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When you Google “horror movies directed by women” — before you even make it to “women” — this happens:
What a boys club, amirite? Though awareness about gender equality (or, rather, lack thereof) in Hollywood is spreading like wildfire thanks to a viral Tumblr campaign and a recent letter penned by it-girl Jennifer Lawrence, the struggle is still all too real. Not only are women in Hollywood paid, on average, substantially less than their male counterparts, but in a few subsets of the industry a female presence is relatively non-existent. Unfortunately, one of those male-dominated realms is the horror genre.
To call myself “a horror fan” is a gross understatement. For lack of a better pun, I believe that horror, as a movement, is the gutsiest out there. Sure, there are plenty of been-there, seen-that slasher flicks, and, to further prove my point, we’ve all had our fair share of scantily clad teen prom queens running away from male masked killers. But there’s nothing more exhilarating as a viewer than to watch a smart, gripping horror flick that pushes boundaries through inventive narratives, unnervingly striking cinematography, and provocative performances. But I’ll be frank: it pisses me off as a woman and a diehard horror junkie to only see my kind in front of the camera, often half-clothed.
Granted, there have been exceptions. You’re Next puts its strong, female protagonist on a pedestal without having her undress. Recently, The Final Girls blended parody and moxie with a tough, tactical female cast. For the last four years, primetime TV has been graced with the likes of American Horror Story‘s Jessica Lange and now Lady Gaga, which has proven more than fruitful for FX. This is progress, no doubt, but my goodness: every project mentioned is directed/created by a dude. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but horror is a genre in need of a more pronounced female gaze.
Below are ten sharp horror films directed by women ranked by their scare factor. Unfortunately, you can’t stream Amy Holden Jones’ The Slumber Party Massacre or Jennifer Chamber Lynch’s Boxing Helena, which is why they aren’t listed. If you have the means to rent them, however, I highly recommend you do so.
'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (1992)
DIRECTED BY: Fran Robel Kuzui
Rather than take itself super seriously (like screenwriter Joss Whedon would have liked), Kuzui paired with Kristy Swanson to deliver a fun (and genuinely funny) teen heroine who’s deemed her generation’s chosen one to fight the underworld. Also starring Donald Sutherland, Paul Reubens, David Arquette, and Hilary Swank in her first film role, the original Buffy is a must-watch ’90s horror delight. [Where to stream Buffy the Vampire Slayer]
'Honeymoon' (2014)
DIRECTED BY: Leigh Janiak
Starring Rose Leslie of Game of Thrones, Leigh Janiak’s Honeymoon is an exquisitely framed look at the unnerving secrets of marriage, told through a mysterious female protagonist, Bea, whose disturbing sleepwalking habit takes a turn for the violent. [Where to stream Honeymoon]
'Jennifer's Body' (2009)
DIRECTED BY: Karyn Kusama
In addition to it being horrendously under-appreciated, the Karyn Kusama-Diablo Cody fright flick was mislabeled and poorly marketed (to teens, probably) as two hours of an overly-sexed Megan Fox. OK: there are a plethora of glamour shots, but Kusama achieved not only visualizing a story from the female gaze, but also captured the deep-seated nuances of high school female friendship between Jennifer and her tongue-and-cheek follower, Needy (Amanda Seyfried). [Where to stream Jennifer’s Body]
'Near Dark' (1987)
DIRECTED BY: Kathryn Bigelow
Before The Hurt Locker and an Oscar were anywhere near her radar, Kathryn Bigelow directed a delightfully campy vampire romp (that wasn’t exactly meant to be campy upon release). Starring then no-name Adrian Pasdar (Carlito’s Way, Heroes) as an innocent farm boy turned blood-sucking roadie, Near Dark blends the familial nature of The Lost Boys with highway-to-hell elements of a fang gang to be reckoned with. [Where to stream Near Dark]
'Chained' (2012)
DIRECTED BY: Jennifer Chambers Lynch
Despite the outcry following her fascinating directorial debut, Boxing Helena, Jennifer Chambers Lynch (daughter of David Lynch) pressed on to create unique (though not always considered feminist-friendly) psychological horror explorations. Though her slice-and-dice sadist tale tanked at the box office back in 1993, it’s gone on to become a cult classic and gave way to Lynch’s later works, including Chained, a stylish, albeit disturbing film, that delves into the world of captivity and serial killer Stockholm Syndrome. [Where to stream Chained]
'Pet Sematary' (1989)
DIRECTED BY: Mary Lambert
When Stephen King adaptations are discussed, It or Children of the Corn often come to mind first, leaving the brilliant Pet Sematary out in the cold. Lambert (whose forte is directing Madonna music videos, believe it or not) managed to capture King’s pitch black humor in her reimagined tale of devilish resurrection. But other than not digging up graves, the real takeaway from Pet Sematary is to keep an eye on your kids, especially when you live next to a tractor trailer-populated highway. [Where to stream Pet Sematary]
'American Mary' (2012)
DIRECTED BY: Jen and Sylvia Soska
Twin filmmaking duo, the Soska sisters, have been making waves in the horror community since their hyper-stylish and artfully gory feature debut, American Mary: a posh take on gothic classic, Frankenstein. Katharine Isabelle plays the titular Mary Mason, a 21st Century Mary Shelley of sorts, and a fierce crafter of cadavers to boot. [Where to stream American Mary]
'A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night' (2014)
DIRECTED BY: Ana Lily Amirpour
A blend of Spaghetti Western tropes, prog-rock ballads, and high contrast black-and-white gave Iranian-American Amirpour a one-of-a-kind feature debut in addition to a wholly unique twist on traditional vampire romances. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night isn’t just one of the new millennium’s finest horror indulgences — it’s also a subtly powerful feminist ode. [Where to stream A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night]
'American Psycho' (2000)
DIRECTED BY: Mary Harron
Harron’s bloody fantastic cinematic imagining of Bret Easton Ellis’ novel of the same name offered a unique twist on psychological horror by having Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) pose as the stylish, ultra suave, disturbingly funny protagonist — but also the ax-wielding, nail-gun-admiring, saw-dropping sadist whose murderous fantasies have haunted us for the last fifteen years. [Where to stream American Psycho]
'The Babadook' (2014)
DIRECTED BY: Jennifer Kent
Emerging Australia native Jennifer Kent delivered what was arguably the spookiest fright flick of 2014 with The Babadook. A sinister bedtime story turned living nightmare, this creepy haunted house tale isn’t just a throwback to the pioneering likes of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari — it’s also a groundbreaking feminist narrative that follows widow Amelia (Essie Davis), who is tasked with raising her misbehaving young son and the emotional conflict that comes with protecting him from a storybook evil. [Where to stream The Babadook]
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