The Final Ranking: Watching Ten Woman-Directed Horror Films
Cannibalism, gender wars and satire are what make up the woman-directed horror films I watched this October.
It’s been a month of woman-directed horror films, and I feel so happy I’ve managed to watch so many of them, especially in a genre I don’t usually seek out. As a woman myself, women have always been at the heart of my interest in film, as I love watching the world from a woman’s perspective - the female gaze. As I’ve gone through these films, I’ve noticed some consistent trends in character and horror tropes. So here is my personal ranking, not an objective list. If you disagree, let me know! I want to hear your thoughts on your favourite woman-led horror film.
The Slumber Party Massacre (Amy Holden Jones, 1982)
This film being the last in the ranking does not mean I didn’t enjoy it. It’s an enjoyable watch as a product of 80s cheese with its melodrama and lively score, but as far as filmmaking goes, it is basic. I also think it failed to do what it set out to do, which was to be a parody of the slasher, when it actually is just a slasher.
Piggy (Carlota Pereda, 2022)
Piggy has such an interesting premise for a moral dilemma film, the characters are very well written and are accurate portrayals of girls of this time. The imagery of rural Spain is so masculine and adds to Sara’s isolation, but ultimately I didn’t find this to be particularly scary, and I think the main character’s isolation could have been explored further.
Fresh (Mimi Cave, 2022)
This film really captures the state of the current online dating world really well, until it suddenly becomes a bit absurd. It’s gruesome and frightening, everything a horror film should be, but the story starts to become quite predictable, leading to wooden performances and an overdone soundtrack. I still think it is worth a watch to some, though, and it really missed out by going straight to streaming.
Censor (Prano Bailey-Bond, 2021)
This film is very aesthetically satisfying, especially watching it for the first time when I knew very little about Video Nasties; it really takes the bleakness of 80s Britain and uses that as a horror tool itself. I also love the original idea, a horror film about a horror film censor, but I felt it went off on a bit of a tangent, from being a gritty realist to going down the psychological horror route; I didn’t find it as compelling as I thought I would.
American Psycho (Mary Harron, 2000)
Mary Harron’s satire remains more relevant than ever, and American Psycho has aged incredibly well. I think it is one of the most interesting characters to come out of cinema, continuing to be idolised to this day, whether the spectator understands the irony or not.
Bodies Bodies Bodies (Halina Reijn, 2022)
A horror film for the chronically online, I absolutely loved this and found it so witty. It was just my kind of humour, whilst also still making me jump out of my seat. The casting is sharp, with a diverse cast. I might actually go rewatch it again now.
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (Ana Lily Amirpour, 2014)
I loved this way more than I was expecting to, perhaps because it was not at all what I expected it to be about. The cinematography is gorgeous and really contrasts the bloodiness of the girl who is a vampire and her way of using seduction as a tool. The film is filled with clever MacGuffins and clues; I can’t wait to watch more of Amirpour’s work.
Jennifer’s Body (Karyn Kusama, 2009)
Another film where a girl uses seduction as a tool to control and kill, Fox’s performance is frightening in this. I love how the film balances the horror genre with a high school rites of passage film, and it still includes vital elements of both genres, combining girlhood and friendship with satanic murder.
Raw (Julia Ducournau, 2016)
The most uncomfortable watch of this series, but perhaps one of my favourite forms of horror: body horror. But the film isn’t just gruesome; it explores the boundaries of Justine’s ethics and her guilt of going against them; it’s almost biblical.
Revenge (Coralie Fargeat, 2017)
Revenge is completely unpredictable, which is why it’s number one for me. I had no idea what it was about (do not watch the trailer!), but for a film that is almost ten years old, I really think it’s unique. Fargeat plays with Sahara syndrome through trippy cinematography, and the aesthetic is so reflective of the 2010s; I think this is a horror film for everyone.
Themes:
So many of these films had elements of cannibalism in them, particularly when using cannibalism as a form of energy and power (Fresh, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, Jennifer’s Body, Raw).
Quite often, women were being killed by men, or women were killing men; I noticed that the films often put the genders against each other, either to highlight how women are more subject to violence from men than vice versa (The Slumber Party Massacre, Piggy, Fresh, American Psycho), or to create a fantastical world where women utilise their womanly ways to entice men, taking back their sexuality, and killing them (Censor, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, Jennifer’s Body, Revenge).
A lot of these films were also satires or parodies, which, when mixed with horror, can make such a delicious result (The Slumber Party Massacre, American Psycho, Bodies Bodies Bodies).
All of these films are so different, but so many of them are so overlooked. All in all, I would actually recommend all of them, but they are definitely each for different audiences.
Thank you to those of you who gave me some recommendations and for following along. Finally, I want to ask: what is your favourite woman-directed horror film, and is it on this list?
To watch all of my reviews for each film, head to my TikTok page or Substack Notes, and let me know what you think of my review or what you thought of each film too.
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