Coda: Women in Horror: Woman’s Vision

Women in Horror Month

Where is the Woman’s

Vision

By: Theresa Dillion

February is national Women in Horror Month. It’s a time to celebrate the vision and voice from female, genre writers and filmmakers. As a female horror fan, I should be shouting from the rooftops all the great female horror films that are out there for you to explore. But I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Like most of society, I can only name a handful of female directed horror movies. I feel like a failure and imposter to my sex when I can’t vocally express the impact that females have made on the horror industry.

Is the industry itself to blame? The white male has dominated Hollywood since its inception and even when it comes to awarding the best filmmakers out there, only five women directors have ever been nominated for a Best Director Oscar and only one has won it (Katherine Bigelow for The Hurt Locker).

The six major studios (Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Bros, Universal Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Walt Disney Studios and Paramount Pictures) are devoting more of their resources to fewer movies with higher budgets, favoring $100-million-plus comic book and visual-effects-driven films over the comedies, dramas and genre (ie: horror) films that have more often been taken up by women.

Maybe as a film goer, I am to blame for not seeking out my own sex’s voice.

All blaming aside, we’re now at a pivotal moment. The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements are shifting conversations and, hopefully, studios’ minds on backing women’s films. Big time actresses are beginning to invest in their own production studios to get more women’s work out there to be seen. Drew Barrymore is even slated to produce a horror anthology series for CW entitled “Black Rose Anthology”.

And with so many streaming options to choose from, now is a great time to explore the woman’s voice you haven’t heard before. I know it’s what I plan to do this month.

If you need a good starting point, I do have 5 recommendations to lead you down a good direction.

1. The Babadook – I am not a mother. I would like to be some day but I’m not going lie, motherhood scares me. The Babadook puts that fear and anxiety of parenthood at the center of this monster flick.

2. American Mary – Revenge is sweet and gets a little out of control in this body horror film by the Soska sisters.

3. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night – To see a Persian woman in such a powerful role was extremely satisfying from start to finish. Not to mention the amazing soundtrack and beautifully shot black & white scenes.

4. The Invitation – If cults didn’t scare you before, they will now. I felt utterly sick after viewing this film by KarynKusama and had to go do something nice to get my mind off the lingering ending.