Happy Goat Horror

Dark bleatings, my tribe! As I’ve said in a previous post, I don’t know if Women in Horror Month is still a thing (or if it’s this month or next month), but I want to celebrate it regardless. I’ve had numerous (short) conversations with people that either assume or insist that women just aren’t that involved in making horror. I had one particular chat with a guy once that told me that he will not read or watch any horror written or directed by women, because women are incapable of making a good horror movie or writing a scary story. And to that I say, “that’s simply not true, sir” and also, “ah, f*** off.”

Here is a selection of some of my favourite horror movies directed by women. The reason a lot of films from the last few years are missing is most likely because I have barely watched any films at all in the last few years. Please, by all means, recommend the absolute bangers that I don’t yet know are awesome!

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Based on the novel of the same name by Lionel Shriver (also a woman, by the way), the movie is directed by Lynne Ramsay, and stars Tilda Swinton as the mother of an extremely troubled boy who…let’s just say does not grow into the fine young man that a parent might hope for. This falls into the real-world horror category, and for me personally, is the most horrifying film of this ilk.

The Invitation (2015)

This sneaky little belter directed by Karyn Kusama is the slow-burning, increasingly tense tale of Will, told over one evening, when he and his girlfriend are invited to a dinner party by his ex-wife and her new partner, along with a group of mutual friends, plus some new faces. It’s weird and unsettling immediately, though it’s hard to put your finger on why, which is frustrating for Will when he expresses his discomfort, as even his girlfriend thinks he’s paranoid because everyone seems very nice. This is a layered film that centres subtlety and insinuation over balls-to-the-wall chaos, and its execution is flawless.

Jennifer’s Body

Also directed by Karyn Kusama, which only goes to show her range because this is almost the complete opposite of The Invitation. It’s supernatural, louder, and much bloodier. The handling of the bloodier, more violent scenes is fantastic (reminded me of Sam Raimi’s work). There’s an undercurrent of dark comedy running beneath this one but make no mistake, this is not any sort of horror spoof. Jennifer is a gorgeous, seemingly perfect, high school senior that is used as a satanic sacrifice, only the key ingredient for said sacrifice is a virgin, and Jennifer isn’t one. Because of this, the ritual goes awry, and Jennifer…er…changes. This is not a vapid movie of no substance (despite some of its earlier reviews). It’s a clever, ballsy, satirical commentary on the objectification and abuse of young woman (not to mention the blame placed on them when they’re the victims of crimes), handled in a highly entertaining and visceral way.

You Are Not My Mother

This horror written and directed by Kate Dolan scared the bejeesus out of me (I shouldn’t have watched it alone in the middle of the night). I sort of threw it on at random just to pass some time, and ended up terrified for many different reasons. This is another expertly layered narrative with several angles, all of which worm their way into your nerves. A teenage girl has a difficult homelife with her mother but things get extra difficult when her mum, who is always a bit off, suddenly seems much more off. It’s an Irish masterpiece that went under the radar, that infuses some of the scariest Gaelic folklore.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

This preceded the show and is directed by Fran Rubel Kuzai. It probably fits comedy a little better than horror, truthfully, but it’s a lot of fun and without this movie, the show most probably would never have come into being. For those who – somehow – don’t know what this is about, Buffy is a high school student who also happens to be the one and only vampire slayer, the chosen one. Vampires infest the town and it’s up to her to slay them and take down the head honcho vamp. It’s silly and funny, and probably a bit dated by now, but it set up a cultural phenomenon and is a laugh.

The Babadook

Written and directed by Jennifer Kent. I’ve surprised myself by putting this on my list, because I’ve watched it once and probably never will again. This is a grey, dark, depressing film about a mother who never recovered from post-natal depression and struggles with the emotional disconnect between her and her child. The monstrous visual and audible metaphor of the babadook really freaked me out and made me anxious, and both thematically and in terms of plot, this is relentlessly grim and feels like it’s heading in the worst possible directions for the characters. So a solid, effective horror story.

The Lodge

This is directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, and sits in the mental health horror subgenre, and I think it did a lot more with the storytelling than you might expect from something like this. A young woman is basically the stepmother to two kids that hate her because their dad left their mum for her, and their mum did not take this well. They go to a remote cabin for a vacation, but dad is irresponsible enough to prioritise a call and leaves them right before a pending snowstorm that will trap them. It seems that this poor woman’s sanity is quickly slipping but, as I said, there’s much more to this than it seems. It’s chilling final scene really solidified this for me as one of the scariest explorations of this topic.

Pet Sematary (1989)

Directed by Mary Lambert, one of the very few directors to ever do justice to a screen version of a Stephen King novel, this is the story of Louis and his family, who move to a new house that sits between a very busy road and a hidden cemetery that lies beyond a popular pet graveyard. Tragedy strikes, and thanks to some ancient magic, the tragedy continues and veers sharply into one of the most horrific situations imaginable for a parent. It captures the grief and tone of the original novel, and though I’m sure people who watch it for the first time now might find parts of it a bit dated, it’s a solid adaptation and a well-executed, horrifying story.

Saint Maud

Oooooh boy. This is directed by Rose Glass and the less said about this, the better (because of spoilers). Maud is a nurse that provides at-home care. She’s also deeply religious and offended by sin, and gets obsessed with saving her sinner patient’s soul. I never knew if this was going down a The Exorcist path, or elsewhere, but it’s a really compelling, increasingly creepy story with some freaky religious imagery.

American Psycho

Mary Harron directed this and one of the most standout elements of it for me is its style. Patrick Bateman is a high-rolling, clean-cut, psychopath that hides his alter-ego from everyone he knows, and we follow him as he becomes more violent, unhinged, and out of control (of his entire life). It’s hilarious in a very dark way, and savage. What I love even more than the story is its presentation. The sets are glossy, sleek, neat, and everything is in order, reflecting Patrick’s image of himself. The way she frames her shots is also fantastic – she creates comedy out of the most horrible moments with certain angles, and then wrenches us back into the actual horror of the scene by visually reframing how we see it. Pure excellence in filmmaking.

Near Dark

This is, in my humble opinion, one of the most underrated vampire films ever, which probably went under the radar because it was released within a year of The Lost Boys, which dominated with its style, soundtrack, and cast. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, this is the story of a sweet man called Caleb who just likes a girl and then because of that, ends up involved with a band of absolutely horrible, roaming vampires. The bar scene is often cited as one of the best vampire carnage scenes, and Bill Paxton knocks his performance out of the park. I love everything about this film, from the way it was shot, to the costumes, to the lighting and lenses.

That’s it from me today but I’ve only just scratched the surface on this topic, and if you’d like a more thoughtful exploration of it and more recommendations, I highly recommend THIS AWESOME ARTICLE from The Scariest Things.

Be sure to tell me your favourites and what you think I should watch in time for my next list!

Bleeeeeat