Hey folks, Felicia here. As you may or may not know (probably not), I’ve been sitting on a 13 list centering around female roles in horror for probably a solid year now, at least, and now that we’re celebrating ‘Women in Horror Month,’ the time feels right for my white whale to finally surface. Thing is, I had to give up the notion that I could accomplish this myself. What you’re about to read is a joint effort from all the wonderful female writers here at Frightday (Abbie, Maggie, Elizabeth, and myself), collaborating to bring you our combined favorite and most noteworthy performances from the women who make horror great.
[customfont1]You’re Next[/customfont1]
You’re Next features Erin, a woman meeting her boyfriend’s family for the first time. She expects awkward dinners, tense moments, and getting to know the others. What she gets is an isolated home invasion situation. Erin takes the final girl trope and smashes it. She isn’t a wilting flower or a panicking mess or any other typically female archetypes. Her upbringing in a survivalist commune shines as she sets traps, fortifies the house, and defends herself and her boyfriend’s family against the intruders, who thought their job would be easy. ~E.T.
[customfont1]Eyes of My Mother[/customfont1]
Be careful what you teach your children because you might die unexpectedly and leave them to wildly misinterpret the wisdom you’ve imparted and become murderous. Francisca, played by Kika Magalhães, takes her mother’s educational background in anatomy to the extreme in this artfully shot black & white from 2016. Our anti-hero takes us on a whirlwind adventure of palpable isolation, misdirected vengefulness, and maybe not the best way to deal with grief. ~ A.S.
[customfont1]XX[/customfont1]
XX is all about female power… Female directorial power, that is. Each film in this anthology series was directed by a woman. And although some of the shorts in XX feel uneven, it’s incredibly refreshing to see unique horror stories told from a woman’s perspective. ~ A.S.
[customfont1]Byzantium[/customfont1]
The Brotherhood, a glorified boys club, makes the rules for all vampires including who has rights and privileges. In the 19th century, Clara is reluctantly allowed, but barred from every right and privilege, including making another vampire, because of her gender. Instead of following them, she steals the secret to immortality to turn her daughter and makes a life for herself. In modern times, her chosen job is a sex worker and a madam to support her daughter and allow other sex workers to work in safety. Clara fights for what and who she believes in. ~ E.T.
[customfont1]Ava’s Possessions[/customfont1]
What if you had to go to rehab following a demonic possession? That’s what happens to Ava (played by Louisa Krause) who is required to attend AA-style support meetings after her body plays brief host to an otherworldly inhabitant. An examination of the strength and perseverance necessary to pick up your life and move on following a tragedy, Ava’s Possessions sheds a neon light on the frightening process of recovery. ~M.I.
[customfont1]Slither[/customfont1]
Starla Grant (Elizabeth Banks) may seem like she’s not a fighter, but once her beloved husband becomes “all womby” with a strange, out-of-this-world sickness, she does what has to be done to survive. Banks’ perfectly portrays Grant with the perfect mix of sweetness and perseverance. After all, not all badass women are clad in leather… Some wear cardigans. ~ A.S.
[customfont1]Housebound[/customfont1]
When an angsty troublemaker is put on house arrest after a botched robbery, she must learn to adapt to being under her parents’ roof once again, which is considerably harder when said roof might just be harboring a few spooks as well. There’s a certain charm that only New Zealand cinema can provide, and Kylie’s bitter criminal turned vigilant protector is no exception. Morgana O’Reilly makes this tough-as-nails, no-nonsense, and secretly sweet character shine as she protects her family and friends from the horrors of the unknown. ~ F.S.
[customfont1]Prevenge[/customfont1]
Pregnancy is a turbulent, unpredictable, and sometimes terrifying time in a woman’s life. Writer/director/actor Alice Rowe stars as Ruth, who picks up a killer craving that has nothing to do with strange food combinations. This darkly comedic look at gestation packages self-doubt, impulsivity, and single motherdom into a bloody horror film to please a variety of audiences. ~ M.I.
[customfont1]The VVitch[/customfont1]
Thomasin is young woman who is completely devoted to her family. She does whatever they ask and doesn’t protest when her parents decide to marry her off. Once things start going badly for them, her own family turns on her and accuses her of being a witch, stemming primarily from her twin little siblings’ accusations. After trying to be good and obedient time and time again, Thomasin finally fights for herself and doesn’t accept what’s been chosen for her. She eventually finds freedom and comfort in the forbidden. ~ E.T.
[customfont1]Under the Shadow[/customfont1]
Set in 1980s Tehran during the Iran-Iraq war, Under the Shadow examines the terror of living in a war-torn region and the lore of the djinn. Narges Rashidi plays Shideh, a mother unable to return to medical school because of her prior associating with a left-leaning student group, as she elects to stay in her home throughout the city’s bombings… and her daughter’s realistic and persistent nightmares of a djinn. Rashidi’s acting comes from a place of understanding: she was born in ‘80 in Iran and remembers hearing bombings as a child. ~ M.I.
[customfont1]Raw[/customfont1]
Discovering who you are is a difficult task. And that task can become even more difficult when you discover that “you being you” means you like to regularly munch on raw human thigh meat. This unique coming-of-age film perfectly depicts how a person can try their best to hide who they are from themselves and society, but in the end, they just have to let their meat flag… I mean freak flag… fly. ~ A.S.
[customfont1]Creep 2[/customfont1]
In this highly formidable sequel to the incredible creation of Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass, Desiree Akhavan rivals the performance of her male counterpart as she attempts to out-Creep our illustrious serial killer Josef/Aaron. Whether she’s driven by selfishness for wanting her social media docu-series to gain fame and notoriety, or genuine compassion for Aaron, Desiree not only swiftly handles herself in a potentially deadly situation, she does everything in her power to avoid becoming just another victim. – F.S.
[customfont1]The Descent[/customfont1]
In this ultimate female-driven adventure, a spelunking trip gone awry leaves a group of friends trapped after a cave-in, lending itself to an extremely uncomfortable, claustrophobic nightmare. As if that visceral discomfort wasn’t enough, the women soon find that they are not alone in the cave. Grief-stricken Sarah must fight with everything she’s got as she faces her fears and struggles to escape. This legitimately terrifying film is a glowing example that strength and survival is not gender specific, which is why it tops off our list. ~F.S.