10 Horror Films That Put Women Front And Center

Spooky season is the best time of year for the emo girlies, and while some of us love our alone time, we always come back to our covens. There are many ways to celebrate Halloween, but one of the best is a movie night with our favorite girlfriends. There’s nothing more powerful than friendship, and horror happens to be a surprisingly feminist genre.

Between spooky season films’ underlying themes towards rising against authorities — typically a white, male patriarchy — alongside feminine power that has often scared men throughout history, there’s a plethora of horror films to watch with the girls. From classics like Rosemary’s Baby to more recent films like Midsommar, we’ve compiled a list of the best feminist horror films to celebrate the spooky season.

Scream (1996)

Both funny and scary, Scream satirizes horror while excelling in telling a scary story. At its center are the heroines, who are haunted by Ghostface. But while early horrors often punished women for acting sinful or sexual, Scream flipped the trope on its head by uniting its heroines to fight against their antagonizer together. 

Midsommar (2019)

Ari Aster’s A24 gem, Midsommar, follows Florence Pugh’s Dani as she lands in a seemingly utopian Swedish society. The society is somewhat matriarchal, flipping the power dynamics of typical horror films and allowing femininity to encompass horror in an exciting new and feminist way.

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

One of Roman Polanski’s most popular films, Rosemary’s Baby starred Mia Farrow as an early feminist horror heroine. The film’s themes explore autonomy and rape culture (in the ‘60s!) as Rosemary’s pregnancy drives her to hallucinations of Satan and pain. Her fight against the pregnancy, which takes her autonomy throughout the film, was an early example of the feminist horror genre. 

The Craft (1996)

If you’re celebrating Halloween with your coven and you haven’t seen The Craft, what are you even doing? The Craft follows four teenage girls whose obsession with witchcraft brings them together. After one of them actually gains magical powers, a darkness consumes them that pits them against one another. Darkly funny, macabre, and emotional, The Craft is the perfect Halloween flick for the girls.

M3GAN (2022)

A story of motherhood, friendship, and grief, M3GAN is a story that hinges on the power of women. The M3GAN doll is created by the film’s protagonist, Gemma (Allison Williams), who becomes Cady’s legal guardian after Cady’s parents pass away. The film shows the power of how female friendship and care can help with grief while simultaneously showing the power of women’s intelligence. 

Alien (1979)

A decade after Rosemary’s Baby, Alien is still an early example of feminist horror. Starring Sigourney Weaver as the film’s heroine, Alien’s psychosexual undertones make it both terrifying and relatable to the female experience. With high action and science fiction storytelling, it’s a unique feminist horror and a great party theme.

Promising Young Woman (2020)

A product of the #MeToo movement and directed by Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman follows Carey Mulligan’s Cassie as she gets revenge on the men who get away with sexual assault. Throughout the film, her revenge becomes an addiction, leading her down a dark and horrific past that still gives us a satisfying fantasy of holding men accountable.

Jennifer’s Body (2009)

Now a cult classic after largely being disregarded as a quality horror film, Jennifer’s Body is all about women’s autonomy and power. Jennifer (Megan Fox) uses her sexuality to seduce her classmates after becoming possessed by a demon, it goes against the trope that sexuality is punishable. It in fact shows its power while dealing with the challenges of female friendship.

The Babysitter (2017)

Netflix’s The Babysitter and its sequel, The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020), are a prime franchise of female-centric comedic horror. Lonely 12-year-old Cole (Judah Lewis) learns that his babysitter, Bee (Samara Weaving), is actually the leader of a devil-worshipping cult. The comedy of the situation isn’t lost on director McG (famous for directing the feminist action film, Charlie’s Angels), who highlights women as the greatest power a man or boy could ever face.

Teeth (2007)

Now a horror cult classic, Teeth is the perfect feminist horror film to round out the spooky season. Both campy and scary, it follows Dawn O’Keefe’s experience with “vagina dentata” after Tobey’s sexual assault ends in his castration. Creating a true horror for men and a somewhat satisfying revenge plot for women, Teeth is an underrated feminist romp.