Four months into 2026, and it seems horror is having a bit of a monster lover moment. From Dead Lover to Touch Me, these six films prove it.
Monsters are living creatures, too, and they deserve to have someone (or something) see them as loveable. Yeah, I said it. And I’m not just saying that because I once worked as a PA on a Funny or Die spoof of “The Monster Mash” entitled “The Monster F***”. Follow your dreams, kids.
No, I say that because I’ve always been a monster guy. I prefer to look for the humanity in these creatures, no matter how outwardly frightening or disgusting (sorry, Jeff Goldblum’s The Fly, you nasty). In that same regard, I’ve come across plenty of movie monsters that leave me looking them up and down and saying, hear me out. Guillermo del Toro popularized the idea of “Monster F***ing” with the Academy Award-winning The Shape of Water, but the idea has been around for as long as the genre has. You have Bela Lugosi’s sensual Dracula. The stunning Bride who wasn’t quite as impressed with Frankenstein. And don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it at least once with the Gill Man. Just look at those luscious lips. The list goes on.
So far, I’ve noticed 2026 horror films have been embracing the monster lovers among us. And today the party continues, with the awesome Touch Me releasing to VOD. In honor of that slick intergalactic alien love fest, we present you with the following six must-watch monster-love movies:
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Courtesy of Sony Pictures
Okay, so Nia DaCosta’s sequel doesn’t exactly feature monster, err… loving, but it does suggest that a hulking, naked rage monster is kinda hot.
In what should have been a box office smash (I’m still infected-style angry about it), the film expands on Dr. Kelson’s (Ralph Fiennes) relationship with behemoth Alpha, Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry). During a pivotal moment, Kelson realizes that the tranquilizers he administers to Samson offer the rage-a-holic a peace that brings him back to his normal, human self temporarily. A montage of the two spending time together follows. That includes one of the more memorable scenes of the film, as Kelson dances with a naked Samson in a field, the giant showing off his hulking figure, glistening and, well, a little bloody, too.
The moment intends a sweet reflection on the humanity that still rests within Samson, but you can’t tell me that there isn’t at least a slight bit of implication toward a relationship between the two verging on something more than apocalypse buddies.
What I adore about this unhinged tale is that it posits there’s someone out there for all of us, no matter how weird, or smelly, or outright foul we are. A lonely gravedigger (Glowicki) pines for a lover that she can bang the brains out of all day and night long. The problem is, she’s as pasty as a corpse and stinks like one, too. Glowicki fills her film with a Tim Burton-esque atmosphere…if the director made a Hard-R, horny as hell graveyard love story. Anything’s possible in Dead Lover, including the Gravedigger meeting the man of her dreams (Ben Petrie)…and still wanting to sleep with him after she regrows him out of nothing but a finger.
With lines like “I want to pick up your poo and eat it like a banana”, Glowicki delivers an undead love story that doesn’t go well for those involved, but assures us weirdos that there are others out there who will match our freak no matter how odd…even if they are just a lengthy, sentient finger.
Now playing in select theaters.
Dracula
Courtesy of SND (France)
Vampires…the ultimate monster movie thirst trap. Especially when it comes to the king of the bloodsuckers, Dracula.
Luc Besson’s take on Bram Stoker’s classic tale follows a similar formula to Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 iteration. Dracula (Caleb Landry Jones) once again vows vengeance against God after losing the love of his life, eternally searching for her reincarnation as an undead bloodsucker. He finally finds her in Mina (Zoë Bleu), intent on making her his again…no matter who gets in the way. Only this time around, Mina recalls her connection to the count through vague memories and an attraction she just can’t resist. Maybe it’s the lush, long hair, the fangs, or Jones’ accent. Whatever the case, Mina doesn’t do a whole lot of resisting. And, honestly, why would she?
Plus, in this case, dating Dracula comes with a bunch of cute little gargoyle friends as well. Good deal.
Now available on Premium Video-On-Demand
The Bride!
Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s bold take on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein electrifies the fact that not only can monsters be hot, but they have sex, too.
The Bonnie and Clyde-style twist on the narrative revolves around a complicated relationship between Frank (Christian Bale) and his “bride” (Jessie Buckley), a dead woman that ole’ Frank convinces Dr. Euphronious (Annette Bening) to resurrect as a companion meant to appease his loneliness. Things don’t exactly get off to a smashing start between the two. But an undead Bale manages to convince the Bride (real name, Ida) that the two of them were lovers long before she met her fate. Enter a complex (understatement) sort of love that develops between two corpses that are still very much alive and just as human as the rest of us…craving pleasure and all the other joys that life has to offer. That includes a good bit of sex after escaping the cops. That’ll provide a spark for any couple.
The Serpent’s Skin
Courtesy of Dark Star Pictures
Alice Maio Mackay is one of the most punk-rock horror filmmakers we’ve been blessed with this past decade. The Australian-born director has already made six (!) features, and is still just twenty-one. That’s incredibly impressive, no matter how you slice it.
Her sixth film, The Serpent’s Skin, follows Anna (Alexandra McVicker), who escapes her transphobic town and meets tattoo artist, Gen (Avalon Fast). The two bond over their witchy supernatural abilities, but eventually find themselves stalked by a vampiric demon as a result of Gen’s work.
I must admit, I regrettably have not seen The Serpent’s Skin just yet, but it appears to have all the neon-soaked sensuality, gore, and middle-finger to bigotry themes that are a staple of Mackay’s work. The trailer gives off a sort of Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibe, hinting at seductive demons and dangerous romances. Why are the pretty ones always supernatural monsters? Ah well. Demons are hot (sometimes literally), and we can’t resist them. That’s kind of the point.
Now playing in select theaters.
Touch Me
Courtesy of Yellow Veil
Ever wondered what live-action Hentai would look like? Touch Me has you covered…in tentacles.
Addison Heimann’s erotic, sci-fi horror comedy leans past the tip and all the way into the monster lover themes. Joey (Olivia Taylor Dudley) finds herself completely infatuated with Brian (Lou Taylor Pucci). The man has hair that would make a L’Oréal model jealous. He mesmerizes by dancing and thrusting his hips in the sun, his chest gleaming. Oh, and he happens to be a tentacled alien beneath his human appearance. You’d think that’d be a turn off, but it’s actually his appeal, as Brian’s tentacles offer an orgasmic release that only he can provide. No one can resist him, including Joey’s best friend, Craig (Jordan Gavaris).
Sexy love triangles. Eroticism drenched in neon. Slimy tentacles enwrapping Joey and Brian’s naked bodies in positions that make the Kama Sutra look like beginner stuff. Touch Me delves into the monstrousness of manipulative men and how some manage to fool us into believing only they can satisfy us when really, they’re just a slimy Chud.
What do you think of this “Monster Lover” trend, and what are some of your favorite films in this category? Let us know in the comments below!
