5 Feminist Horror Movies to Kick Off Your Halloween Season

By Carrie Pinkard

I don’t know about you, but we are sick of scary movies that use women only as romantic interests or sexual objects. 

We’ve brewed up a selection of feminist horror movies that have complex, dynamic, and strong female characters. Some of these women you’ll cheer for and some you’ll cower away from in fear. All of them are feminist AF. 

So steep some Snarky Tea, pop some popcorn, and get ready for some spine-chilling, tea-spilling fun. 

1) A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night

A vampire flick starring a woman who exclusively feeds on misogynistic men? Sign us the fuck up. A girl walking home alone at night would usually be in danger, but not in this movie. The girl in question is a vampire who lives in a desolate Iranian town. She wanders the streets at night watching the residents, and when a man harms a woman, the vampire intervenes and attacks him. 

We recommend drinking Get Your A** In Bed while watching this film. The movie is black and white, and while violent at times, it’s also relaxing to watch a woman take down the patriarchy one scumbag at a time. Get Your A** In Bed contains chamomile, lemongrass, and lavender that will help you slip into a relaxed state while watching this very dreamlike movie.

2) Teeth

Dawn is an all-star member of her high school’s chastity club. She regularly speaks to the group about the peril of “giving away” your virginity before marriage. She maintains this sweet, innocent persona until her boyfriend tries to take advantage of her in a cave. Then she sinks her teeth in. It turns out Dawn has “vagina dentata” aka teeth in her vagina. Throughout the movie we watch her as she understands the true effect of this power. We see her take revenge on men who try to harm her. 

Teeth is a horror-comedy movie. While it might sound extremely dark and gross, it’s actually campy and funny. Because Dawn begins as such a sweet, girl next door type, we recommend drinking Sweet As F*ck while you watch this movie. Every sip you take will accompany you on Dawn’s journey from being a sweet teenage girl to a strong and sadistic woman. 

3) Black Christmas (1974)

Are you dreaming of a black Christmas? Black Christmas is a slasher movie that never got as much attention as Halloween or Friday the 13th, but it should have. This movie follows a group of sorority girls as they head into winter break from school.  A few of them stay in the house for the holidays and the results are deadly. 

Black Christmas is genuinely terrifying, and you’ll need something to help keep your nerves calm. That’s why we’re pairing this slasher flick with our Calm the F**k Down tea. You’ll need this soothing green rooibos blend as you realize the killer’s calls are coming from inside the house.

4) Into The Dark: Pure

There’s honestly nothing creepier than a group of grown men who escort their daughters to a purity camp. That’s the setting for Into The Dark: Pure. Teenage girls and their dads attend a week-long purity camp where they listen to lectures about how important it is that the dads protect their daughter’s virginities. Any girls who misbehave are locked in a cage to think about their actions. At the end of the camp, they’re supposed to sign contracts that say they will wait until marriage to have sex. 

Queue Lilith, a demon woman who comes to the camp and saves the girls. She gives a powerful feminist speech about how women are equal to men and that men should stop trying to control women’s bodies. We suggest drinking some Namaste Motherf*cker tea while watching this one.

5) The Babadook

The Babadook is about so much more than just a scary monster living in your house. It’s about the struggles of motherhood. It’s about the exhaustion and depression that can come along with raising children. The main character’s husband dies in a car accident on their way to the hospital to deliver her baby boy. She is left to raise the boy alone with almost no support system. As the boy gets older, her depression grows and in comes The Babadook. 

The woman’s depression grows too large to ignore and she is forced to confront it. The movie is full of jump scares and very interesting imagery. It will make you think about yourself and caring for your own mental health. Pour a cup of Get Your Sh*t Together and go on a scary journey with this mother-son duo. 

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Looking for more feminist horror? We’ve got you covered. Check out these bonus movies, all of which pair great with our seasonal pumpkin spice tea: Basic B*tch, Let us know in the comments what you thought of these movies and if you have any more you’d add to the list!