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Women in Horror Month: Why Do We Love Horror?

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Women in Horror

In the horror community, the month of February is also known by another name: Women in Horror Month.

It’s a time to celebrate the women who have made a home for themselves in the horror genre. Directors, writers, actresses, editors, producers, characters, and all kinds of killer creators are given the bloody spotlight as a chance to appreciate their work in a field that is typically male-dominated.

Although horror is driven by phenomenal female roles – such as the iconic Final Girl – it’s commonly perceived as a male-oriented genre due to its violence and (often) overt sexuality. But the idea of “women in horror” is not a novelty concept. More and more, women are coming out on top as fervent fans of the horror genre.

Image result for black women in horror
28 Days Later

So why do women love horror so much? How did a genre that is traditionally targeted towards a male audience find such a strong female following?

It’s pretty simple, actually. We just get it.

Horror explores the worst-case scenario: the broken-down car in the middle of nowhere; the strange phone calls when you’re alone in the house; that guy you’re pretty sure is following you home; the sudden realization that you shouldn’t have put your trust in those strangers.

It’s a cathartic release that allows us to really identify with the heroes of the story. In horror, women can be made victims, but more often than not, they’re survivors too. 

Women in horror are badass. They crush, kill, and destroy the villains at every turn, and in some cases they’re extraordinarily competent villains themselves. They show strength and power in a time when we – as women – don’t often feel strong or powerful.

Image result for women in horror
Revenge (dir. Coralie Fargeat)

Also, let’s be honest, horror is basically the only genre in which female characters have real depth. Rom-coms are pandering fluff; action films are pumped full of macho flexing and women basically serve as a sex object or a prize to be won; and science fiction regularly boxes women out of lead roles, or women are put on an unreasonable pedestal.

In horror, women are real people with flaws, strengths, and character development that doesn’t revolve around ‘getting that relationship to work’.

We can see ourselves in these characters. We can connect with the brutal coming-of-rage tales of Raw, Carrie, and Ginger Snaps. We can relate to the turbulent friendships of Jennifer’s Body, The Descent, and The Craft; the anxieties of motherhood as shown through Rosemary’s Baby, Inside, and The Babadook; and the social pressures seen in Cam, American Mary, and M.F.A.

Horror has always had a place for women, and we’ve always had a soft spot for horror. Going back to photographer Diane Arbus, women have always had a fascination with the strange and unusual. We, ourselves, are strange and unusual.

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Trouble Every Day (dir. Claire Denis)

In short, horror is relatable. We can understand the trauma, the terror, the heart-tearing emotion. We see ourselves in these Final Girls, just as we were meant to.

And still, it’s more than that. Women love the thrills, the chills, and especially the kills. They’re cathartic and exciting. They push the norms of what is “ladylike” and decent. And we love that.

So as I sit here, writing this, in my Texas Chain Saw Massacre t-shirt, I’m reminded of the real reason that women love horror: because dammit, we’re people, too. And we’re allowed to be into this spooky madness just as much as anyone else.

Related:
Best Female-Focused Modern Horror Films Available for Streaming Right Now

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Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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Part Concert, Part Horror Movie M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Trap’ Trailer Released

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In true Shyamalan form, he sets his film Trap inside a social situation where we aren’t sure what is going on. Hopefully, there is a twist at the end. Furthermore, we hope it’s better than the one in his divisive 2021 movie Old.

The trailer seemingly gives away a lot, but, as in the past, you can’t rely on his trailers because they are often red herrings and you are being gaslit to think a certain way. For instance, his movie Knock at the Cabin was completely different than what the trailer implied and if you hadn’t read the book on which the film is based it was still like going in blind.

The plot for Trap is being dubbed an “experience” and we aren’t quite sure what that means. If we were to guess based on the trailer, it’s a concert movie wrapped around a horror mystery. There are original songs performed by Saleka, who plays Lady Raven, a kind of Taylor Swift/Lady Gaga hybrid. They have even set up a Lady Raven website to further the illusion.

Here is the fresh trailer:

According to the synopsis, a father takes his daughter to one of Lady Raven’s jam-packed concerts, “where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.”

Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Trap stars Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Allison Pill. The film is produced by Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock and M. Night Shyamalan. The executive producer is Steven Schneider.

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Woman Brings Corpse Into Bank To Sign Loan Papers

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Warning: This is a disturbing story.

You have to be pretty desperate for money to do what this Brazilian woman did at the bank to get a loan. She wheeled in a fresh corpse to endorse the contract and she seemingly thought the bank employees wouldn’t notice. They did.

This weird and disturbing story comes via ScreenGeek an entertainment digital publication. They write that a woman identified as Erika de Souza Vieira Nunes pushed a man she identified as her uncle into the bank pleading with him to sign loan papers for $3,400. 

If you’re squeamish or easily triggered, be aware that the video captured of the situation is disturbing. 

Latin America’s largest commercial network, TV Globo, reported on the crime, and according to ScreenGeek this is what Nunes says in Portuguese during the attempted transaction. 

“Uncle, are you paying attention? You must sign [the loan contract]. If you don’t sign, there’s no way, as I cannot sign on your behalf!”

She then adds: “Sign so you can spare me further headaches; I can’t bear it any longer.” 

At first we thought this might be a hoax, but according to Brazilian police, the uncle, 68-year-old Paulo Roberto Braga had passed away earlier that day.

 “She attempted to feign his signature for the loan. He entered the bank already deceased,” Police Chief Fábio Luiz said in an interview with TV Globo. “Our priority is to continue investigating to identify other family members and gather more information regarding this loan.”

If convicted Nunes could be facing jail time on charges of fraud, embezzlement, and desecration of a corpse.

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