Women in Horror: Making a Comeback

Horror is one of the most beloved genres of cinephiles due to its complexity and uniquely violent approaches. It’s earned a place in the hearts of many for its parallels to reality, forcing us to reflect on our own lives after the credits roll. Horror requires a specific type of audience to truly understand the film’s gravity and look past all the blood and gore, but it also needs a certain type of crew to execute that film perfectly. Horror has been a male-dominated genre for years and women have always been the side characters or the victims, but as of 2020, women in horror have not only been on the rise, but they’re becoming the stars – and they’re killing it. 

To kick us off, one of the most acclaimed films of the year was Midsommar, a film about a woman who travels to Sweden with her boyfriend and his clique, only to fall victim to the cruel traditions of a Swedish cult. At the beginning of the film, Dani is nearly codependent as she leans on her partner, Christian, while she copes with the death of her parents and sister. However, Christian seemingly wants nothing to do with her and just wants to enjoy his prime years with the boys. By the conclusion of the film, Dani ends up sacrificing Christian to the cult, burning him alive in the skin of a bear, along with his closest friends and some other cult sacrifices. She leaves us with a smile in the final scene, signaling that she finally feels free and at home after these past few horrible years. Dani’s development throughout the movie clearly demonstrates her societal role as a woman: She surrounds her whole life around this man considering he is all that she has left, but when she is lovebombed by the cult, her mindset changes… She begins to realize that since her immediate family is dead, true family is chosen. Not only that, but these people accept her for who she is instead of picking and choosing when they want to love her – something Dani cannot resist after being with Christian for two years. This film encapsulates what it’s like to go from putting on a face for everyone else to being your own person. Dani’s development is so admirable because even though she had nothing left, she did not choose to succumb to whatever was best for the group, she chose to put that man in a bear suit and light him up because he was never what she really wanted, she just wanted to be loved. She did not have the strength to make this decision when she first arrived, but now? Dani has transformed into a cold-blooded killer – and she’s happier than ever. 

After looking at this modern film, it’s amazing to see how the depiction of women has changed so drastically compared to a classic movie such as The Shining. If you’ve seen The Shining, you know the most iconic scene where Jack Nicholson chops through a door with an axe before dropping the classic “Here’s Johnny!” line. However, this scene wouldn’t be half as memorable without the help of his costar, Shelley Duvall, as she plays the distressed wife fearing for her life. Both of their characters throughout the film are represented through this scene, as Jack remains an unpredictable, erratic, and irritable, husband to his cautious and caring wife, Wendy. This makes a little more sense when you think about the social circumstances of when this movie was made, as it was produced back in the 80s when women maintained a completely different role than they do today. In the early 80s, women still struggled to break out of the role of caretakers and housekeepers, which is especially prominent in this movie as Wendy constantly tries to please Jack and stay out of his way while he works endlessly on his novel. Although this is such a classic movie which I love with all my heart, I catch myself wishing Wendy had done a little more. She tends to spend the movie cooking, cleaning, taking care of her son, and then screaming her head off when her husband goes mad. 

However, if you pay close attention to the exposition of the film, it’s clear that Jack was always a monster. Wendy explains that he had once hurt their son, Danny, while drunk, but she plays it off as if it’s no big deal. It’s apparent that Wendy’s character is a strong, yet, submissive woman who loves her child more than anything, but the weight of society rests on every woman’s shoulders, bounding her to her once beloved husband. She then only leaves Jack when it truly becomes life or death for her and Danny. Although Wendy didn’t act until push came to shove, she is such a memorable character and it’s so exciting to see how her role in the movie became so iconic, especially after her spot in the book was so small. 

Horror wouldn’t be what it is today without the work of our amazing women throughout the years. From iconic screams to new sacrifices, women continue to grow and surprise us on and off the screen. We tend to focus on what scares us, but we must take the time to really appreciate the things that make our films beautiful: the amazing women who make the terror come to life.