Across the street from DJ lives Nebbercracker, in his home he built himself with his late wife. He spends his days screaming “GET OFF MY LAWN” to anyone who crosses his property. Every kid remembers the one neighbor on the street who just couldn’t lighten up; this is that neighbor. The one that everyone avoided because they scared them.

Regardless of being marketed as a children’s animation, Monster House debuted with a $75 million budget and received praise grossing $142 million worldwide. During awards seasons it received nominations for Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Golden Globes for Best Animated Features.

So why isn’t animated horror still being made?

Until the past decade, horror was seen as a more “underrated” genre. Award shows snubbed horror films until recent praise for horror made it mainstream. Animated movies create an imaginative space for horror; filmmakers can go wild creating a story for their audience. The limit doesn’t exist for animation. There’s no hesitation for what the plot could be in animation. When someone sees animation, they may assume it’s just kid-friendly cartoons, but adding horror elements to animation is a perfect shock factor for viewers.

The Return of the Awkward Phase

The awkward phase of middle school may be disappearing because there is hardly any “weird” media for that age range. Growing up in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Gen Z was spoiled. We had Monster House, Paranorman, The Corpse Bride, and Caroline. All of these slightly off-putting iconic movies were for the awkward middle schoolers who loved spooky media. Now, horror media for tweens and teens is hardly existent.

The era of kid-friendly gothic horror is well known to be a genre that Tim Burton excels in. Burton is known for his films like Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Corpse Bride, and his Netflix series Wednesday.

Wendell & Wild is a recent example of a gothic horror adventure that has been released this decade. Produced, written, and starring Jordan Peele, Wendell & Wild is directed by Henry Selick, who also directed The Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline. This showed that horror animation can still be made; the audience is still alive.

Switching Up the Roles

In films like Paranorman, the children are left to be independent and fight for themselves while the adults are the ones who panic. The children fight zombies and defend the “bad guy”, they are the only ones who show capability for reasoning with the townspeople.

They’re actually heard and listened to by the adults, something they didn’t expect could happen. Once these adults take the time to listen, the entire perspective switches for the adults. Their sense of authority shifts and the power dynamic between the adults and the children flips.

Coraline adopts the same idea of making the adults play the “bad guy” in the movie. The parents play as the “other” character, or in this case, the “other mother”. Coraline is neglected and relies on her “other mother” to feel a sense of comfort until it gets out of hand. In this other world through her closet, she gets everything she wants and is lacking in the regular world. Parents who show their love for her and show up. She quickly realizes the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. I mean, who would willingly give up their eyes for their “other mother”?

Paranorman gives the children authority as their knowledge overpowers the adults in the movie. Coraline shows how the adults turn themselves into the monster figure we all fear.

Even though its marketed as kid-friendly, Monster House’s comedic timing still holds up to today. People assume animation means childish, but movies like Monster House manage to slip in adult jokes that we catch onto now.

“My moms out watching a movie with her personal trainer”, has hilarious delivery and the joke still ages well.

Visually, these films are nostalgic to its gen-z audience. The animation style of Monster House and the stop motion pictures like Coraline and Paranorman are a style we don’t often see anymore in movies.

Studios should consider a comeback for animated horror; it’s the perfect middle ground for tweens and teens to transition into liking horror. It feels more grown-up than Scooby Doo but more tame than Chucky. But let’s be honest, as tweens, we had no internet supervision and found other ways to traumatize ourselves, and we turned out just fine.

Obsession is a supernatural horror film directed by Curry Baker starring Michael Johnston (Bear) and Inde Navarrette (Nikki). Bear makes an irreversible wish on Nikki from a novelty toy he found at a crystal shop. Nikki’s love for Bear quickly turns into obsession as this wish begins to take over not only her life, but everyone around them.

I can’t be casual about this film; the first time watching it in the theater two months ago, I was going in blind. A friend told me it reminded her of Hereditary, and I love that movie, so I was excited but skeptical. I see why TikTok is comparing the two, they both have excellent female leads and a great storyline. But I don’t necessarily think they are similar, their plots are completely different, and they are just both psychologically terrifying movies.

The music score of this film is so unsettling and beautiful at the same time, it’s hard not to listen. The montage of Nikki and Bear after Nikki tells him she has feelings for him, “Love is in the Air, Pt. 1” by Rock Burwell begins to play. The song is beautifully composed with a tone feeling slightly off, representing how their relationship is not right. Even the music playing in the car when Sarah and Bear are talking, nostalgia is in the air from hearing the song “Kids” by Current Joys in the year 2026.

Bear wakes up after a night of pure terror from Nikki watching him sleep and running around his room, his hair is cut and Nikki taped his front door shut. Bear is beginning to realize that maybe his wish was not cast as smart as he thought. It’s a real mic drop to realize that he fucked up making this wish on Nikki.

But as I mentioned in my past article Doomed Relationships From The Start, Horror Movies About Relationships, Obsession is under the horror subgenre, incel horror. “The nice guy” believes he isn’t doing anything wrong, even as Nikki is begging Bear to kill her in her sleep, Bear’s first reaction is to ask what’s so bad about being with him?

All of the red flags are waving frantically at Bear throughout the whole movie, and he selfishly chooses to ignore all of them. They aren’t even red flags; it’s a damn billboard painted red.

Ian is warning this guy that something is wrong with Nikki, Sarah tells him that Nikki and Ian have been hooking up on and off again, Nikki literally cooks Bear’s deceased cat into a sandwich and this man still continues to want to be with her.

Inde Navarrette KILLED this role! I can’t continue talking about Obsession without giving her her flowers for this performance. There were scenes of her in this movie that didn’t even look like her, there’s a sparkle in her eye that is so unsettling and scary. Her role as the obsessive, hot and cold girlfriend is unbelievable. Her erratic behavior, the facial expressions, her acting in this is incredible.

If you love horror movies about relationships or movies that will make your stomach descend into itself, I highly recommend it. But if you haven’t seen Obsession yet, what’re you doing? It’s streaming for free on Peacock now!

Reading was my thing, I flew through so many books, I was addicted to the different stories and how real they felt to me. Eventually, I realized that movies were just like books with visual images. 

I loved, and still love, rom-coms. 13 Going on 30, The Parent Trap, and Freaky Friday were my favorites. During high school something switched and I was interested in watching horror movies. 

I’ve always been a movie person. I love going to the movies and being able to immerse myself into a specific world for just a few hours at the theater. The high of walking out and wanting to be that person is infectious. Growing up in a smaller town, there wasn’t much to do besides go to the movies, hang out at the gas station, or walk around the park. Movie tickets were cheap and there was a theater within walking distance of me so of course I took advantage. 

I’ve compiled a list of movies that made me fall in love with horror and what made me love them so much. I’m not saying these are the best horror movies of all time, but I hold these close to my heart as films that introduced me to different sub genres within horror. These made me realize that horror was not always a killer chopping people up; it can be psychologically terrifying too. 

Halloween (1978)

Laurie Strode is stalked by Michael Myers, an escapee trying to finish his job on Halloween night by killing a bunch of teenagers. 

This was one of the first horror movies I remember enjoying in high school. At 15, I found the movie online and watched it for the first time. This was about a year before the 2018 version was released in theaters so I wanted to watch the original. 

Ever since I watched this movie I have been obsessed with horror movies. I’ve gotten two Michael Myers tattoos, and any time I see someone dressed as Michael Myers I catch a picture with them. 

This movie is a classic that opened the door to the masked-killer slasher subgenre in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s so I will always pay my respect to it. 

Hereditary (2018)

After the death of their grandmother, the Graham family discovers sinister secrets about their matriarch as their family unravels after multiple sudden deaths. 

Probably my current favorite horror movie out of the list. It’s eerie and unsettling, and even after every rewatch, I am still looking over my shoulder. 

The movie takes place after the matriarch, Ellen, passes away causing the family to break. Even in the film, Annie, Ellen’s daughter, hoped that this death would bring them closer, only to tear them apart. 

In no way am I saying that I have had a similar experience to the Graham family, but as a teenager, my grandmother had passed and the dynamic between my family crumbled. This movie was a comfort for me to understand I wasn’t alone when something like this happened and that other families had “similar” experiences. 

The Conjuring (2013) 

Ed and Lorraine Warren work together to help a family after a dark entity is terrorizing their family and their new home. 

During quarantine I binged all of the Conjuring movies for the first time. I love these movies, I could rewatch them all and not get sick of them. My favorite is the second but I had to put the first installment because without this one I wouldn’t have watched the rest of them. 

Paranormal horror films are one of my favorite subgenres for horror films because of the Conjuring movies. These horror films were such a breakthrough and so scary back when they were released because they were based on true stories of real people. 

Creep (2014) 

After Aaron answers a vague Craigslist ad for Josef asking him to film him for a day, Josef’s quirky behavior later snowballs into creepy requests and risks Aaron’s life. 

I love, love, love the movie Creep. I never hear anyone talking about this movie, and it’s so underrated. Mark Duplass is such a good actor and makes the character of Josef his own in this movie. 

This movie isn’t necessarily the scariest horror film on the list, it has unsettling and uncomfortable moments. It’s one of the first horror films I liked as a teenager that made me want to explore into different sub genres of horror films. 

Scream (1996) 

Sidney Prescott is terrorized by Ghostface a year after her mother was brutally murdered. 

Scream (1996) made the list because one, I love slashers and two, I love comedy. It’s the perfect mix of both genres. 

As a kid I remember seeing kids dress up as ghostface and wearing the classic mask or the mask with the built in blood dripping and thinking they were badass. Terrifying as a seven year old but undeniably cool. 

How could I not include one of my favorite franchises on this list? Scream is one of those horror movies you know will still be making remakes and reboots for years on end. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a Scream 10 in the next decade.

What is Summerween? 

Summerween originated from an episode from the show Gravity Falls. Summerween occurs in the middle of the summer, typically late June (June 22 in the episode of Gravity Falls) or early July. There’s Christmas in July so why not Halloween in June? 

In the episode of Gravity Falls, the term summerween was coined.

 “The people of this town love Halloween so much they celebrate it twice a year!”

Since 2024, the trend of Summerween has grown in popularity on TikTok. Halloween and Horror fans use the nostalgia to binge “Summerween” coded movies like Jaws or IT, even make a night out of it by having Summerween-themed snacks and carving watermelons like pumpkins. 

What’s more on theme than a horror movie that is set right after school gets out? Pennywise terrorizing a group of kids.

You have so many options for a movie and tv marathon. My ideal day would be a rainy, thunderstorm night. The lighting is the only light that peeks through the living room while I’m cozied up on the couch. 

What to Watch for Summerween? 

1. IT (2017) and It: Chapter Two (2019)

2. It: Welcome to Derry Series (2025)

3. Jaws (1975)

4. US (2019) 

5. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) 

6. Sinners (2025)

7. X (2022)

8. Pearl (2022) 

9. MaXXXine (2024)

10. The Final Girls (2015) 

11. Hell of a Summer (2023) 

12. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) 

13. Cabin in the Woods (2011)

After moving from rural Oregon, Cole is due for a fresh start in a new town with her previously estranged father after her mother passed away. Cole meets Sonya and her friends, and feelings between the two grow over the summer.

The coming-of-age romance between the two girls is everything I wish I could have had when I was their age. Watching this movie in the theater, on the big screen, would be influential for any closeted teen dealing with their feelings for the first time in their life. This movie shows the story of two girls catching feelings for another girl for the first time and what that experience is like.

The subtle hand holding, the legs swung over each other in the car, hoping no one would think twice about it, and the shared eye contact during hangouts with others.

As someone who remembers watching the “Girls Like Girls” music video back in 2015, finding out that there would be a movie based on a music video I held so close to my heart, I was excited. I’m always ready to support a new queer movie.

Over the summer, Cole begins to accept her true self, an important milestone for any young queer person, and begins her journey of self-acceptance. As Cole and Sonya begin to grow closer before Sonya leaves for dance camp, Cole and Sonya realize they are both growing feelings for each other, even sharing a kiss.

Sonya struggles to face her feelings, while also complicating things by having a boyfriend (Trenton) who hasn’t always been the most welcoming of Cole. After things are left unresolved between the two girls, Sonya leaves for camp, and Cole begins to spiral when faced with the discovery of her sexuality.

I really enjoyed watching this part of the film. Cole may not be herself during this, but she is making mistakes and learning from them. She can reconnect with her father and grieve her mother’s passing. Cole even begins working as a hostess, where she runs into Sonya and her family after she is back from camp.

Hayley Kiyoko says that this film is based on her own experience, even adding in small details to make the film more authentic. “If I didn’t connect to it, then we had to adjust or shift to make sure that I saw myself in this story, and I had to trust that my experience would be able to resonate with other people,” she tells Variety.

From seeing Hayley Kiyoko in movies like Scooby Doo and Lemonade Mouth, to singing a sapphic anthem as iconic as “Girls Like Girls”, being able to see the movie Girls Like Girls in theater was a full circle moment. A sapphic movie about two girls where no one dies or ends up with a man is always a win in the film. I only wish for more! More conversations about their relationship, more details, more to the soft ending we were given. The audience is now left wondering what will happen between Cole and Sonya as they finally make a breakthrough in bringing up their relationship.

More lesbian and queer female-led movies to watch after seeing Girls Like Girls:

1. But I’m A Cheerleader (1999)

2. The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995)

3. Bottoms (2023)

4. Am I Ok? (2022)

5. The Watermelon Woman (1996)

6. Disobedience (2017)

7. Pariah (2011)

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) 

This movie is an annual rewatch for my friends and I in the fall.  Of course it’s a bunch of queer 20 something’s fantasizing about our future Rocky Horror Halloween party that we will one day have while we’re infatuated by Frank N Furter on the TV. It’s tradition. 

Rocky Horror Picture Show is a play on the classic Frankenstein story, but even more queer. 

When a conservative couple, Brad and Janet, is stranded they come across a castle where Dr Frank-N-Furter and his eccentric entourage lives. In a movie filled with queer sexual liberation, the couple uncover some new things about themselves while witnessing the creation of Rocky, Frank-N-Furter's new boy toy.

Jennifer’s Body (2009) 

Who wouldn’t want to watch a horror movie with Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried playing homoerotic best friends? 

Jennifer and Needy sneak out to the local bar to see the band Low Shoulder play when a fire breaks out and almost no one besides Jennifer, Needy, and Low Shoulder escape. The boys are able to convince Jennifer to come with them ‘somewhere safe’ before kidnapping her. 

After a ritual gone wrong, Jennifer Check turns into a boy-eating demon. She can’t survive without hunting down her classmates and her best friend Needy tries to stop her before she eats her boyfriend. 

Seed of Chucky (2004) 

After being resurrected by their genderqueer child, Glen, Tiffany and Chucky go on another killing spree in Hollywood. Chucky takes advantage of his “seed” as help for his spontaneous murders. Glen must choose between their own values as a person or helping his infamous parents kill again. 

Love Lies Bleeding (2024) 

This romantic thriller stars Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brien as a gym manager and bodybuilder whose relationship escalates quickly after Jackie (Katy O’Brien) kills Rose’s (Kristen Stewart) brother in law. 

The tension in this movie is so thick and the relationship that Stewart and O’Brien have with each other in the movie is insanely satisfying. 

Black Swan (2010) 

Another homoerotic friendship gone wrong, Nina is an obsessive, sheltered ballerina that landed the dual role of the black and white swan in the production of Black Swan. 

When a new ballerina joins the production, Lily, Nina is threatened by her dark aura and ability to naturally possess the black swan. Nina  struggles to embody both roles and leads herself into a psychological break. 

Fear Street 1994 (2021)

A group of Shadyside friends discover a 300 year old curse from the witch, Sarah Fier, and have to team up to stop the curse from killing their friend Sam after she is exposed to the grave. Every few years Sarah Fier chooses a person to embody the curse and become the next mass murderer in Shadyside before disappearing. 

Before the recent murders, Deena and Sam were secretly a couple before Sam moved to Sunnyvale to live with her mom post-divorce. After their messy breakup, Deena and Sam’s relationship is left up in the air before a football game when she finds Sam with a new boyfriend. On the ride home Sam and her new friends are following the Shadyside bus where Deena and her friends are riding back from the game when Deena causes their car to crash and Sam lands on Sarah Fier’s grave. 

Fear Street 1666 (2021) 

In the third installment of the Fear Street Trilogy, Deena is taken back to 1666, before Sarah Fier was hanged. Deena learns how the Shadyside curse was created and the true story of Sarah Fier and her secret love with Hannah Miller. 

The mystery cause of the sudden Shadyside killers is revealed in this film after Deena travels back and connects the stories of Fear Street: 1994 and Fear Street: 1978. 

It’s pretty romantic when you think about it, Deena risked her friends, family and her own life to save her ex girlfriend from a centuries long curse. 

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2021) 

“I KNEW IT, YOU’RE THE MURDERERRR”

If you spent any time on TikTok in the early 2020s I know you’re heard this quote before. When you mimic Gen Z humor with horror you create Bodies Bodies Bodies. 

A group of friends get together to spend the weekend at a mansion. After their party game Bodies Bodies Bodies leaves a player dead, a game of whodunnit breaks out to figure out who the murderer is.

I Saw The TV Glow (2024)

In this psychological queer horror film, two misfit teenagers bond over the show, The Pink Opaque. The show becomes their escape from reality. 

After the show is canceled Maddy disappears and leaves Owen behind in their bubble of suburbia in their hometown. He struggles with his identity and repressed sexuality and gender expression. 

I Saw The TV Glow is a allegory for the transexperience and the fear of staying in the closet. It shows what it’s like for its characters to live in denial and deny embracing their identities. 

Just kidding, or am I?

We’re seeing it in theaters on Netflix, in horror and drama films. These films are relationship nightmares, they’re doomed from the start. Of course it could just be a coincidence that all of these include men but… perhaps not. Maybe the real horror is heteronormativity. Some of these relationships need to skip the couples therapy and go straight for an exorcism.

Horror films mimic even the tiniest fears in relationships, blowing them up into someone’s worst nightmares. The 2025 horror film, Together, is a prime example of how a couple was afraid of losing themselves in their relationship. Tim and Millie move to the countryside when they come across a supernatural-esque cave that causes the couple to become closer than ever. Among battling a cult-like force, they often argued over their codependency of each other and their battle to find their sense of self.

Dating Nightmares

Horror movies and Drama are both highly emotional genres that thrive on exploring the vulnerability of a character. I mean yes there are several horror couples in the cinematic universes that are known for their toxic love like Chucky and Tiffany or Frankenstein and his bride, but honestly these films are not #relationshipgoals.

Fresh (2022)

Noa is exhausted with modern dating when she meets Steve, a doctor who she coincidentally meets in the fruit aisle at a grocery store. They bond over cotton candy grapes and form a connection you would only see in a rom com. Steve is too good to be true after their quick connection moves into a weekend trip at the last minute.

Noa quickly learns that Steve is not who he said he is, he kidnaps women to butcher and sell online through the black market. Not exactly your ideal love story.

Get Out (2017)

Meeting the parents can be a horror story alone, in Get Out, Rose brings her boyfriend Chris home to her family’s estate for the weekend. Meeting the parents is already an unnerving feeling for many couples, but when he arrives to find the black servants working for the wealthy white family, Chris’s mind begins to spin.

Rose’s parents are overly friendly, insisting they would vote for Obama a third time, saying anything they can to convince Chris that they aren’t racist despite what it may look like on the surface.

He soon discovers Rose’s parents operate a family business that he could never have imagined.

A Whole New Meaning For Controlling Relationships

What’s so wrong about dating ‘the nice guy’? Well these movies prove that the so-called ‘nice guy’ is not always going to be your knight in shining armour. The scariest thing in these movies are the men who think that they are doing the women a favor by being with them.

Incel horror, a niche subgenre of men who reveal to be misogynistic, entitled, and soon-to-be violent partners who struggle with their romantic or sexual relationships.

These partners reveal themselves to be manipulative and seek revenge on their romantic interests to get what they want, a real horror story created from the male loneliness epidemic.

Obsession (2026)

Bear has a massive crush on his co-worker, Nikki, who he also works with at a music store with their friends Ian and Sarah. While getting ready for a trivia night, Bear comes home to discover that his cat, Sandy, got into his late grandmother’s pills and died.

Bear goes shopping for a gift for Nikki at an occult shop when he finds a ‘One Wish Willow’, a novelty item that will grant one wish per person. At trivia, Bear and Ian go back and forth over Bear telling Nikki he has feelings for her while Nikki is trying to tell Bear that Sarah may or may not have a crush on him.

Bear offers Nikki a ride home and after she leaves the car he uses his one wish for Nikki to ‘love him more than anyone in the fucking world’.

Well…Bear got what he wished for. Nikki becomes overly obsessed with Bear risking her life and others for his mutual love.

Companion (2025)

The first time Iris and Josh met, it seemed too good to be true. After checking each other out in the grocery store, Josh knocks over a fruit display for a cute ‘love at first sight story’. The couple leaves for a weekend in a remote lakehouse with their friends when Iris finds out a secret about their relationship.

Iris is a companion robot meant to be used as an emotional support and sexual fantasy for Josh. She has no autonomy over herself and has settings controlled through his phone.

After Iris finds out she spirals, trying to escape the lake house while a series of unfortunate events unfold.

Till Death Do Us Part

Wedding jitters are normal for any bride, especially worrying about a cursed bloodline or a satanic cult led by their in-laws. These brides are blood-soaked by the end of their wedding night, fighting for survival.

Ready or Not (2019)

After their wedding night, Grace and Daniel sit down with his family to play their traditional post-wedding night game as an induction for Grace into the family.

All she has to do is survive being hunted down by her in-laws after pulling the ‘Hide and Seek’ card.

This game has been played by Daniel’s family for centuries, keeping their place on a satanic council that only includes the most elite and wealthy families.

Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen (2026)

Although not a movie, the dark thriller Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen is a limited series on Netflix about a couple getting ready for their big day when the bride experiences severe paranoia that something bad is going to happen.

Rachel and Nicky met by chance a few years ago at an airport and have been in love since, but when they travel to Nicky’s family vacation home for their wedding. Rachel’s paranoia escalates on the drive over after they find an abandoned baby at a gas station and encounter a strange old man at a bar miles down while looking for help.

Rachel is convinced that something bad is going to happen and soon uncovers a video of her mother on her wedding night, she learns that her family is cursed and must marry their soulmate, and if they don’t marry their true soulmate they will die on their wedding night.

Adam Scott crushes an impressive performance as this standoff-ish, complex, and traumatized character. Throughout the movie, you go back and forth contemplating if you want him to survive or if he is getting the karma that was brought on him for the way he treats everyone around him.

At the start of the film, Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) is traveling to Ireland to scatter his parents’ ashes and is working on finishing up his latest book. We learn early that he’s an orphan, and his parents died young. His mother was shot to death after coming home from work, and his father drank himself to death. He arrived at a hotel in Ireland the day before Halloween and was set to stay there for a week. He is honestly very rude and blunt to all of the staff; he even burns one with a metal spoon heated up by a jack-o’-lantern burning on the bar. Scott’s character acts like he is the only guest in the hotel, and everyone else around him should cater to his peace and quiet needed to write his novel.

As a fan of any movie involving witches, it’s always fascinating to see the different approaches that a witch-horror film can have. Personally, I’m not a fan of many folklore horror movies or many period piece horror films; however, I am a fan of Adam Scott.

Hokum was able to draw its audience in with a meaningful backstory of its main character and unveil the trauma that caused him to evolve into the character he is today.

After spreading his parents’ ashes in the woods by the hotel, he meets Jerry, a local homeless man who lives in his van after rumors of killing his wife ten years ago.

That night, after many whiskeys, he leaves for his room. Leaving his recorder on the bar, the bartender, Fiona, goes up to give it to him and has a bad feeling, begging another employee to open the door. After the door opens, he is found hanging from the ceiling.

Fiona and Alby rushed to cut him down, and he woke up weeks later in the hospital. Surprisingly, Bauman feels guilty for Fiona seeing him like that and wants to reconnect to apologize. However, Fiona hasn’t been seen since Halloween, and the hotel is closing for the season.

Jerry believes Fiona is in the Honeymoon suite, the haunted locked suite. Jerry convinces Bauman to go with him to search for Fiona. Before getting upstairs, Jerry is kidnapped by another hotel employee trying to frame him for the disappearance of Fiona. Adam takes the key and goes upstairs to look around. The hotel manager finds him and urges him to come down, saying there is nothing here. Until Adam presses the dumb waiter button and Fiona is found in the dumb waiter.

The manager rushes out of the room, locking Adam inside, leaving him to die. The rest of the movie is Bauman fighting to escape the room while a witch who haunts the honeymoon suite and the hotel haunts him. He has to conquer the witch in the hotel and the demons of his past, dealing with the death of his mother.

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Hokum is one of the most creepy and alluring horror movies to come out in 2026 so far, and I am pleasantly surprised with this execution. This movie is full of jump scares and creepy characters who make you feel like someone may be watching you from across the theater. I must admit, I checked behind my back a few times during the movie. The movie bleeds through the screen with an unsettling energy only a good horror film knows how to possess. Adam Scott does an amazing job of grabbing the audience’s attention in this film. It feels as though we are trapped in the hotel room with him, eager to escape the haunted hotel.

Feminist horror is a subgenre of horror that explores themes related to gender, sexuality, and women’s experiences. Some may also recognize the term, gynaehorror – a term coined by Erin Harrington, in her book Women, Monstrosity and Horror Film. Gynaehorror is a subgenre in horror that expresses all aspects of socio-biological womanhood. This can include topics such as virginity, pregnancy, childbirth, motherhood, or menstruation.

Let’s take a step back for a sec and remember what feminism is. Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern societies are patriarchal (they prioritize the male point of view) and that women are treated unjustly in these societies.

Women being perceived as vulnerable and weak has been a trope in horror for as long as horror has been around. The monster stalks the women and children and someone swoops in to save them. We’ve heard this story before, and final girls were made to turn that narrative around.

An Ode to the Monstrous Femme

Women in horror who became the monster

“Monstrous femme” This term was coined by Barbara Creed in her book of the same name. It explores the reversal of women as victims in horror films to women as monsters and how it often uses monsters that reflect female sexuality.

“Hell is a teenage girl”, infamous words by Needy. If you haven’t seen one of the most iconic female horror films, grab your box of buncha crunch, an extra buttery popcorn, and a diet coke and watch Jennifer’s Body. Because Diablo Cody recently confirmed that the sequel to Jennifer’s Body has begun!

One of my all time favorite cult-classic horror films from the 2000s, Jennifer’s Body is about a best friend duo, Jennifer and Needy. After a night out at a bar to see the indie band, Low Shoulder, a fire “mysteriously” happens and burns down the whole bar, killing almost everyone in the bar except for Needy, Jennifer, a few randoms, and the band, Low Shoulder. The night of horror doesn’t even stop there, the band somehow convinces a traumatized Jennifer into hopping into their van to go somewhere safer. Surprise! It was indeed not safe, they kidnapped her to sacrifice her for some satanic ritual to become famous, only they didn’t know that Jennifer was not a virgin. Jennifer survives the attack and resurrects into this boy-hunting monster who is out to seek her revenge on those who assaulted and objectified her.

Ginger Snaps is a horror film about two close knit sisters with a keen interest in death and all things related, they even have a pact to commit suicide together! When one of the sisters gets her period for the first time, everything changes. She is attacked by a werewolf that night and begins to transform into a teenage girls’ worst nightmare. She has hair everywhere, she’s moody…all typical symptoms that a teenage girl experiences on her period…and when becoming a werewolf who hunts her classmates’ dogs.

Another movie that goes platinum in my apartment, Black Swan. Ballerinas have been making a comeback in horror with Pretty Lethal and Abigail, but Black Swan pliéd so those films could fouetté.

A ballerina so obsessed with perfection will do anything close to killing herself to become the Black Swan. Through body horror and psychological horror, this film transforms such a delicate, poise sport into a terrifying thriller. Nina is given the role of white and black swan, while another ballerina may seem better suited for the role, Nina’s toxic perfectionism leads her to a mental break.

Of course I can’t forget to mention one of the OG female monsters, Carrie, the perfect period film…no, literally. Going down in history as one of the classics, Carrie, is a shy teenage girl that was relentlessly bullied by her classmates all of high school and abused by her hyper religious mother, who discovers she has telekinesis powers. After a prank where her bullies spill pig’s blood on her at the prom onstage while being crowned prom queen, Carrie has had enough. Tired of hiding her true self, Carrie snaps and kills everyone at the prom, a true embodiment of female rage. But hey, if I was being crowned prom queen and someone spilled pig’s blood on me I might snap too.

Scream Queens: History of the Final Girl

Female rage and horror movies go together like Laurie Strode and Michael Myers.

The final girl or survivor girl[1] is a trope in horror films (particularly slasher films). It refers to the last surviving female character to confront the killer, ostensibly the one left to tell the story.

The idea of the final girl emerged after decades of men saving the damsel in distress in the final act of movies. Slashers began introducing final girls like Sally Hardesty, Laurie Strode, Sidney Prescott, and many more badass women. Women were no longer just the arm candy standing next to men, but, in most cases, the last one standing.

Slasher films commonly have a plot of killing off characters one by one, leading to the climax of the final fight between the surviving characters.

The term “final girl” was coined by Carol J. Clover in her article “Her Body, Himself: Gender in the Slasher Film” (1987). Clover studied slasher films from the 1970s and 1980s, a.k.a. The golden age of horror. She defined the final girl as the sole survivor in a horror film and gets a final confrontation with the villain in the third act.

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“Good For Her!”

One of my favorite subgenres in horror is ‘good for her’. I support women’s rights and wrongs. The good for her subgenre is most commonly seen in horror and thriller films. Women often break free from traditional gender roles and prioritize their safety, usually by going on to kill whomever is trying to kill them or throw them away like trash.

The trope is usually referring to ‘belittled or traumatized women in films reclaiming themselves through horrific acts of vengeance”. The audience is left with a knot in their stomach, twisted from what they just witnessed. However, the antagonist usually deserved it for what they put them through. It’s mostly used in a sarcastic tone like “good for herrrr!” It’s used as a way to somewhat nod to the bold, shocking choices someone just did to fight back from the antagonist.

Probably the best movie I can think of is Midsommar. This is not a movie you should see on a full stomach, I love horror, I’ve seen all types of genres by now, but shit. Midsommar is not for the weak stomachs or horror virgins. It’s gory, psychologically terrifying, and culty.

In Midsommar, Dani goes through the most traumatic moment in her life, her sister killed herself and her parents through carbon monoxide poisoning Even worse, she has a shitty boyfriend who doesn’t have the balls to break up with her. She has no family and barely has a boyfriend who couldn’t even remember her birthday.

Dani’s boyfriend and his friends planned a boys trip to Sweden to work on a thesis project, Dani comes along and day by day things get weirder and people disappear.

Long story short, he gets what was coming to him after bringing Dani to a Swedish cult.

Women in horror who slayed…literally

Female directed horror films

Of course I have to mention some iconic female directed horror films. There are dozens I could put on this list, but these are a few of my favorites!

American Psycho (2000)

A man could not direct this movie better. Patrick Bateman is a business man that works on Wall Street by day, deranged serial killer by night. I wish I could rewatch this for the first time and watch the series of unfortunate events that is Bateman’s life.

The Fear Street Trilogy (2021)

Beware the curse of Sarah Fier in the Fear Street Trilogy. The summer these movies released on Netflix were prime horror for campy horror fans. With witches, lesbians, and a summer slasher vibe, this trilogy hits every aesthetic for horror fans. The three part horror series follows the terror set on Shadyside after decades of murders caused by a generational curse that led to brutal mass murders in their town.

Candyman (2021)

I dare you to say his name five times in the mirror. Nia DaCosta the director you are! Candyman is a classic black horror film whose complex character deserves all the praise. The most recent remake of Candyman was directed by Nia Dacosta, also known for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Candyman (2021) plays as a sequel of the original and follows an artist who uses the story of Candyman as inspiration for his art.

The Substance (2024)

Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? Well with the substance, you can transform yourself into a smarter, more beautiful version of you. With a little green bottle you inject into yourself, you duplicate a ‘perfect’ version of you. But remember, you must respect the balance, or there will be consequences.

Forbidden Fruits (2026)

I condemn you snake! One of the newest campy, pink horror movies came out a few weeks ago, Forbidden Fruits. A film that is like if Mean Girls and The Craft had a baby, follows a coven of witches all named after quirky fruit. Apple, Cherry, and Fig welcome their newest fruit, Pumpkin. This movie is full of silly twists and random plots but it’s a great movie to enjoy under a full moon.

“There will never be another ‘Get Out’. That was the cultural shift. The moment that racism became the fear factor, and when the Black audience was let in on the joke,” said Lauren La Melle. She is a post production producer who has been running the podcast ScaryCrit: A Black Horror Podcast with her co-host Jared Hudson for five years. “‘Get Out’ gave us permission to be a part of the show and really see ourselves represented in the screams and scares.”

Many horror fans were introduced to black horror through “Get Out” (2017). This was the directorial debut for Jordan Peele, who now stands as an icon in horror noir. I remember watching “Get Out” for the first time, I sat on the couch with two of my friends. There we were, sitting on my friends couch in the suburbs, watching a movie about hidden racism in the suburbs. They both talked over the movie, ignoring the message, while I tried to comprehend the hidden messages within the film that Peele was trying to communicate with his audience. I’ll admit, it took a second for me to understand this film, but today this film is a classic. 

For decades, horror movies have been a comfort watch for its fans. There are so many genres within something as simple as horror. You can watch something paranormal, psychological, a comedy, or find something with all of the above if you look hard enough.

What is Black Horror? 

Black horror is a sub-genre in horror, focusing on the narratives of African Americans. This genre’s plotlines often follow racism and other shared experiences of Black americans. The definition of black horror is flexible. Professor and Black horror historian Tananarive Due describes black horror as films typically “made by Black filmmakers and does star black protagonists to tell a black story— sometimes it is enough just to have a black character in a film for it to be considered Black horror.” But do one or two Black lead characters really represent the Black community in horror? 

During the past few months I had the opportunity to speak with numerous horror fans about black horror. I talked to the post-production producers of ScaryCrit: A Black Horror Podcast Lauren LaMelle and Jared Hudson. ScaryCrit does in depth analysis and insightful reviews on black horror films. Brianna, also known as @briheartshorror on TikTok, did a 28 day series where she made a TikTok everyday for Black History Month, talking about black horror. I also talked with the host and producer of Unbound & Rewound Horror Podcast, Avery Coffey. Avery is a film reviewer and commentator who has also written for MovieJawn, a Philadelphia based movie zine company.

“The Brother Always Dies First”, is a term coined by Robert Ebert, a film critic. Ebert is referring to the stereotype that black people were given in any horror movie. The black person is always the first to die with the least amount of screen time. They are usually the sidekick or best friend of the main character or aren’t even a part of the main cast. Although this term isn’t one hundred percent true, scholar Robin R. Means Coleman and author Mark H. Harris gathered that the mortality rate for black individuals was around 45% . 

“Whenever we talk about horror historically, Black and brown folks and women are usually left out of the conversations. For a long time, the folks who wrote and talked about horror only accounted for one specific audience - white males 16-25. And that was it. But as with anything, Black folks existed in the audiences, even if we weren't officially accounted for. And I appreciate scholars like Robin Means, Coleman, and Tananarive Due bringing these histories to light. The films themselves usually showcase more men than women, but the running joke is that we always die first. Looking more closely you see us there as friends or partners always willing to sacrifice themselves to save their white counterparts,” La Melle said. 

“Black characters in horror have never been the stereotypical ‘hero’ and Black communities have been caricatures for plot development. They’re the side character to a white protagonist who uses them as a stepping stone to save the day. Even in films that have Black protags, like “The People Under The Stairs” (1991), their motivations are rooted in harmful stereotypes,” says Avery Coffey, host and producer of the Unbound and Rewound. 

“Night of the Living Dead” (1968) is considered one of the first black horror films, despite only having one black character playing their lead. It was groundbreaking for its time, releasing the same year as the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Duane Jones was the first star and hero in a horror film.  An earlier example of black horror is the 1940 film “Son of Ingagi”, the first sci-fi film with an all black cast. Thus began the blaxploitation horror films. 

The blaxploitation films began in the 1930s, they were films made for black audiences, coming from race films. These films are traditionally parody horror. This subgenre was made to segregate black audiences by creating these films with an all black cast. It wasn’t until ”Night of the Living Dead” when a Black person was the lead in an interracial film. African American directors didn’t take this lightly, many continued to create and produce their own race films to stay independent from mainstream Hollywood. This continued the trend of blaxploitation films like “Blacula” (1972). “Blacula” takes the title for the first blaxploitation horror film, a parody of “Dracula”. 

William Crain was one of the first black filmmakers that came from a large film school to achieve success. He directed “Blacula” (1972) at only 23 years old, and directed “Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde” (1976). Bill Gunn co-write “Ganja and Hess” (1973) with Marlene Clark and Duane Jones. Jones starred in the film “Night of the Living Dead”. Gerard Bush directed the 2020 horror film, “Antebellum” and was a producer for the film “Get Out”. He told The Philadelphia Tribune that the film was “based on a nightmare”. Nia DaCosta co-wrote the reboot of “Candyman” with Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld. She became the first female director to debut No. 1 in the box office for this film. Taking inspiration from her childhood bedtime horror stories, she wanted to recreate a Candyman of her generation to enjoy. Jordan Peele has directed, written, and produced several black horror films of this generation including “Get Out”, “Us” (2019), and “NOPE” (2022). Peele holds the place of being one of the only black filmmakers to be nominated for best directing, producing, and writing in the same year. Peele began his career as a sketch comedian before transitioning into writing some of the most influential psychological horror films of the 2010s decade. Ryan Coogler made his debut in horror with his newest film, “Sinners” (2025). Coogler directed, wrote and produced the newest black vampire movie. By May of 2025, Coogler has won ten NAACP Image Awards and four Black Reel Awards.

“(Iconic for featuring a black person in a position of power), ‘Night of the Living Dead, of course, and ‘Queen of the Damned’. I feel like you can’t talk about black folks in horror without talking about ‘Scary Movie’,” La Melle said. “That is the standard for horror comedy and highlights so many tropes within the genre, poking fun at the roles Black folk have traditionally been placed in.” Movies like “Scary Movie” know how to include stereotypes and common tropes into their films by reclaiming the comedy underneath all of it. Franchises like “Scary Movie” and the movie “A Haunted House” went the traditional route with black horror by creating parody films starring black actors and how they would stereotypically act in a horror film. 

What is Black Horror Today?

Today, black horror is growing as a versatile genre. Race adds a different context to a horror narrative. Modern black horror is demonstrating that not every Black narrative is the same. Black horror is not only about black stories but movies that include black actors and actresses as the star of the film. Modern classics like ‘Candyman’ (2021), ‘His House’ (2020, 'Bad Hair’ (2020), ‘Antebellum’ (2020). The shift in black horror started in the mid 2010s, escalating in the 2020s. Black horror has been used to bring trauma to visuals for the watchers. It’s a coping mechanism and an expressive way to seek reparations in the film community. In the past, black horror might just feature a single black actor as the star and label that as ‘black horror’ even if the film was still centered around white people. In current day, filmmakers and directors have the creative freedom to mold their own definition of black horror whether it be specifically centered around black issues in films (Get Out, Antebellum, Bad Hair) or just horror films where the main characters so happen to be black actors (‘The Deliverance’ (2024), ‘MA’ (2019))”. 

Coffey says that many audiences interpreted  films like “Get Out” and “US” as work as a framework for Black horror: tackling racism and discrimination. Once NOPE came out, fans of his earlier work didn’t respond as strongly. “All of his work demonstrates that Black narratives don’t fit into one box nor are they one dimensional. And Black protagonists aren’t plagued by stereotypes that diminish their validity as strong characters. They are afforded the chance to be a victim” said Coffey.

“Black horror has the potential to expand more than it ever has. The Blackening is a great example, but we haven’t gotten something like that since. We’re getting more horror centered around Black women without the sexual and angry tropes of the past. But queer Black narratives are still being excluded,” said Coffey. 

As horror films are evolving every year we are seeing new concepts within the genres. Films like ‘The Deliverance’, ‘Blink Twice’, or ‘A Quiet Place: Day One”’ are some recent horror films starring black actors. Not only do fans of horror want to see more representation from black actors and actresses in the media. They want to see their stories shown in the media. “I believe there’s an expectation set that Peele, much like Issa Rae or Robin Thede or The Waynes family, makes films and television programs with Black people in mind. That alone will always create an affinity to the artist and their work because as a people we weren’t an afterthought,” La Melle said. Giving black directors, black actors, and black producers the chance to tell a story can be so monumental for all of the black boys and girls sitting in the theater with their friends. 

“I am always a fan of black people in horror making smart decisions, such as in The Blackening. Some people dislike when horror movies are ‘woke’, which I think is ridiculous because the genre is political,” said Brianna. 

‘Get Out’ made the industry take Black Horror seriously

“Get Out” gave the genre black horror a new coat of paint. Traditionally these films were parodies of horror, or comedy horror, but with films like “Get Out” and “Us” directors like Peele are swaying the definition. Jordan Peele’s films like “Get Out” and “Us” are focusing on using the systemic racism and marginalization of black individuals as their modern American horror story. 

“The experience of being the only black person in a space with all white people can be potentially anxiety inducing, especially if it's mostly people you don’t know,” said Brianna. “In general, being black is an experience that obviously can only be understood if you are also black. Even myself as a biracial person can’t fully understand the experience of someone fully black. Black horror that is made by black people behind the camera especially, just feels so authentic and genuine. There’s also some horrifying realities that black people must face in real life and I think horror is a great medium to explore those fears.” 

The plot of “Get Out” is about Chris, a black man, meeting his white girlfriend Rose’s ‘liberal’ family for the first time on a weekend trip. After meeting Rose’s parents, Dean and Missy, he starts feeling a little uncomfortable in the house. Rose’s parents start acting a little too nice, emphasizing how okay they are with him visiting by saying small things like how they would’ve “voted for Obama a third time”. Later in the movie we see peers and family of Rose playing a game of ‘bingo’ which is actually them bidding to ‘buy’ Chris and eventually go through with a surgery where they take over his consciousness as their own. 

One of the most powerful symbols of the movie is “the sunken place”. Rose’s mother, Missy, is a hypnotherapist who uses her skills to essentially put her victims into a “deep sleep”. She uses the sound of her spoon stirring in her mug as a trigger for hypnosis. She puts black people into “the sunken place”, which resembles falling into a back hole. These victims are paralyzed and only see what they are allowed to see, making them feel small. Hence, the symbolism behind “the sunken place”. The sunken place is a symbol for the marginalization and out of touch reality so many black Americans face everyday. It is that loss of power and helpless feeling that you cannot save yourself. This is not only a symbol of marginalization but a metaphor for systemic racism. In a Variety artcile, Peele describes the sunken place as a metaphor, “The sunken place is the prison-industrial complex, it’s the dark hole we throw black people in.” Other comparisons he used said that “The sunken place is the theater that black people are relegated to watching horror movies on the screen. We can scream at the screen but we’re not going to get represented on the other side,” Peele said.

“There is a subtlety to Peele’s writing and visualization that not only reflects the audience’s lived experiences, but creates the space for the audience to draw their own conclusions on their own time. Things are inferred by the way a character says something coupled with what they said; how they looked, a gesture, an eye roll. The weight of the message is weaved into the physicality of the delivery. And that is what makes the racial content of this film easier to digest,” Lauren said. ”Peele’s work is true FUBU (for us, by us). One of the reasons Black folk resonate with his works on such a deep level is because he’s able to strike an emotional chord with the Black audience. Because Black culture is pop culture, there are some things non-Black folk are able to pick up on in Get Out, but to know and be in the know are two very different experiences.”

‘Get Out’ brought race into the discussion of fear for white people. Of course, everyone knew what racism was beforehand, we understood the cases of microaggression and the small stares and comments. Modern racism is not only shown through direct conflict but from small micro aggressions in day to day life. The film was a visual representation of what it was like to be a black man (in America). From little instances like being pulled over and scrutinized, to a literal auction to buy Chris. The film laid all the cards out on the table so people wouldn’t be able to miss the message of this story. 

For horror fans like myself and Coffey, black horror became a focus for me after seeing “Get Out”. Sitting in the packed theater opening weekend, it’s like an energy shift for the viewers theater experience, it’s almost like everyone knew this movie would be a culture shift. Even when I saw “US” in the theater I was intrigued and excited for more movies by Peele. Black filmmakers today have this understanding of this role they have in their filmmaking and how it is bringing more opportunities for other black and brown people to express through their films. Filmmakers like Nia Dacosta and Jordan Peele’s work are giving viewers the chance to pay better attention to their messages hidden in the movies. Intersectionality is very prominent in black horror today as it is redefined. The new fear in horror movies uses racism and the marginalization of people of color as the new “bad guy”. LaMelle says that black culture is pop culture, so some people can pick up on references where others can’t. However, LaMelle says that “because of what Get Out did for the culture at large it’s able to be accepted by a lot of different audiences.”

As black horror is growing, black creatives are getting better opportunities to create different black narratives. To Brianna, movies like Get Out and Candyman (2021) are movies that tell stories that resonate with black audiences. “It’s a cliche phrase but representation does matter. I always get excited when I see a new horror movie coming out is starring someone black or is written or directed by someone black. I think the more opportunities black people get  to make horror films the way they want, the better”, said Brianna. Many modern black horror films have well developed characters who have more complex narratives that the standard one size fits all box that black characters lived in for years. With more opportunities for black filmmakers, actors, and new characters developing we are seeing more meaningful narratives for audiences to resonate with.

“Sinners” is one of the newest black horror films of the decade. The film uses music to connect with its audience. Although this movie does have discussions about race, Coogler uses music as a way for his characters to reconnect the past, present, and future generations through listening to music. Music is a large part of black culture and the music scene is such a unique take on incorporating someone’s ancestors and culture. The song that Sammie plays in the scene transcends everyone in the barn connecting them through his music. He literally summons his past, present, and future ancestors who are represented through the many genres and musical history in this scene. Coogler told Entertainment Weekly “For these (characters) that had the fucking rotten luck of being born in 1932 Mississippi, that's where their adulthood would be experienced…to have this transcendent experience where they get to spend some time with the people that came before them and the people that come after. Even if they don't know it, they feel it.” 

”The future I want to see for Black filmmakers is creative freedom to make the films they want to see. I want more of it all - slashers, buckets of blood, haunted houses, ghosts, vampires, lake monsters, curses - that focuses on Black folk and not overtly on the effects of racism on the Black people. Personally, I don’t enjoy when things are too on-the-nose, so I think there’s room for filmmakers to play with different forms of “racism as evil thing”, said La Melle.

Modern horror films spawn under the umbrella of movies that have come out twenty five, thirty five, even fifty years ago today. Classics like ‘The Exorcist’, ‘Halloween’, ‘Friday, the 13th’, and ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’have inspired many movies in new horror films from the recent decades.

Obsession with religious and paranormal movies all started in the 70s, when ‘The Exorcist’ was released. Directors targeted your fear spiritually. Some of the more popular films today are more psychological, they really want to fuck with your mind. Not only are these films psychologically fucking with your mind they give horror fans that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. 

Some of these movies that give that psychological film are A24 movies, like Midsommer or Hereditary. Like many other horror fans, watching Midsommar for the first time had my stomach churning. That uncomfortable feeling in your gut is the sweet spot that directors like Ari Aster are looking for when making a psychological film. Although these films have death and murder in them. They don’t necessarily show a lot of gore in the scenes, only quick flashes to make the point. Even in Hereditary, arguably the best horror film of the 2010s, doesn’t necessarily have a lot of violent-ish scenes compared to a movie like ‘Halloween’ or ‘Terrifier’. 

I once heard from a YouTuber that horror movies are kind of like hot sauce. It takes a while to get used to them. If you don't like another, you can always find a new one. Just like hot sauces, there's different brands and flavors, kind of like there's different genres and sub genres in a movie. Sub genres for horror movies include gory, psychological, slasher, even comedy (if you like a mild sauce.) It all depends on what you like and what you can take. 

Rise of The Final Girl

The final girl is the lone survivor from the first massacre that the killer is always trying to hunt down. Somehow, they always survived and beat the killer. Some final girls you may recognize are Laurie strode Sydney Prescott and Gail Weathers (Scream), Nancy Thompson (Nightmare on Elm Street)  and Grace Lee Thomas (Ready or Not), although many women are seen as ‘weak’ in horror films, the final girl trope lives on.

Many of the new age horror films made in the 2000-2010s and onward have given it a new look, sort of like ‘a good for her’ reaction. You what the unexpected female lead to rise from the ashes and battle the killer in the final act. 

Though many final survivors are women, it makes you question why it isn't as common to see a final male role or a sole survivor that isn't the original “helpless woman”. Which is interesting, considering many of the antagonists in horror films are men that go after weaker women, but it's uncommon to go the other way around. Why is that? 

 In an interview Professor Lisa Huebner from West Chester University about the gender stereotypes in horror and its impact, she described it as a “symbiotic relationship between representation and what actually happens on the ground, and not that these depictions will cause more violence against women. That's not what I'm suggesting, what I think, though, is that these depictions normalize ideas about violence.” 

“It perpetuates the idea that only women are targets of intimate violence, which is also not true. It perpetuates the idea that violence only occurs in these ways, which is also not true. Scenes in these movies, unless I'm misunderstanding, I think it happens from strangers, right, like the murders or the assaults or whatever is happening happening from strangers. So it could actually perpetuate false ideas about what we know to be true about violence against women from the actual problem. I think if people were to just come in and say, Oh, no, you know this is causing more violence against women or something like that. That's not actually true. I think what is happening is that you have these representations that could actually distort the truth”.

Every Horror Decade Invents Their Own Genre

In the 1970s directors began exploring a lot more genres like gore, and they also brought in the new message, “if you're gonna have sex in the movie, you're going to die.”

By the late 70s/early 80s some of the most iconic killers in horror were created. We’re talking Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, Jason Vorhees, and Leatherface. ‘Halloween’ walked so every slasher after it could run at full speed.

The 80s made their mark with slashers flooding the screen. The crazed serial killer terrorizing its neighborhood was the scariest reality for suburbia. What’s scarier than a man in a mask? 

‘Sleepaway Camp’, ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’, ‘Friday the 13th’; summer slashers captured the carefree vibes from summer camp and in the 80s, just brought out the bright colors of the decade. 

In the 1990s after a bloody decade of killers, directors began branching out on ideas of horror movies. Many of the movies had a very meta feel to it, like they were very aware of what was going on and that the killer was chasing them and what they had to do. Films added comedy bringing a new perspective to how a horror movie could play out. Some of these movies that had that were Scream, ‘Bride of Chucky’, ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’, and the parody film series, ‘Scary Movie’, that was released in the late 90s. 

In the late 90s, we began to see a new subgenre of be born, which was found footage, documentary style. Found footage horror films were first introduced with the ‘Blair Witch Project’. The Blair Witch Project only had about a $60,000 budget, and they're one of the most famous and familiar movies to this day.

In the 2000s, we began to see a lot of this in movies. We saw a lot of found footage, we saw a lot of reboots of classics and many sequels. So many sequels. Ghost movies became very popular in this decade with movies like ‘Paranormal Activity’ and ‘The Ring’ in the 2000s. 

Once the 2010s rolled around, a lot of occult and paranormal films like The Conjuring and Annabelle became the focus of horror.  It was very hard to make a movie with as much success as some of the earlier films, which were so influential and some had so much impact on the film community today. 

Now in the 2020s as we begin a new decade, we're starting to see a lot of remakes and reboots, as we saw from 20 years earlier. Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, and The Exorcist all had remakes or sequels released in the early 2020s. 

Horror as a genre is carving its path in film by turning to new directions and directors are cutting into the industry with fresh ideas. From bloodthirsty vampires in ‘Sinners’, psychologically The Menu, Blink Twice, and Smile. From films like Pearl to Sinners to The Substance, horror reinvents itself every time a new film streams in the theater. Horror has always been such an experimental genre that you can bend and twist and not worry if it will snap because there will be a fanbase who will follow them into the dark.

‘Weapons’ (2025) is a mystery horror film that takes place in Maybrook, Pennsylvania. At 2:17, all of Justine Gandy’s third grade class got up from their beds and walked out of their houses never to be seen again, except for Alex. In the opening scene, a chilling child narrator explains that this was based on a real story setting an uncomfortable tone for the opening of the film. The movie flashes between the backstories of multiple characters that are all involved in the disappearance and discovery of these seventeen children. Over time it can be a bit hard to follow along because we are seeing so many perspectives tie together. 

Like a lot of modern horror, ‘Weapons’ displays acts of cinematography to make the audience think after they leave the theater and not just scared. There are numerous scenes that make you wonder, ‘why was this included, how is it important?’ The specific scene that has me wondering what the symbolism was behind it. Archer’s dream includes him chasing his son out into his yard when above him a large AK-47 appears above his house with the time “2:17” in bright letters. Is this a symbolism for gun violence in classrooms in America? There has been no connection confirmed that this is what the dream relates to but it is up to interpretation of the viewers. One detail I noticed straight away was the term ‘2:17’. There are two survivors and seventeen missing children in this story. But as we see the scene when Gladys summons the children it seemed merely coincidental that the time was 2:17. Gladys, the main antagonist, used the children, Alex’s parents, and Marcus as her weapons to control everyone around her. Protecting herself and her magical tree. 

This film uses a lot of different character perspectives that give you strong opinions on these characters after being intrigued by them in the beginning scenes of the film. As Justine’s character develops I started to get mixed feelings on her character and how she reacts to the disappearance of her classroom. Even her basically forcing Paul to have just one drink with her and later sleeping with him. You kind of get to know the different characters and start to dislike them. Except for Alex, poor Alex. Living with a terrifying aunt like Gladys, taking care of his parents and all of his classmates, including his bully Matthew. It just shows how good of a person Alex was and that he is one of the admirable characters in this film. 

‘Weapons’ is an equal balance of a creepy, strange, and comedic horror movie that all horror lovers can enjoy. This film had a lot of great jumpscares for a 2025 movie. There were multiple times I was sinking into my seat just anticipating a booming noise to flood the theater as I gripped my cherry Diet Coke. Every time Gladys appeared on screen I felt uneasy because of how unsettling her energy was. As a horror film, it manages to hit the jump scares and land a new wave of memes online. 

The cultivation binge theory states that long term exposure to different types of media can potentially sway a viewers perception of reality and connect reality to the media viewers watch. In this experiment I binge watched ‘Black Mirror’ season 7 and observed my emotions during these episodes.

‘Black Mirror’ is a Netflix television series that has individual storylines with a different cast and their episodes have common themes of exploring technological advances and their potential consequences in alternate universes. These science fiction narratives often explore themes following misuse of technology, the disappearance of privacy from technology, and consequences of consumerism. ‘Black Mirror’ shows how society could evolve from the use of advanced technology. The show is one big hypothetical for what may happen if technology gets out of hand. 

Season seven has six episodes: ‘Common People, Bête Noire, Hotel Reverie, Plaything, Eulogy, and USS Callister: Into Infinity’. Each episode had a different storyline but there is a common technology piece in recent episodes.

Black mirror often uses a small device to scan your mind, they’ve used this device as a surveillance into your brain in other episodes like ‘Arkangel’ or ‘The Entire History of You’. However in this season this device was used almost as a portal or transportation device into a technological world. Watching these episodes made me feel an array of emotions. Sad, annoyed, and even paranoid about how technology is evolving.

‘Eulogy’ and ‘Common People’ were two episodes that affected me the most. The point of this show is to give you an example of an alternate reality that has the potential to happen. These episodes meant the most to me because ‘Eulogy’ is so similar to virtual reality and the pyramid scheme of subscriptions and lack of healthcare coverage and services in ‘Common People’ is so close to home. Seeing themes from these episodes of what technology can do to you just makes me more cautious about how I perceive what technology is becoming. 

This show distorts societal norms by showing an extreme reality of societal norms through what technology can do to a person. The show often supports crazy conspiracy theories that pose the question, how much will society take before it's too much? ‘Common People’ explores how companies are exploiting people who need medical care. These companies profit off of low income people desperate to live with a brain implant connected to a hard drive that you can control. It’s looking at how ethical it may be to use technology like this in healthcare and what could happen. In the episode, Amanda suddenly falls into a coma in need of a brain surgery. After getting one, the company reveals that the surgery is free and you just have to pay a small fee of $300/month for the rest of your life. Until she begins to verbalize ads in her conversations and can only get signals in a specific county. Then she has to upgrade her “plan” and pay $800 extra a month to save her job as a teacher. This episode is the most realistic depiction of what society can do to people and how technology like this can potentially take advantage of people. I think this episode will be influential for viewers as a wake up call for how subscriptions and healthcare has been scamming people. This episode is upsetting because we can see how much her husband is trying to keep her alive and how much they are struggling to make the payments, something that such a large part of the world can relate to.  He will do anything it takes to keep her alive. It honestly makes me look at how healthcare will find new fees or upgrades to make more money off of low income households today.

Black Mirror is a television show that is made to influence short term thoughts and emotions between its viewers. It plays off of what ifs and conspiracies of how technology is taking over society. Some common emotions you feel watching this show are sadness, empathy, paranoia, anger, and even annoyance with some of the characters. One episode that made me feel annoyed was ‘Bête Noire’. It follows two old high school friends who meet again in the workplace. One of the friends spread a rumor about the one girl and she created a device that when she speaks into it, things become true or the people around her believe that it is true. She used this to manipulate the emotions and behaviors of everyone around her to control her. The episode is inspired by the Mandela effect and even has some real life changes in the costumes and characters in the episode. 

Short term learning effects of watching this tv are paranoia and self awareness of the technology you use everyday. Watching episodes with such high tech devices makes me think twice about what devices I use and how I interact with my technology. I know I am still thinking about the episode, ‘Eulogy’. The episode is about a VR device that can transport you into old photographs of yourself and loved ones. They marketed this device for funerals as a way to remember the dead. Some long term effects that I can see happening from watching season seven are being more skeptical and critical of new technology. Watching a show like this can really influence how you approach new advancements in technology and almost make you paranoid with the consequences. This show can make you approach the technology and sci-fi universe with skepticism. I have definitely approached technology like VR skeptically ever since watching previous episodes. After watching this show I have even described some scenarios as “something I’d see in Black Mirror”.

Common learning cycles repeated in Black Mirror are digital autonomy. ‘Plaything, Hotel Reverie, and USS Callister: Into Infinity’ are a great example of these. They are all episodes about AI and virtual characters in computers. From showing how AI can affect people with human-like artificial characters in a computer or on screen, people are being exposed to the horror that AI can become. Hopefully being exposed to these worst case scenarios is used as a wake up call for how fast AI is evolving today in society.

I asked Alabasio to describe his most haunted story, because if anyone had a good story it would be the man who does ghost tours. “I was giving a tour and was at the Joshua Ward house before it became a hotel”, he told me. The grounds are where the sheriff from the 1692 Witchcraft Trials lived. It was a book company that closed at 5 p.m. so we frequently went in the driveway and let people sit on the wall. As I was giving the tour, the tree behind everyone shook violently. I looked around and really didn't see any other evidence of a strong wind. No other trees shaking and no dust or trash flying through the air. I thought it was weird but thought that maybe the kids at the nearby donut shop were playing a prank. After we finished that stop, a woman showed me a picture she had taken just then of a mist that was going through the tree that shook violently. It was not wet or foggy out. The mist had to be an apparition that shook the tree.” 

Today, Salem is visited by over 700,000 tourists a year. In 2022 alone Salem brought in over 1.6 million people to experience the town. With the newest Hocus Pocus 2 movie premiering late September, many were putting a trip to Salem on their bucket list. Some locals told Boston.com that they believe the rise in numbers was created from an influx of Halloween and a new rising of witch trends on Tiktok. Some locals believe that the rise in tourists and visitors this year was from the “lost years” because of the pandemic and Covid causing everything to shut down. From being featured in classics like Hocus Pocus to being known as one of the most haunted cities ever, Salem is one of the most iconic Halloween towns there is. But many tend to forget the history that made this Witch City put on the map. Over 300 years ago the town went through the Salem Witch Trials prosecuting over two hundred men and women, accusing them of witchcraft and publicly harming and executing nineteen of them. Years later in 1953, The Crucible was made and helped revive the story of the Salem Witch Trials. Then in 1982, Haunted Happenings became popular; a weekend long celebration of all things Halloween in Salem. But as time evolved, Salem has been able to celebrate the whole month of October from either diving deep into the history of the Witch City to being able to enjoy Salem in a more spooky aspect by hosting candlelight ghost tours in cemeteries to showing off filming sets from famous Halloween movies.

Alabasio is not alone in his experiences with the supernatural. After interviewing two other guides and speaking to locals in town, every one of them agreed that they have experienced some sort of supernatural presence when giving their tours to the hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. Another guide, Beth Crowley also gave me a ghost story when speaking to her. Beth’s most memorable paranormal activity was on one of her famous tours. “We go to a location called the Ropes Mansion, which dates to 1727”, she said. On one tour, a mother told me that her son was very “in tune” to spirits and spoke with them back home. After telling the story about a woman in the house who died following a fire in 1839, the woman took me aside and said, “Beth, my son just said to me, ‘Mommy, the lady in that window is waving at you.’” Apparently he had seen the ghost of Abigail, the woman who died from the infections of third degree burns following the fire.”

The Salem Witch Trials have impacted history and left a legacy for centuries. It all began in the 1600s and lasted for eighteen months. During the trials over two hundred men and women (mostly women) were accused of witchcraft, but only nineteen were persecuted and killed. Back then, many “witches” were accused just for being outcast or even by people who just did not like them and wanted a way to get rid of them. The very first person to be tried of witchcraft was Bridget Bishop. She had been well known as a quite flamboyant and ‘free’ woman who had been married three times. Many people in town did not favor her. 

Although Bridget was the first person to be hung in the Salem Witch Trials, she was not the first woman accused of it. Tituba, a slave, was the first woman accused of practicing witchcraft. Tituba was a slave brough over by Samuel Parris. She had been accused by two women for her crime. There are theories that she would read voodoo and witchcraft stories to the girls she took care of and even rumors of her practicing witchcraft through food she gave them. She later confessed to witchcraft but there is no proof to what she has confessed. 

The Witch House is a well known museum in Salem, Massachusetts; this is the only house with direct ties to the Salem Witch Trials from 1692. The original owner of the house was Jonathan Corwin, one of the judges from the trials. It’s the only building still standing that was involved in the trials. It is rumored that Jonathan Corwin would use this house to interrogate said ‘witches’ and accuse men, women, and even children of witchcraft.

 The Witch House is known to be one of the most haunted places in Salem. There have been several reports of paranormal activity including felt random chills in the air, hearing voices of children, and even being touched by unseen forces. Many of the locals claim that one of the voices heard was a four year old girl who was accused of witchcraft during the trials who was killed. 

Years ago in 1944, Jonathan’s past home was set to be demolished, but the town raised over $40,000 to make sure the house stays. They were going to tear down the Witch House to make space to widen the street nearby, by raising the money they were able to move the house back thirty five feet instead of tearing it down. 

Today the Witch House acts as a reminder to society for how far we have come logically. Looking back at the trials we now believe it is ridiculous to kill someone because of witchcraft practice. It serves as the reflection in a mirror for how far we have come. 

Witch City Walking Tours is a woman founded and owned ghost tour in Salem, Massachusetts. This tour is owned by Beth Crowley, The founder and original tour guide. She began Witch City Walking Tours back in 2014 on her own because she had a passion and loved giving tours of Salem. Beth has a degree in Education and History and has always had a fascination in the history of Salem. 

When I recently interviewed Beth, through email. She told me, “Witch City Walking Tours offers tours of historic Salem, specializing in maritime history, the Salem Witch Trials, architecture and ghost stories. We also offer a Mysteries and Murder tour, which focuses on true crime and the macabre, Mansion & Merchants, which is an architecture tour, and the Hocus Pocus Movie Locations Tour, which focuses on the 1993 Disney movie. We have grown to be one of the top tour companies in Salem. Last year, we were named “The Most Booked Tour in America” by Trip Advisor (Fall 2021), and this year were awarded “Best of the Best” 2022 for our History & Hauntings tour and were ranked the #4 tours around the world by Trip Advisor.”

 “I actually believe in spirits”, she said. “Ghosts’” just sounds so negative. I believe that there is energy all around us. My mom passed away a year ago and I like to believe that her energy is still here on Earth.” Beth has always loved living in Salem and loved history. It came natural to her. Beth started out this business all on her own and now she runs a successful business with a team of eighteen guides! In the words of Beth, “ I think if you are doing something you love, success follows.” Beth has been visiting Salem since she was just a kid for “Haunted Happenings”. She was always fascinated with the city and the witchy vibe. She moved here in 2007, “ I love that I can walk out my door and I am surrounded by museums, historic homes, beautiful gardens, restaurants, etc. I always see people that I know. It is an amazing city to live in!” What really makes Witch City Walking Tours so different is that it’s like taking a tour with a good friend who is showing you the best of Salem.” We don’t dress up in character; we keep it real!” Beth said. You will have an amazing time with your guide and feel like old friends by the end of the tour.The tour covers history, hauntings, the Witch Trials, architecture and hidden gems. “The best parts of running a tour business are meeting people from all over the world” she told me. “It is truly an amazing experience. It is so fun getting to talk to people from all walks of life. For so many, coming to Salem is a bucket list experience. The worst part of running a tour business is that you are dealing with the general public, and sometimes they are just not happy, no matter what you do. We have gotten 1-star reviews because they could not find parking in October, which has nothing to do with the tour at all. It can be very frustrating!”

The Salem Witch Museum is a classic museum to see on the perfect visit to Salem, especially around October. The Salem Witch Museum was founded in 1972, and they recently celebrated their 50th anniversary with a ribbon cutting in May of 2022. They offer many virtual events since the pandemic, some even being free. The Salem Witch Museum is a presentation based museum based in 1692. They do immersive experiences and audio tours of images from the Salem Witch Trials and explore witchcraft today. 

The Salem Witch Museum makes sure to stay away from the ghost stories and paranormal experiences and is dedicated to telling the truth and whole story. One thing that makes the Salem Witch Museum stand out and make people wanna come back is that it is One of the oldest witch museums besides the witch house format is effective audio visual and immersive experience based really impactful housed in a 29th century gothic church to really feel what happened draws people in from a variety of ages. Does lots of virtual programming virtual and online because of the pandemic available online. 

Giovanni Alabiso is the tour guide and owner of Salem Historical Tours LLC; they do two tours: Salem Historical Tours and the Haunted Footsteps Ghost Tour. He bought his business back in 2014 after working for the previous owner for three years. He started working there for some extra money while being unemployed and then eventually bought his current business. “I actually live in Peabody, which is just over the Salem line. Technically, Peabody was Salem Village just like Danvers. I used to live in Salem in the late 1980s.”

When asked what the business is about Giovanni replied, “We do history and ghost tours of Salem, Massachusetts. We have various tours on different topics. We also do tours in Danvers and Andover. In addition, we occasionally put on performances and do a talk show over the winter. The best part of doing ghost tours is giving the tour and seeing people freak out. One time at the Joshua Ward House, I scared a whole bunch of high school girls. It was before the hotel was there. One of the girls knocked on the door. I said, "Did you just knock on the door?" She said yes so I just freaked out and told them we had to go now. And I turned to go and waved for them to come immediately. They all started yelling that I was leaving and that something was wrong. When we got to the next stop, I told them that they invited the ghost of the sheriff to join us by knocking and we didn't want the sheriff to know us at all. The worst part of doing ghost tours is probably all the administrative tasks that go along with it. There are many things that need to be done to keep the tour business successful.”

The Old Burying Point Cemetery is a cemetery in Salem, it is the burial ground of the judges that were involved in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and Revolutionary War victims. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Salem. Many of the victims from the Salem Witch Trials, after being publicly tortured and hanged were dumped in the Old Burying point Cemetary. This cemetery is considered haunted for a multitude of reasons, its nineteen victims from the witch trials and the 6800 victims from the revolutionary war. This cemetery was originally the Salem Street Burying Ground and was a private cemetery for the Wade family. Before that the property was a plantation for over 45 years owned by Matthew Craddock. 

There have been many sightings of paranormal activity at the burial site, especially of one of the leading judges from the Salem Witch Trials, Judge John Hathorne. Many have caught photographs from him near his grave and of his grave, according to one of the tour guides i spoke with on my trip. Many of the victims in the Salem Witch Trials didn't even get a proper burial, they were just dumped in the ground without letting their souls rest. Since then many visitors have believed these spirits still wander around and have even reported to hear voices, chill winds, and possible ghosts at the cemetery.

The Ropes Mansion today is seen as a museum, but centuries ago it was a home to the Ropes Family for over three generations. One of the well known spirits of the home is the tale of Abigail Ropes. Abigail was the daughter of Nathaniel Ropes and in 1839 she tragically died. After speaking with a few locals they proceeded to tell me the story of how she died and still haunts the Ropes Mansion today. Abigail was known to be very rude to her staff back in the day, she would often lose her temper on her maids and chefs causing her to flip through multiple employees a month. So when they heard her scream it was no surprise. The townspeople believed that Abigail was mad. The people suspected that Abigail had anger issues or other mental health issues from how often she would blow up at people. One day she was walking around her room and walked a little too close to her fireplace and her dress lit up in flames. She began screaming frantically calling for help but none of her staff paid attention to her yells. According to public records Abigail didn't die immediately, she survived from being burned alive for three agonizing weeks until finally passing away from a “distressing illness caused by her clothes catching fire”. Today many people state that they can still hear Abigail screaming in the house and see her looking out of her bedroom outside. 

All of Salem’s history has impacted the country with numerous classes that can be taught about witchcraft, movies inspired by witchcraft, and TV shows. Other movies inspired by witchcraft that kind of stray away from the typical Halloween vibes is the 1996 film, The Craft. This was a film made about four highschool girls that practiced witchcraft together after school. A TV show inspired by the 2000s show, Wizards of Waverly Place. A television show about a girl named Alex who grows up with a half wizard half human family in New York. Some schools even have majors inspired by magic and witchcraft that are offered to students. Even our own West Chester University has featured its own class on witches being portrayed in cinema as witches and the impact it has made. Earlier this semester I was able to speak to Professor Aquilo-Perez, the professor who offered the class on witches in literature, about her previous course and what it was. 

 “For me it was a great exchange of knowledge between not just me teaching the students, but the students teaching me.” Professor Aquilo-Perez said in reference to how much she enjoyed the class and was given the opportunity to teach the class.

When I had the opportunity to speak to Professor Emily Aguilo-Perez, she told me that she taught a class in Fall of 2021. She taught Something Wicked: Witches in Youth Literature and Media. She wanted the class to be able to look at the image of the witch and why had it always been focused on being a woman and how it started to be seen as evil. As a way to expand how witches have been seen as villains for young readers. The class looked at topics of race, gender, representation of witches and how they were seen in movies and books. Gender has always been present in the stereotype of the witch. —-- Professor Aquilo-Perez obviously enjoyed being able to teach the class, especially since the class took place in the fall around October and Halloween. Since there is such a big popular media around witches and witchcraft, they were able to dive into the conversation on the gender roles that witches played in different shows and TV. Just like the difference between wizards like Harry Potter and how he was seen as a hero versus how witches were seen in movies like Maleficent and witches in Hocus Pocus like the Sanderson Sisters were seen as evil. Though the mystery of why women are seen as evil when they have magic and men are seen as interesting and cool, there were never straight answers as to why this is. We discussed how witchcraft has been spoken about in the media, I later noticed the pattern myself. 

Being able to appreciate Salem, from not only afar for so many years as a young adult, to having the privilege to visit Salem in college. I was able to learn and understand what Salem has brought to the table and how much influence the town has on others. I was able to learn new information from guides, speak and listen to their stories, and retell them to people who have never heard of them before. I have always had a love for Salem and its quirks, almost as if this concept has seen me grow into the writer I am today

Since “Yellowjackets” is a ‘cross-generational’ tv show, showing the lives of the girls when they were 17-19 and them twenty five years later, the show attracts a wide range to their fan base. The teen timeline takes place in the mid 90s, attracting the millennial, Gen Z, and Gen X crowd. A lot of the flashback scenes of the girls in the 90s feel. Nostalgic to the small town, underdogs sort of feel. This show also takes place in suburban New Jersey so a lot of locals can be drawn to watch the show. The adult timeline takes place in the present day. All technology and trends are up to date so Gen Z can relate to this timeline as well as the teen timeline because of their ages. 

The “Yellowjackets” fan base is very active on social media. There was a two year gap in season two and season three premieres so fans have had plenty of time to engage online and discuss theories between the characters and what might be coming next. This is an example of audience agency; the power and ability of viewers or consumers of media to interpret, engage with, and influence the narratives presented to them. Fans interact over apps like Reddit, X, Instagram, and TikTok to log on and discuss the most recent episode and what they think the girls will do next in the tv show. As the show has continued, popular theories have been confirmed or skewed by the writers of “Yellowjackets” crossing over as an example of audience agency. Many episodes are left with a cliffhanger, leaving its audience’s mind spinning with ideas of what will happen next. 

The uses and gratifications theory describes the reasons and means that people seek out media to meet specific needs. Since this tv show is a drama/mystery/thriller, it pertains to several audiences looking for a fix of their favorite genre. Curiosity plays a big part in the tv show, the opening scene flashed to the girls already over a year into when they were stranded, completely removed from civilization and ever since then, fans have been speculating what could have happened between that time. The show's suspense makes the curiosity grow even more. Not only is it the shows suspense, but the nostalgia of the girls in the 90s timeline. The 90s era has always resurfaced and made its comebacks, so the millennial audience is able to enjoy the show regardless of the age difference in other fans like Gen Z. Besides a younger audience, Gen X is also able to watch this show since the adult timeline is closer in age. The dark, unsettling storyline is appropriate for an older crowd compared to teenagers, however, all audiences seem to enjoy this show. Melanie Lynsky told CBS Mornings in an interview that “there is a lot of rage and a lot of wildness…people really respond to it”, responding to why an audience is so drawn to the tv show. Not only is the show fulfilled through its suspense and drama, the cast is very diverse. All of the characters have developed their own distinct personalities that can be caught in the adult timeline too.  Fans have the opportunity to connect with numerous cast members and potentially see their own traits in these characters. 

The audience can watch this show through Paramount plus, Showtime, and the first season is available on Netflix. People share theories and edits of the tv show on TikTok or YouTube where they talk about their thoughts on the latest episodes. Being able to discuss the tv show on social media and with the cast has definitely impacted the ratings of the show. With the cliffhanger in season two and the gap between season three, the show had time to grow and build a larger fan base excited for the premiere. According to Showtime, the show was brought in. A 58% increase in viewership for the season three premiere compared to season two, a series record. Media fragmentation plays a role in the increase in viewership because the show is now available in more streaming services. Back in 2021, the television show was only available on Paramount Plus/Showtime. Viewers on Netflix may not want to add another subscription to their list to finish one tv show so they might wait until Netflix adds the seasons. The show is aired weekly so fans may be resistant to paying for a show that is not fully released yet. 

A lot of the characters, though they play very vulnerable people, have all made their mistakes, even in the first episode. Shauna goes through so much during the show after losing her best friend and her child so looking back at her actions in the first episode comes off as a warning to how unhinged she and the other girls turn out to be. I think this is what the producers wanted to show, because although we see a lot of breakdowns and emotions from Shauna as a teenager, her in the adult timeline tells us that she has become a bad person despite her experiences. 

SOURCES USED:

https://library.fiveable.me/key-terms/film-and-media-theory/audience-agency 

https://www.blog-mtdecoagency.com/mt-deco-blog/how-yellowjackets-became-a-must-follow-on-tv-and-online 

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/yellowjackets-season-3-premiere-streaming-ratings-1236142914/ 

https://shortyawards.com/15th/yellowjackets-builds-a-social-hit#:~:text=The%20show’s%20cross%2Dgenerational%20appeal,juxtaposing%20the%20dual%20story%20timelines.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uses_and_gratifications_theory