I find Horror to be such an interesting genre, but I’m often sadly disappointed by what is out there. Namely, how much horror out there depicts violence inflicted against women. I have steered clear of horror for a long time simply because of the sexualized violence against women in many slasher films, or just how many “psychological thrillers” use sexual violence to punish female characters.
However, Horror as a genre has a unique opportunity to tell the stories of people who experience oppression in their day to day lives– as any minority or woman can tell you, their lives can be quite horrific. While the primary goal of horror is to scare and shock, it usually ties into our own personal fears and experiences to achieve this. There has been a recent movement within the past couple years to reclaim horror and use it as a social commentary, and I was pleased to recently watch a couple modern horror movies that have feminist themes. As well, a unique bonus is that all films listed have female directors.
- Jennifer’s Body, 2009, Karyn Kusama
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This film wasn’t highly regarded when it was first released 10 years ago, but it has since become a cult classic. This movie, a horror black-comedy, focuses on the relationship between two high school girls, Jennifer (Megan Fox) and Needy (Amanda Seyfried). However, this relationship is tested when Jennifer is sacrificed in a blood ritual by an indie band to gain fame and fortune. However, the ritual goes wrong, and Jennifer becomes a bloodthirsty demon.
I love this movie for a variety of reasons. First of all, the dialogue is very smart and funny, which is not something that can be said for most slasher films. Secondly, its story is focused on female friendships (something that I wish more movies focused on!). Thirdly, the film has an interesting subtext about how men treat women they view as disposable objects in order to achieve their own goals, a message which became all the more poignant in the face of the MeToo movement. Despite all the horrific things Jennifer does, you can’t hate her. You pity her, and you empathize with her. She was violated, and you can’t help but cheer her on while she wreaks havoc. (Fourthly, it gave us the iconic line, “Hell is a teenage girl.”)
Jennifer’s Body is the perfect flick to watch with your best girlfriends, because the gore isn’t too much, and the scares aren’t too extreme. As well, the clever writing and jokes make it so much fun to watch with others around a bowl of popcorn.
- A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, 2014, Ana Lily Amour
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This movie might be a bit of a hard sell, as it’s in black and white, has a slow, art-house pace, and is not in English, but in Persian. But trust me. It’s worth your time.
Don’t believe me? It’s about a skateboard riding lady vampire in Iran who preys on men who do not treat women with respect. (Is that not the coolest movie premise ever?)
This movie is not only really interesting, but it is beautiful to watch. Not to sound like a pretentious film buff or anything, but it is shot beautifully and has an amazing soundtrack. Like the case with Jennifer’s Body, the violence is not too extreme, both from the black and white cinematography but also as much is left to the viewer’s imagination.
- The Love Witch, 2016, Anna Biller
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Again, this movie may be a difficult pill to swallow, as it is unique in that it has a very 60s aesthetic, poking fun at the campiness of 60s slashers. That may turn some viewers off, but it’s all part of the vision of director (and producer, writer, and editor) Anna Biller, a feminist filmmaker.
The story concerns a young witch named Elaine, who leaves her old life behind after the mysterious death of her husband. However, Elaine is obsessed with using her magic to get what she wants, even if it means hurting her friends and others. Namely, Elaine is obsessed with enchanting men to fall in love with her, which often comes with horrifying results.
This movie has the most overt feminist themes out of everything on this list, and I feel that it is definitely worth watching for its tackling of modern day feminism and its issues. However, just as easily, it can be watched and enjoyed simply for its stylized sets and costumes. As with everything else on the list, it is not overtly scary or violent, but mainly discomforting and disturbing, especially when one takes into account its commentary.
I hope you enjoyed my list of Three Feminist Horror flicks to watch. If there are any movies you feel I missed, please reach out to me on instagram at @bbethbean and bring them to my attention. I would love to watch them. Have a happy Halloween!