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.
The Witch
This indie movie about a Puritan family targeted by malevolent forces got a lot of critical praise. What’s so fascinating about this movie is that it simultaneously plays its story completely straight — much of the dialogue is from actual 17th century accounts of witchcraft — while managing to be subversive at the same time.
Teeth
Can’t 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 — literally, teeth down there.
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
This amazingly titled and gorgeously shot black-and-white indie film isn’t really a ‘horror’ movie, but it’s 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!
Jennifer’s Body
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.
The Babadook
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 isn’t explicitly feminist, but it’s a movie about motherhood — a classic horror subject — that’s actually directed by a woman, as well as a genuinely beautiful story.
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.
Audition
Critics have debated whether this Japanese horror film is feminist or misogynistic, but this 1999 movie about a widower who holds an ‘audition’ 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!
Crimson Peak
You might’ve 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.
Ghostbusters
And finally, there’s 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 it’s now on Redbox!
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