The 2001 Slasher That Everyone Loves to Hate
Honestly, if you grew up in the early 2000s, you probably remember the posters. A creepy, blank-faced Cupid mask. A cast of "it" girls including Denise Richards, Katherine Heigl, and Marley Shelton. It was the peak of the post-Scream slasher boom, and the Denise Richards Valentine movie—simply titled Valentine—was supposed to be the next big thing.
But then it came out.
Critics absolutely shredded it. We're talking an 11% on Rotten Tomatoes. People called it formulaic, derivative, and basically a "dud." Yet, here we are over two decades later, and horror fans won't stop talking about it. It’s become this weirdly essential cult classic that people revisit every February. Why? Well, it’s not just because Denise Richards plays a "sassy and witty" socialite who meets a gruesome end in a hot tub. It's because the movie is a total time capsule of 2001 aesthetics and some of the most bizarre creative choices in horror history.
What was the Denise Richards Valentine movie actually about?
The plot is basically a "revenge is a dish best served cold" setup. In 1988, a nerdy kid named Jeremy Melton gets brutally rejected and humiliated by a group of girls at a junior high dance. He gets beaten up, his nose bleeds (a major plot point), and he basically disappears into a mental institution.
Fast forward thirteen years.
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The girls are all grown up, living in San Francisco, and suddenly they start receiving these twisted Valentine’s Day cards signed "JM." It doesn't take a genius to figure out Jeremy is back, but there's a catch: he’s had massive plastic surgery. He could be any of the guys they’re dating.
Denise Richards plays Paige Prescott, and she is easily the highlight. While some of the other characters feel a bit "final girl" generic, Paige is unapologetically herself. She’s wealthy, she’s blunt, and she has zero patience for mediocre men. There’s a scene where she goes on a speed-dating marathon that feels painfully relatable even now.
The Hot Tub Scene: A Slasher Icon
You can't talk about the Denise Richards Valentine movie without talking about the hot tub. It is the scene. Paige is at a massive Valentine’s Day party at a mansion, and she decides to hop in the jacuzzi.
Suddenly, Cupid shows up.
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Instead of a knife, he uses a power drill. It’s stylized, it’s tense, and it’s surprisingly mean-spirited. Richards actually did a lot of her own work in that sequence, and it remains one of the most memorable kills of that era. There’s something about the bright red dress she wears earlier in the film and the contrast of the blue water that just sticks in your brain.
Why the critics were wrong (and right)
Look, Valentine isn't Hereditary. It’s not trying to be "elevated horror." Director Jamie Blanks, who also did Urban Legend, was clearly leaning into the glossy, big-budget slasher vibe.
- The Mystery: Unlike a lot of slashers where you know who the killer is ten minutes in, Valentine actually tries to be a whodunit. Is it David Boreanaz's character, Adam? Is it the creepy neighbor?
- The Visuals: The cinematography by Rick Bota is actually pretty slick. It has that high-gloss, early-2000s sheen that feels nostalgic now.
- The Tone: It's kind of a mess, honestly. It jumps from "girl power" vibes to "misogynistic revenge fantasy" at a breakneck pace. But that's part of why it's so fascinating to watch today.
Behind the Scenes Chaos
Making this movie wasn't exactly a walk in the park. Did you know David Boreanaz shot all of his scenes in less than two weeks? He was busy filming Angel at the time. Katherine Heigl only had three days on set because she was tied up with Roswell.
The production was rushed, and the script went through multiple writers. Originally, it was supposed to be set on a college campus, much closer to the Tom Savage novel it’s based on. But the studio wanted to chase the success of Scream, so they turned it into a "slasher in the city" flick.
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Richard Kelly—the guy who made Donnie Darko—was actually offered the chance to direct it first. He turned it down to do his own thing. Can you imagine a Richard Kelly version of this? It would have been absolutely insane.
The Legacy of the Cupid Mask
The killer’s look is genuinely top-tier. That cherub mask with the bleeding nose is way creepier than it has any right to be. In a sea of Ghostface clones, the Valentine killer felt distinct.
Even though the "double twist" ending makes almost no sense if you think about it for more than five seconds, the final shot of the movie is haunting. It’s one of those endings that leaves you feeling a bit icky, which is exactly what a good slasher should do.
Is it worth a rewatch?
If you haven't seen the Denise Richards Valentine movie since it was on a scratched DVD in 2004, you should probably give it another look. It’s campy. It’s stylish. It has a soundtrack that is basically a "Who's Who" of 2001 nu-metal and rock (Deftones, Linkin Park, Marilyn Manson).
Is it a "good" movie? Probably not in the traditional sense. But is it an entertaining slasher that captures a very specific moment in pop culture? Absolutely.
What to do next:
If you're looking to dive deeper into 2000s horror, your best bet is to track down the Scream Factory Blu-ray release of Valentine. It has a ton of behind-the-scenes interviews where the cast and director basically apologize for the movie while explaining how much fun they had making it. It gives you a lot of context on why the film turned out the way it did. Afterward, pair it with Urban Legend for the ultimate Jamie Blanks double feature.