Women have always been part of horror cinema, not only contributing to but profoundly shaping the genre since its very conception and making it what it is today. This is a driving concept behind 1000 Women in Horror (2025), directed by Donna Davies and with a screenplay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, whose expansive and rigorously researched book 1000 Women in Horror, 1895–2018, inspired the documentary. The film combines talking heads with clips from a multitude of films, from canonical genre cornerstones (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Alien, Carrie, The Exorcist, The Slumber Party Massacre) to popular 21st century films (The Babadook, Jennifer’s Body, Censor, Relic) to titles that might be lesser known (It’s Alive, Poison for the Fairies, Helter Skelter, American Mary, Heavenly Creatures, Messiah of Evil).

1000 Women in Horror is instructive while also being immensely entertaining. The interviews are with a combination of directors, writers, producers, actors, programmers, and critics: Roxanne Benjamin, Akela Cooper, Mattie Do, Brea Grant, Mary Harron, Cerise Howard, Kier-La Janisse, Nikyatu Jusu, Natasha Kermani, Roseanne Liang, Annalise Lockhart, Toby Poser, Sara Risher, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Lin Shaye, Kate Siegel, Chelsea Stardust, Jenn Wexler and April Wolfe. Their thoughtful, open, and generous conversations demonstrate a real passion for filmmaking and horror cinema.

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The overall vibe is warm and inclusive, giving the impression that viewers are hanging out with friends, women who love what they do. Reflecting on their experiences of both watching and making films, they share insights drawn from their own lives. For example, Brea Grant acknowledges using personal experiences as the impetus for writing Lucky (2020); April Wolf mentions trying to normalize menstruation in Black Christmas (2019); and Kate Siegel offers a visceral and frankly mesmerizing description of her c-section. The latter is a vivid example of the connection between women and body horror, reflecting a central premise of the film: horror is about the body, and the body is always gendered.

The film is structured through the framework of a life cycle, divided into sections on girlhood, adolescence, adulthood, work, motherhood, and ageing. An interesting and unexpected decision, this allows for the material to be neatly arranged into an easy-to-follow progression. This format also contributes to a relatively swift pace that keeps the film interesting.

Subjects broached include childhood innocence, toxic friendships, the un/controlled body, menstruation, pregnancy and birth, rape-revenge narratives, and types such as the lesbian vampire, the Final Girl, and the psycho-biddy. Interwoven throughout are reflections on issues such as the omnipresence of objectification, the weight of societal expectations, the fear felt in everyday life, and becoming accustomed to being ignored, not treated seriously, or labelled ‘hysterical’—often with grave consequences. However, there is also a repeated emphasis on the sense of agency that can be discovered in horror films, both for characters and viewers.

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While 1000 Women in Horror feels packed with information, it also becomes apparent that it only scratches the surface of the topic. Heller-Nicholas points out that the joke is, of course, there are more than a thousand women who have worked in the genre. The documentary can only explore a small selection from what is a vast pool of films and filmmakers. It touches briefly on film history, referencing The Bad Seed (1956) and mentioning icons of early cinema, like Lois Weber, but focuses mostly on films from the past 50 years. While the clips point to the breadth of the involvement of women in horror films throughout history, talking to women who are, for the most part, currently active in the industry centres the conversation on the present, suggesting how things have (or have not) changed.

A central takeaway from the documentary is that women have always been represented on screen in a multitude of ways, and that these representations are continually transforming and expanding. Natasha Kermani astutely points out that the idea of ‘making room at the table’ for women in horror is not really accurate, as there have always been seats there for women, and that it’s more like reclaiming them, or maybe taking the one at the head of the table. The film acknowledges the role the community plays in promoting women in horror, leading to more opportunities to helm films.

There is both the desire and ample space for a multiplicity of voices, including women of color, LGBTQ+ people, and individuals with different national, ethnic, and class backgrounds. An increasing diversity of talent, both in front of and behind the camera, is making horror films more interesting and leading the genre to an exciting future.

Summary

‘1000 Women in Horror’ is a crucial documentary that illustrates women have always been a part of the genre, they just deserve more seats at the table.

Tags: Brooklyn Horror Film Festival

Categorized: Reviews