“There’s this crazy idea that horror is not for women, or that women are not fans of horror.”
Story: Director Donna Davies takes a look at women in horror, women who love horror, women who create horror… Many of whom are all three of these and more.
Scares: Spooky and scary moments from various film clips.
Splat Factor: Bloody and gory moments from various film clips.
Subgenre: Devilish Documentaries
Year Released: 2026
Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul)?: Original, but with tidbits of films you may or may not have seen before.
Trick or Treat?: Want a documentary that’ll give you the creeps and activate your brain? Look no further. From the great opening credits that has a 50s aesthetic with a goth/horror twist, to the way this documentary guides us through the experiences of women in horror and in real life. It’s quietly brilliant.
Jam-packed with films, interviews and commentary for it’s scant hour and a half. Director Donna Davies let her interview subjects lead the narrative of the film. She then edits these discussions into the chronological order of a woman’s life.
Topics include:
* little girls and vulnerability
* growing up with horror and how that affects these creators as adults
* toxic childhood friendships
* the power of the adolescent girl/ menstruation and horror
* the cusp of womanhood and the Final Girl
* the monstrous feminine and reversing the typical narrative
* horror as sexual assault allegory, and the catharsis of revenge
* Women’s career, and the struggle to succeed or be respected
* The horrors of pregnancy and child rearing
* The “surreal” process of getting older, and horror of the aging woman
* The difficulties female creators face in the industry
Throw in some personal stories and filmmaking anecdotes from these horror visionaries, and this documentary’s message comes together. That message? That women love horror, make horror, and even thrive in the genre. And it’s fucking awesome. I’m not just saying that because Katy “Am I allowed to curse in this?” Siegel gets to deep dive into exactly what happens during a c-section, from the vantage point of a woman who’s gone through it. But yeah, that adds an extra touch of awesomeness.
Watch this one for an in-depth look at horror from a woman’s point of view. Watch this one for the discussion of film topics worthy of any film school. Watch this one to cobble together a list of great films you haven’t seen yet. Watch this one.*
Score: 5 out of 5 pumpkins.
*And check out the book if you can.
