[Editorial] 7 Horror Films You Didn’t Know Were Directed By Women

March is the month where we get to celebrate all things ‘women in horror’, and as an outlet that looks at horror films from the female perspective, this is always exciting for us. To celebrate those who inspire us on a daily basis, we will be raising the profiles of our fellow female comrades and bolstering their work to help make sure everyone knows that women can make bloodlust look good too!

When it comes to female-directed horror films, we’ve seen an influx over the years, a great achievement for what has always been a male-dominated industry. This leaves us with an immediate checklist of films that spring to mind when someone requests a female-directed one… The Babadook by Jennifer Kent, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night by Lily Amirpour, Revenge by Coralie Fargeat, the list goes on. 

But what about the films we all just presume were made by a man? Well here are some female-directed horror films that might surprise you…

American Psycho (2000) by Mary Harron

Could a woman really translate what reads as a misogynist diary on to screen? Well yes, and Harron did a superb job with this novel adaptation. Taking the story from Brett Easton Ellis’ book of the same name, we watch as one Patrick Bateman (executed perfectly by Christian Bale) deals with stocks and shares, his pretentious ‘OCD’ and saiting his bloodthirsty need to demean and slaughter women in his plush city apartment.

As the subject matter is so derogatory towards women, it seems baffling that Harron would direct this, but she took one of the most disturbing serial killer books and made it suitable for screen, without alienating the female audience.

Pet Sematary (1989) by Mary Lambert

Another novel adaptation by a male writer, which might be the cause for thinking these films are made by men. With horror icon and author Stephen King as the creator of the original story, it once again seems logical that a man would make the film. Pet Sematary was transformed by Mary Lambert who really made the deeper meanings of the film stand out on screen.

Although at its core Pet Sematary is about people and animals coming back from the dead, it’s also a film that deals with grief and the loss of a child. Lambert handles this topic delicately and has created a film which has stood the test of time.

Kim Morrison looked at Mary Lambert’s Return to Pet Sematary in the Sequel Film

The Slumber Party Massacre (1989) by Amy Holden Jones

Girls in pink nighties fighting against a driller wielding maniac who wants to rip their clothes off and make new holes in their bodies? Must be made by a man right? Wrong. This 80s slasher film is often forgotten about when it comes to films directed by females, but it’s one that should always stand out. The 80s had an abundance of ‘female gaze’, misogynistic films, especially when it came to the slasher so Amy Holden Jones’ film was a breath of fresh air. 

The film went on to spawn several sequels, all of which were directed by women and featured strong female characters in. In 2021 the franchise was brought back by Danishka Esterhazy who added even more satire and made it even more known that these slasher films are made by women who love horror just as much as men. 

Ariel Powers-Schaub looked at how The Slumber Party Massacre is a feminist film

Near Dark (1987) by Kathryn Bigelow

It’s that era again when films just don’t seem like they would have been made by a woman because it was so male dominated, but that’s not necessarily the case at all. Near Dark is time and time again cited as an underrated horror film that doesn’t get enough praise, but we’re here to shout about it from the rooftops.

You’ve got a Western element, you’ve got bikers and most importantly, you’ve got vampires. What more could you want from a film? Near Dark is a wild ride of a fangs film, but Bigelow’s creativity and unique storytelling bites through every scene.

The Hitch-Hiker (1953) by Ida Lupino

We’re going even further back now to look at an era where successful women were often considered as a threat to men. The 50s isn’t particularly well known for it’s forward-thinking views on women, which is why it was such an accomplishment for female director Ida Lupino to release the provocative The Hitch-Hiker. 

Two men pick up a hitchhiker when driving, and it’s not long before they are held at gunpoint by the man while he decides if he’s going to kill them. Lupino gives the audience a portrayal of male dominance and translates this across her three male characters, creating a bleak and claustrophobic film. 

Read Rebecca McCallum’s article ‘Horror Meets Noir in Ida Lupino’s The Hitch-Hiker’

Blood Diner (1987) by Jackie Kong

With excessive gore and a focus on killing women, there’s no wonder many believe that Blood Diner was made by a man, but actually this creation came from female director Jackie Kong. It has often been cited as a follow up to Herschell Gordon-Lewis’ 1963 film Blood Feast, which might be the reason why so many do not realise this has a woman director. 

Two brothers use their restaurant as a ruse to their sick and depraved sacrifices, in which they slaughter women and collect their dismembered body parts to help summon an ancient Goddess. It’s completely bonkers, has a lot of gore and is just so much fun to watch. 

In My Skin / Dans Ma Peau (2002) by Marina de Van

New French Extremity is a niche sub-genre within horror that might be one that has always been fairly dominated by female directors. Even though the more notorious films like Martyrs, Inside and High Tension were all made by men, there’s an abundance made by women too. 

One notable film is In My Skin from Marina de Van, which follows Esther as she discovers auto-cannibalism and a need to control her life through self-mutilation and consumption. It is a very heavy watch, but seeing de Van star as Esther just goes to show that this film really is a personal piece of work. Some other female-directors to note are Claire Denis, Catherine Breillat, Coralie Trinh Thi and later  Julia Ducournau. 

Read my review of In My Skin which looks at why this extreme film is one of the best

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