Like most arenas in the entertainment industry, the world of horror is male-dominated. Directors such as Ari Aster, Ti West, and Mike Flanagan have impressed fans with their varying methods and storytelling abilities. But that isn’t to say that women don’t have a place in the horror industry.
There are many horror film classics that some have forgotten only came into being by virtue of their spiritual mothers. From the obscure to the famous, women have been spinning tales just as harrowing as the men who are so often celebrated. And though women aren’t always highlighted in the horror space, the competition is steep for picking the best feature films. Here are the most shocking and iconic horror films with a female director.
10. Pet Sematary – Mary Lambert
The scariest Stephen King books are always a prime source for source material — just ask Mike Flanagan. But when it comes to some of the darkest material the horror author has ever written, look no further than Pet Sematary. Directed by Mary Lambert, the 1989 film portrays every parent’s worst nightmare, which is why King himself didn’t want the book published.
Following the Creed family after a move to Maine, the family is devastated when a semi hits and kills young Gage (Miko Hughes). Louis (Dale Midkiff) buries his tragically young son in in the titular cemetery, hoping that the Native American burial ground will resurrect him. Sure enough, Gage returns from the dead, but as a ghoulish monster version of his former self. Though some elements of the movie admittedly did not age well, it is one of the bleakest King films to date. Louis doesn’t learn from his mistake, and continues to resurrect family members who are taken out. Pairing that with Rachel (Denise Crosby) being haunted by her sister, who suffered from spinal meningitis, it’s easy to see why King wasn’t keen on putting something so dark out into the world.
9. Silent House – Chris Kentis and Laura Lau
Predating Elizabeth Olsen as the reality-destroying Scarlet Witch, the actor devastated audiences in one of her early films. Directed by Laura Lau and her husband, Chris Kentis, Silent House builds on psychological horror until it explodes into violence. Appearing as though in one continuous shot, the film follows Sarah (Olsen) for a disturbing 90 minutes as she attempts to escape something ominous in her family home. An efficient film that deals with the nature of trauma, Silent House should not be missed. And don’t forget about that twist.
8. Jennifer’s Body – Karyn Kusama
Unfairly maligned when it premiered in 2009, Jennifer’s Body has achieved cult-favorite status in recent years. An exercise in feminist horror, the film depicts the events following a vicious attack on a high school girl. Believing Jennifer (Megan Fox) to be a virgin, a band that practices satanic magic sacrifices her to achieve fame and fortune. Pulling away from sexist tropes in horror, Jennifer’s sexuality turns her into a man-eating demon wreaking havoc in their small town. With tongue-in-cheek dialogue and intelligent themes, Kusama’s underrated classic of the late aughts is more than meets the eye.
7. American Psycho – Mary Harron
Christian Bale’s performance as Patrick Bateman took the world by storm, but its central conflict is still misunderstood. Based on the book by Brett Easton Ellis, American Psycho is a satiric look at the vapid, yuppie-infested world of the ‘80s. Mary Harron’s interpretation of Bateman is remembered as a famous serial killer, but let’s not forget that he doesn’t kill anyone in the film.
His psychosis stems from his inability to connect with others — not to mention, he imagines he is killing everyone around him. An indictment of American ideals like capitalism, individualism, and the concomitant lack of empathy that these ideals depend on, American Psycho is, at its heart, a brilliant piece of filmmaking.
6. Ravenous – Antonia Bird
A horror comedy set following the Mexican-American War of the 1840’s, Ravenous is a film that depicts the often underrepresented tale of the Wendigo, a monster from Native American folklore. Similar to other movie monsters, this creature feasts on blood to gain its power, but with far more disturbing implications. Guy Pearce stars as John Boyd, a veteren who decides to play dead under a pile of corpses to survive the war. In his predicament, he swallows the blood of the dead, which starts his transition into a Wendigo.
Ravenous is a black comedy that combines the terror of John’s predicament — and his will to resist his base nature — with outrageous performances. Also starring Trainspotting’s Robert Carlyle, the film excels in writing, casting, and its haunting musical score.
5. Candyman – Nia DaCosta
The franchise that catapulted Tony Todd into a genre icon, the Candyman series is quite prolific. However, in recent years, there has been a push to honor the original content by doing a straight sequel to the original. Nia DaCosta’s 2021 Candyman sequel did just that, as it followed the little boy from the first film into adulthood. Decades after Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) falls at the hands of the urban legend, Anthony (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) starts to experience similar happenings.
Candyman has always been a metaphor for race in America, and the film is a worthy sequel in that regard. It also posits that Candyman isn’t necessarily one person, but a curse that can affect anyone caught in the riptide. The film stays true to the original intent of the series as well as advancing the lore of previous films.
4. Raw – Julia Ducournau
College is hard enough without the added pressure of coming from a line of Wendigos. A metaphor for coming of age, as well as the trauma passed down from your parents, Raw fires on all cylinders. The French film focuses on Justine (Garance Marilier), a freshman in a veterinarian program. Raised as a vegetarian her entire life, her entire world changes when she ingests meat during a hazing ritual. Showing the brutality of the female experience in no uncertain terms, Raw is a rare film. Unafraid to show women as bloody, unapologetic, and — of course — horrific, it will be a long time before we see its like again.
3. Near Dark – Kathryn Bigelow
Before Adrian Pasdar was an ambitious flying politician on NBC’s Heroes, he was just a simple farm boy out of his depth in Kathryn Bigelow’s Near Dark. The director would later find critical acclaim for her war drama, The Hurt Locker, but her 1987 vampire feature isn’t anything to scoff at. It is one of the most relevant vampire films that doesn’t just pretend to be romantic. It actually is.
After Caleb (Pasdar) meets the mysterious Mae (Jenny Wright), he falls head over heels only to be inducted into her ravenous vampire family. While the plot may seem similar to the Twilight Saga, this is where Near Dark veers in another direction. Bigelow’s vampires are actually scary, and there are high stakes to their crimes. For all the affection that Caleb has for his lady vampire love, he knows what is more important. Saving her from the eternal damnation of her family. For some reason, Near Dark is only popular in cult spaces, even though it is one of the most significant additions to modern vampire film.
2. The Babadook – Jennifer Kent
In the eternal words of Vernon from FXX’s You’re the Worst, “I regret watching The Babadook. It was so scary.” That is the genius of the film, and why it is always in the conversation. The Babadook is horror at its best, taking supernatural entities and making them a metaphor for real-life horrors. Amelia (Essie Davis) has many relatable anxieties, especially in the wake of becoming a single mother to her son, Samuel (Noah Wiseman). With his behavioral issues and a creepy book with the top-hatted villain terrorizing them, The Babadook becomes a genuine 94-minute trek of terror. Female experiences like these are prime material for the most harrowing content, so much so that you feel like you are in the film yourself.
1. A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night – Lily Ana Amirpour
Long before Flanagan twisted the vampire genre in Netflix’s Midnight Mass, there was Lily Ana Amirpour. Vampirism always has the benefit of underlying metaphors, and the director uses that to great effect. Set in the fictional setting of Bad City, where poverty and drugs are rampant, one girl does something most women know not to do. But with vampirism on her side, The Girl (Sheila Vand) does not fear walking on her own at night. A fully feminist text that holds up a mirror to society, Amirpour’s black-and-white venture is artistic and immersive, and a film that is sadly under-watched, like so many of the films on this list.