance in the show is, of course, the one between Glenn and Maggie Rhee. Although Maggie is now a widow, her love for Glenn is a driving motivation. His memory lingers in everything she does. Glenn may not be a walker, but his affection is undead.

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The Haunting of Bly Manor

Like Crimson Peak, The Haunting of Bly Manor is more accurately described as a gothic romance. It is part of The Haunting anthology series — which includes the similarly spooky and sentimental series Hill House. Whereas Hill House focused on filial relationships, Bly Manor is very much centered upon the romance between Dani and Jamie. Both women are haunted by nefarious ghosts on the grounds. You would think this makes the horror the antagonist. But in the end, an older Dani sleeps soundly and alone in the haunted house, hoping to reunite with the spectral form of her lost love.

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Interview With the Vampire

Horror is the savior and the downfall of Louis de Pointe du Lac’s love in Interview With the Vampire. Becoming a creature of the night frees him of shame and guilt. It gives him a power otherwise impossible to obtain due to his race, social class, and sexuality. Yet the price to pay for that love is severe. It comes in the form of a dashing yet dastardly vampire who both adores and abuses his partner. That relationship leaves such a lasting impact on Louis that he’s still thinking about it — and giving an interview about it — centuries later.

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