Women in Horror
As it is currently Women's History Month, I figured it was a great opportunity to spotlight women directors that have contributed to the horror genre. Unfortunately, I could not list every single name and piece of media out there, so I chose to focus on directors that have made feature-length films. However, for anyone interested, the website Cut-Throat Women has a more comprehensive list of not only directors, but producers, and other industry innovators.
SUPER IMPORTANT: While I will try to add warnings when applicable, I’m afraid I have not seen every single film on this list, so there may be upsetting content that I’m not aware of. If you are unsure about a film’s content, and whether or not it will be right for you, please consider looking up the IMDB or Wikipedia listings beforehand. Otherwise, the website DoestheDogDie.com is an excellent resource to find out if a film may contain potentially triggering material.
Lastly, permanent link availability is NOT GUARANTEED. I wish I could have had more links to offer, but I’ve tried to rely only on free streaming sites and Youtube, so as to avoid sending anyone to any sites that might be untrustworthy. Tubi TV requires signing up, but it is still 100% free (and it’s also available as an app on IOS, Android, Xbox Live, and the Playstation Network). I will do my best to update links when there are changes.
There are a few films here that veer more toward being thrillers, sci-fi, or dark fantasy, but I still felt they deserved to be included. Also, every film is in English or has English subtitles unless otherwise noted.
Faust et Méphistophélès (1903) – Alice Guy
Suspense (1913) - Lois Weber
Salomé (1922) – Alla Nazimova
The Hitch-Hiker (1953) – Ida Lupino
Blood Bath (1966) – Stephanie Rothman
The Velvet Vampire (1971) – Stephanie Rothman
Blood Sabbath (1972) - Brianne Murphy
The Other Side of the Underneath (1972) – Jane Arden
Messiah of Evil (1973) - Gloria Katz
A Woman’s Torment (1977) - Roberta Findlay
The Mafu Cage (1978) – Karen Arthur (WARNING: Mentions/implications of incest)
The Secret (1979) – Ann Hui
Humanoids from the Deep (1980) – Barbara Peeters (R*PE WARNING! The fish monsters are hellbent on mating with human women. These scenes were not filmed by Barbara Peeters, but added in afterwards by a different director, as Peeters refused to film them)
Home Sweet Home (1981) – Nettie Peña
The Slumber Party Massacre (1982) – Amy Holden Jones
Wolf Devil Woman (1982) – Ling Chang
The Being (1983) – Jackie Kong
A Night to Dismember (1983) – Doris Wishman
Mr. Wrong (aka Dark of the Night) (1984) – Gaylene Preston
The Oracle (1985) – Roberta Findlay
Sorority House Massacre (1986) - Carol Frank
Blood Diner (1987) – Jackie Kong
Blood Sisters (1987) – Roberta Findlay
Near Dark (1987) – Kathryn Bigelow
The Slumber Party Massacre Part II (1987) – Deborah Brock
Prime Evil (1988) – Roberta Findlay
Banned (1989) – Roberta Findlay
Celia: Child of Terror (1989) – Ann Turner
Pet Sematary (1989) and Pet Sematary 2 (1992) – Mary Lambert
Tenement (1989) – Roberta Findlay
Mirror Mirror (1990) – Marina Sargenti
The Slumber Party Massacre Part III (1990) – Sally Mattison
Child of Darkness, Child of Light (1991) – Marina Sargenti
Critters 3 (1991) - Kristine Peterso
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) – Rachel Talalay
Howling VI: The Freaks (1991) – Hope Perello
Witchcraft III (1991) - Rachel Feldman
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) – Fran Rubel Kuzui
Ghostwatch (1992) - Lesley Manning (A notorious BBC program made to look like a legitimate Halloween television special featuring the investigation of a haunted house. Legendary for the havoc it caused upon airing)
Tale of a Vampire (1992) - Shimako Sato
Boxing Helena (1993) - Jennifer Lynch
Ghost in the Machine (1993) – Rachel Talalay
Blood and Donuts (1995) – Holly Dale
The Last Supper (1995) – Stacy Title
Organ (1996) – Kei Fujiwara
Spirit Lost (1996) – Directed by Neema Barnette
Office Killer (1997) – Cindy Sherman
The Curse (1999) – Jacqueline Garry
The Green Elephant (1999) – Svetlana Baskova (WARNING: This film falls under the realm of "extreme cinema". It is comparable to the works of filmmakers like Marian Dora or Fred Vogel. If you are unfamiliar with either of those names, you may wish to avoid this one. It is not for those with weak stomachs)
The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999) – Katt Shae
Ravenous (1999) – Antonia Bird
American Psycho (2000) – Mary Harron
Cursed Part 3 (2000) – Written, produced, and directed by Rae Dawn Chong
Trouble Every Day (2001) – Claire Denis (WARNING: R*pe scene)
Visible Secret (2001) – Ann Hui
In My Skin (2002) – Marina de Van (WARNING: Self-harm and self-cannibalism)
Graveyard Alive (2003) - Elza Kephart
Monster (2003) - Patty Jenkins
Hotel (2004) - Jessica Hausner
Incubus (2006) – Anya Camilleri
Pathogen (2006) – Emily Hagins (Directed at only 12 years old!)
Roman (2006) – Angela Bettis
Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror (2006) – Stacy Title
April Fools (2007) – Written, produced, and directed by Nancy Norman
Forever Dead (2007) – Christine Parker
Soulful (2007) - Sarah Poindexter
The Dead Outside (2008) – Kerry Anne Mullaney (French--no subtitles)
Fistful of Brains (2008) – Christine Parker
Prank (2008) – Danielle Harris, Ellie Cornell, Heather Langenkamp
Splatter Movie: The Director's Cut (2008) – Amy Lynn Best
The Countess (2009) – Julie Delpy
Dead Hooker in a Trunk (2009) - Jen and Sylvia Soska
Family Demons (2009) - Ursula Dabrowsky
Hurt (2009) – Barbara Stepansky
Inner Demon (2009) – Ursula Dabrowsky
Jennifer's Body (2009) – Karyn Kusama
Strigoe (2009) – Faye Jackson
3 Day Weekend (2009) – Tarjatta Rose
Within (2009) - Hanelle M. Culpepper
10 Days to Die (2010) – Elaine Niessner
The Fugue (2011) – Barbara Stepansky
Hard Labor (2011) – Juliana Rojas
Red Riding Hood (2011) – Catherine Hardwicke
Silent House (2011) – Laura Lau and Chris Kentis
My Sucky Teen Romance (2011) – Emily Hagins
We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) – Lynne Ramsay
American Mary (2012) – Jen and Sylvia Soska
Among Friends (2012) – Danielle Harris
The Awakened (2012) – Lou Simon
Black Rock (2012) - Katie Aselton
Brutal (2012) – Darla Rae
Chained (2012) – Jennifer Chambers Lynch
Chanthaly (2012) – Mattie Do
A Few Brains More (2012) – Christine Parker
Helter Skelter (2012) – Mika Ninagawa
Kiss of the Damned (2012) – Xan Cassavetes
The Moth Diaries (2012) – Mary Harron
Sun Don't Shine (2012) – Amy Seimetz
Blood Drive: The Movie (2013) – Sophia Robbins
Carrie (2013) – Kimberly Peirce
Dark Touch (2013) – Marina de Van
Dead Woman's Hollow (2013) – Libby McDermott
Evangeline (2013) - Karen Lam
HazMat (2013) – Lou Simon
Nothing Bad Can Happen (2013) – Katrina Gebbe
She Wolf (2013) - Tamae Garateguy
Silent Retreat (2013) - Tricia Lee
Soulmate (2013) – Axelle Carolyn
The Strange Color of Your Body's Tears (2013) – Hélène Cattet
Truth or Dare (2013) – Jessica Cameron
The Babadook (2014) – Jennifer Kent
Blood Punch (2014) – Madellaine Paxson
Crushed (2014) – Megan Riakos
Dys- (2014) – Maude Michaud
The Falling (2014) - Carol Morley
Fix it in Post (2014) – Christine Parker
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) – Ana Lily Amirpour
Goodnight Mommy (2014) – Veronika Franz
Honeymoon (2014) – Leigh Janiak
Lyle (2014) – Stewart Thorndike
The Midnight Swim (2014) - Sarah Adina Smith
Necropolis Symphony (2014) – Juliana Rojas
Rosemary’s Baby (2014) – Agnieszka Holland
See No Evil 2 (2014) – Jen and Sylvia Soska
6 Days Dark (2014) – Moons Bogovic
Tormented (2014) – Audrey Cummings
21 Days (2014) – Kathleen Behun
The Voices (2014) – Marjane Satrapi
Agoraphobia (2015) – Lou Simon
Amer (2015) – Hélène Cattet
The Blue Hour (2015) – Anucha Boonyawatana
Carver (2015) – Emily DiPrimio
Cleveland Abduction (2015) - Alex Kalymnios
Computer Hearts (2015) - Louise Weard and Dionne Copland
Evolution (2015) – Lucile Hadžihalilović
#HORROR (2015) - Tara Subkoff
The Invitation (2015) – Karyn Kusama
In Their Sleep (2015) – Caroline Dupotet
Kill Me Please (2015) – Anita Rocha da Silveira
The Lesson (2015) - Ruth Platt
The Lure (2015) - Agnieszka Smoczynska
Nobody Can Cool (2015) - Marco Boyle and Rachel Holzman
Rage: Midsummer’s Eve (2015) - Tii Ricks
Shock Attack (2015) – Jaclyn Chessen
Southbound (2015) - Roxanne Benjamin
All Girls Weekend (2016) – Lou Simon
Always Shine (2016) – Sophia Takal
Brides to Be (2016) – Lindy Boustedt
Christmas Apparition (2016) – Colleen Griffen
Dark Circus (2016) – Julia Ostertag
Dearest Sister (2016) – Mattie Do
Demon Hunter (2016) – Zoe Kavanagh
Dolly Deadly (2016) – Heidi Moore
4426 (2016) – Fathimath Nahula
Egomaniac (2016) - Kate Shenton
Honeybee (2016) – Nicki Harris
Lilith's Awakening (2016) – Monica Demes
The Love Witch (2016) – Anna Biller
Midnight Show (2016) – Ginanti Rona Tembang Sari
Model Hunger (2016) – Debbie Rochon
Ozark Sharks (2016) – Misty Talley
Prevenge (2016) – Alice Lowe
Raw (2016) – Julia Ducournau (WARNING: Cannibalism)
She Was So Pretty (2016) – Brooklyn Ewing
Toxic Insects (2016) – Kayoko Asakura
The Abduction of Jennifer Grayson (2017) – Corynn Egreczky
Altered Perception (2017) - Kate Rees Davies
Berlin Syndrome (2017) – Cate Shortland
Blood Child (2017) – Jennifer Phillips
Blue My Mind (2017) – Lisa Bruhlmann
The Bye-Bye Man (2017) - Stacy Title
Cabaret of the Dead (2017) - Staci Layne Wilson
Cargo (2017) - Yolanda Ramke
Darken (2017) – Audrey Cummings
Feminist Campfire Stories (2017) - Brea Grant
Friendly Beast (aka O Animal Cordial) (2017) – Gabriela Amaral Almeida
Good Manners (2017) - Juliana Rojas
Haunted Maze (2017) – Susan Engel
The Honor Farm (2017) – Karen Skloss
The Ice Cream Truck (2017) - Megan Feels Johnston
The Keeping Hours (2017) – Karen Moncrieff
Lost Gully Road (2017) - Donna McRae
M.F.A. (2017) - Natalia Leite
Molly (2017) - Colinda Bongers
Most Beautiful Island (2017) - Ana Asensio
1993 (2017) – Elle Millie
Predatory Moon (2017) – Shiva Rodriguez
Revenge (2017) – Coralie Fargeat
7 from Etheria (2017) – Heidi Lee Douglas, Arantxa Echevarria, Martha Goddard, Anna Elizabeth James, Karen Lam, Barbara Stepansky, Rebecca Thomson
13 Chambers (2017) – Jessica Aceti, Megumi Arai, Lindy Boustedt, Claire Buss, Gisella Bustillos, Nancy Chang, Dayna Hanson, Kat Larson, Wynter Rhys, Norma Jean Straw
13 Dolls in Darkness (2017) – Zeda Müller
A Twisted Tale (2017) – Susan Engel
Vuelven (aka Tigers are Not Afraid) (2017) – Issa Lopez
XX (2017) – Roxanne Benjamin, Karyn Kusama, St. Vincent, and Jovanka Vuckovic
All the Creatures Were Stirring (2018) - Rebekah McKendry
Ánimas (2018) – Laura Alvea
At the Door (2018) – Maude Michaud
A Bad Place (2018) – Jessica Cameron
Braid (2018) – Mitzi Peirone
Bugs: A Trilogy (2018) - Simone Kisiel
Cemetery Tales: Tales from Morningview Cemetery (2018) – L.C. Cruell
Dark, Deadly & Dreadful (2018) – Allisyn Snyder
Echoes of Fear (2018) – Laurence Avenet-Bradley
The Father’s Shadow (2018) - Gabriela Amaral
The Five Provocations (2018) – Angie Black
Hair Wolf (2018) (short film) - Mariama Diallo
Livescream (2018) – Michelle Iannantuono
Manos Returns (2018) – Tonjia Atomic
More Blood! (2018)(documentary) – Heidi Moore
The Nightingale (2018) – Jennifer Kent
Noxious (2018) – Diana Riggs
Pumpkins (2018) – Maria Lee Metheringham
The Ranger (2018) – Jenn Wexler
Rust Creek (2018) – Jen McGowan
Summer of ’84 (2018) – Anouk Whissel
3 mukhi (2018) – Aishwarya Addala (Telugu--no subtitles)
The Wind (2018) - Emma Tammi
Black Christmas (2019) – Sophia Takal
Blood of the Mummy (2019) – Christine Parker
Body at Brighton Rock (2019) – Roxanne Benjamin
Darlin' (2019) – Pollyanna McIntosh
The Devil’s Doorway (2019) - Aislinn Clarke
JED (2019) – Lauren Green
Knives and Skin (2019) – Jennifer Reeder
The League of Legend Keepers: Shadows (2019) - Lizzie Blake Thomas
The Lodge (2019) – Veronika Franz
The Long Walk (2019) – Mattie Do
Love and Murder of Sheep and Wolf (2019) – Kayoko Asakura
Psycho Granny (2019) – Rebekah McKen
Rabid (2019) – Jen and Sylvia Soska
Saint Maud (2019) – Rose Glass
Satanic Panic (2019) – Chelsea Stardust
Them That Follow (2019) – Brittany Poulton
Amulet (2020) – Romola Garai
Candyman (2020) – Nia DaCosta
The Craft: Legacy (2020) - Zoe Lister-Jones
M.O.M.: Mother of Monsters (2020) – Tucia Lyman
Relic (2020) - Natalie Erika James
Run Sweetheart Run (2020) – Shana Feste
The Turning (2020) - Floria Sigismondi
12 Hour Shift (2020) – Brea Grant
To round this all out:
Here is a playlist with trailers for nearly every film on this list (maybe two or three are missing), plus a couple I had to cut for space.
Here is a playlist of over 250 short horror films made by women--perfect for a light horror binge!
Enjoy! 👻
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