Spooky season means pumpkin spice, sweater weather, Halloween costume planning, and, of course, scary movies. But for some of us, the typical horror movie with one, over-sexualized, female character who dies in the first 15 minutes is simply not going to cut it. Looking for a spine-chilling film that frightens you, but won’t haunt your inner feminist? We’ve got you covered.
With a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this one is a crowd-favorite. Carey Mulligan plays Cassandra, a young woman who works in a coffee shop by day, and seeks vengeance for sexual assault victims by night. As the film unfolds, so does the tale of her troubled past, and comes to realize that she won’t give up on her main goal: retribution.
You’ve probably heard of this cult classic, and for good reason. Megan Fox channels her inner maneater as a teenage girl, Jennifer, who turns into a blood-thirsty demon after being sexually assaulted and sacrificed. The movie addresses female sexuality, teenhood, virginity, and much more in under two hours.
Anya Taylor-Joy made her debut performance in this 2015 film and was awarded both a Gotham Award and an Empire Award. The movie is set in 17th-century New England and follows the tale of a family whose young son goes missing, and the heart-breaking, bone-chilling, bizarre events that follow. The Witch explores the theme of sisterhood, and addresses the history of women accused of and tried for witchery.
Katie Flanagan plays deaf author Maddie Young in Hush, which she also co-wrote. Maddie is terrorized by a masked murderer throughout the film. Unable to speak and stuck in the woods with no neighbors close by, Maddie must rely on nothing but her wit and perseverance if she wants to come out alive.