The horror genre is a famously mixed bag in regards to treatment of women, but there are definitely some great feminist horror films out there if you prefer your Halloween flicks with a side of patriarchy-smashing. Whether you like movies that are scary, sexy, or silly, here are 9 movies that are Halloween-appropriate and empowering to boot.Â
The Witch
This indie movie about a Puritan family targeted by malevolent forces got a lot of critical praise. Whatâs so fascinating about this movie is that it simultaneously plays its story completely straight â much of the dialogue is from actual 17th century accounts of witchcraft â while managing to be subversive at the same time.Â
Teeth
Canât wait until November 8 for pussy to grab back? Put on this indie horror comedy about a teenage girl who discovers she has vagina dentate â literally, teeth down there.Â
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
This amazingly titled and gorgeously shot black-and-white indie film isnât really a âhorrorâ movie, but itâs about an Iranian chick vampire who kills drug dealers and pimps in a chador, has sexual tension with a sexy James Dean type, listens to hipster music, and skateboards. Skateboards! Â Â
Jenniferâs Body Â
Diablo Cody (Juno) wrote the script and Karyn Kusama (Girlfight, The Invitation) directed this horror comedy starring Megan Fox as a cheerleader possessed by a man-eating demon and Amanda Seyfried as her best friend.Â
The BabadookÂ
A critically acclaimed Australian film about a grieving widow and her son who are terrorized by a monster from a mysterious pop-up book, The Babadook isnât explicitly feminist, but itâs a movie about motherhood â a classic horror subject â thatâs actually directed by a woman, as well as a genuinely beautiful story.Â
The Descent
A British movie about six women exploring caves underground who find themselves hunted by flesh-eating monsters, The Descent has strong reviews as well as a strong all-female cast. Â
Audition
Critics have debated whether this Japanese horror film is feminist or misogynistic, but this 1999 movie about a widower who holds an âauditionâ to meet his next wife is notorious for being extremely disturbing. If you like J-horror franchises like Ring or The Grudge or their American remakes, see if you can stomach this one! Â
Crimson Peak
You mightâve heard that Tom Hiddleston shows his butt in this, but this Guillermo del Toro gothic romance also has Mia Wasikowska and a vampy Jessica Chastain duking it out in a classic haunted mansion straight out of Jane Eyre.Â
GhostbustersÂ
And finally, thereâs the new Ghostbusters! The movie got a ton of hate from sexists online even before it was even released, with trolls going as far as to launch a coordinated hate campaign against star Leslie Jones, but it got positive reviews for its knockout cast and itâs now on Redbox! Â
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