I would like to start this article out by saying: I am not a horror movie guru. In fact, before two years ago, I wouldn’t be caught dead watching anything remotely scary – and to be completely honest, I could hardly sit through a full length film. When people asked me what my favorite movies were, I would shrug and say: “I don’t know… I guess I’m not really a movie person!”
Reflecting upon this past perspective, I’ve come to realize that my aversion to movies had nothing to do with my attention span, as I attributed it (I had no problem reading entire books in one sitting, or binging hours of ‘Sex and the City’). I think the reason that I didn’t like movies was because I didn’t see myself in them. I can hear what you’re thinking: “How can you write off an entire form of media like that?” Honestly, the answer is that I have no idea. But truly, I thought that serious movies were the domain of the infamous Letterboxd male manipulator, and while girly movies were fun, they weren’t engaging or relatable.
The first time that I felt completely engrossed in a movie was during my senior year of high school, watching ‘The Shining’ in a film studies class (that I was forced to take, by the way). I was completely captured by Shelley Duvall – by her expressions, her demeanor, and most of all, (spoilers ahead!!) by her escape from her crazed husband at the end of the movie.
For so long I was convinced that horror movies were simply vehicles for men to victimize women, leaving the “final girl” alive only to be a fantasy for the male gaze. However, I realized quickly that while that trope does exist, it does not encompass the entire genre. In fact, I would argue that more than any other genre of film, horror has the most potential to spark real change with rich social commentary.
If you’re a girl who, like me, considers herself “not a movie person,” I urge you to give horror a try. Not only are there so many incredible films out there that you’re missing out on – starring beautiful, powerful, complicated women – but if we can diversify the audiences of these films, maybe we can alter their content too, minimizing the offensive male-centered content that made me hate the genre in the first place. Below are some (spoiler-free) reviews of my current fav girl-horror movies. Get watching!!!
‘Companion,’ Starring Sophie Thatcher
First off, I love Sophie Thatcher. I first watched her in ‘Yellowjackets,’ a Paramount series about teenage soccer-playing cannibals (which is also awesome, BTW) and she did not disappoint. About a girl in a loving relationship who turns out to be a sex-bot, ‘Companion’ is the perfect balance of thrill, satire, social commentary, and humor. Although I went into the theater thinking that I knew everything that was going to happen, I was still shocked every step of the way. If you’re ok with seeing a little blood, I could not recommend this movie more. Especially if you’re a romance movie fan (it was made by the creators of ‘The Notebook’, after all).
Fear level: 3/10
Gore level: 7/10
My rating: 8.5/10
‘Us,’ Starring Lupita Nyong’o
‘Us’ is one of those movies where you really need to wait until the very last second to pass judgement. As you watch, more and more layers unfold, like an incredible narrative puzzle. The movie follows a family visiting their vacation home when they receive strange company: carbon copies of themselves. This movie is certainly frightening, but not without payoff. The commentary is so beautiful and the characters are so nuanced that the horror almost feels like an accessory to the storytelling. Not to mention, Lupita Nyong’o’s performance is a masterpiece. I literally couldn’t pull my eyes away from the screen when she was on. I’m always blown away by actors who manage to play multiple roles in one film, and make them so undoubtedly distinct.
Fear level: 7/10
Gore level: 6/10
My rating: 10/10
The X Trilogy, Starring Mia Goth
Speaking about actors playing multiple roles in their movies, I have to talk about Mia Goth in the X trilogy. Although she did have some help from SFX makeup (I won’t say more… you simply have to watch for yourself), her range is undeniable. This trilogy starts with X, which follows a film crew attempting to produce a series of adult films on an old farm. However, they face issues when they meet the elderly farmer’s wife. This trilogy might be a hard watch for the more squeamish of you, but I could not recommend it more. It’s visually stunning, narratively genius, and deeply satisfying to watch the pieces come together in the prequel, ‘Pearl,’ and the sequel, ‘MaXXXine.’
Fear level: 4.5/10
Gore level: 7/10
My rating: 7/10