What is the feminist horror challenge?
To celebrate Women in Horror Month, we’re challenging you to watch one feminist horror film a week for 3 weeks, with each week dedicated to a particular kind of horror film. The past 10 years has been a very exciting time for horror, and in particular, for women in horror. Take the challenge to discover recent horror films that are prioritizing women’s interior lives and struggles and complicating conventional ‘feminist’ horror narratives.
We’ll curate the films, help you locate how to stream them, lead the discussion on the films, and cheer you on as you go. Every Sunday, we’ll host a Twitter chat with hashtag #FeministHorrorChallenge on the pair of films from each week.
The films are all featured in our recent ebook on feminist horror, Beyond Empowertainment, available to order here. We’ve been thinking about all of these films a lot and think they’re ripe for discussion, and we want to share how much we love them with you!
Week 1 (Feb 17-23): Watch a film about madness
Am I crazy or is everything going mad? It’s one of the foundational questions in horror — after all, that’s a question women are constantly asking under patriarchy.
Choose one: Unsane (2017) or Perfect Blue (1997)
Week 2 (Feb. 24-29): Watch a Technology Horror film
For centuries, horror has been a way to explore how we interact with technology, from Frankenstein to Personal Shopper. These days, it’s mostly about how we interact with our phones, computers, and the internet.
Choose one: Personal Shopper (2016) or Cam (2018)
Week 3 (March 1-6): Watch a coming-of-age film
From Buffy to Twilight, horror has always been a way to explore the scary parts of growing up. These coming-of-age films are about the internal struggles their female characters are experiencing and their close (non-romantic) relationships
Choose one: Raw (2016) or Thelma (2017)
Sign up to take the challenge!
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