Connect with us

News

5 Female Directed Horror Films Now Streaming on Netflix: Part 1

Published

on

Written by Shannon McGrew

For the past 8 years, the month of February has been home to the Women in Horror Month initiative created by Hannah Forman, Editor-in-Chief of Ax Wound Zine.  To help support and promote females within the horror genre, I’ve compiled a list of the top 5 horror films directed by women that you can currently stream on Neflix.  So do yourself a favor and add all of these movies to your queue, set aside a full day, grab some popcorn, and indulge yourself with these incredible horror films directed by insanely talented women.

5. “The Babadook
Directed by: Jennifer Kent
Synopsis:  A single mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son’s fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her.

Why You Should Watch:  Jennifer Kent came out swinging with “The Babadook” and it took the horror world by storm. Whether you love the film or hate it, it has cemented itself as one of the most talked about horror films in recent years. Not only was the film directed by a woman but it also featured a strong performance by actress Essie Davis and brought to light the struggles of motherhood and having to raise a child on your own.

4. “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Directed by: Ana Lily Amirpour
Synopsis:  In the Iranian ghost-town Bad City, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, the townspeople are unaware they are being stalked by a lonesome vampire.

Why You Should Watch: This is one of those films that never seems to have any bad press surrounding it.  Like “The Babadook“, it also has a strong performance by a female lead in actress Sheila Vand‘s The Girl.  This is the only film on the list that I haven’t seen and I know that I must remedy that soon but from all the praises that I’ve heard about it, I can only assume that it’s a fantastic watch.

3. “The Invitation
Directed by: Karyn Kusama
Synopsis: While attending a dinner party at his former home, a man thinks his ex-wife and her new husband have sinister intentions for their guests.

Why You Should Watch: I know, I know.  This is one of those films people either love or hate and I’ve received backlash in the past for putting this film on my top 10 of 2016.  Regardless, I still think it’s a powerhouse of a movie with terrific performances from everyone in the cast.  It’s a slow burn and it definitely takes awhile before the action really starts to play out, but once it does the payoff is so worth it.  The last five minutes of this film are chilling and it makes you question if you really those that are close to you.

2. “Ravenous
Directed by: Antonia Bird
Synopsis: In a remote military outpost in the 19th Century, Captain John Boyd and his regiment embark on a rescue mission which takes a dark turn when they are ambushed by a sadistic cannibal.

Why You Should Watch: “Ravenous” is such a badass film and why more people don’t know about this movie is beyond me.  The film has everything from cannibals to the legend of Wendigo, with a touch of humor and mountains of gore.  Add in an all star cast that includes Guy Pearce, Robert Carlyle, David Arquette and Jeremy Davies and you have yourself one hell of a horror movie expertly directed by Antonia Bird.

1. “Honeymoon
Directed by: Leigh Janiak
Synopsis: A newlywed couple finds their lake-country honeymoon descend into chaos after Paul finds Bea wandering and disoriented in the middle of the night.

Why You Should Watch: I literally can’t say enough good things about “Honeymoon.”  This has to be one of my favorite movies that’s currently streaming on Netflix and one of the few that has been able to keep my entire attention from start to finish.  There are moments that are incredibly chilling and the chemistry between the couple (played by Rose Leslie and Harry Treadaway) is palpable and intense as we watch them go from happy newlyweds in love to a couple engulfed in a chaos of terror and confusion.  I can’t urge you enough to check out this film, it’s a definite much watch for any and all horror fans!

I would also like to make two special mentions, as both director Sarah Adina Smith and Axelle Carolyn are involved in horror anthologies that are currently streaming on Netflix.  In “Holidays“, Sarah Adina Smith’s segment “Mother’s Day” follows a woman who can’t stop getting pregnant and finds herself involved with a coven of barren witches after attending a strange ritual.  It’s definitely a disturbing short, one that made me want to never ever get pregnant.  In “Tales of Halloween“, Axelle Carolyn’s segment “Grim Grinning Ghosts” follows a young woman that is haunted by a malevolent spirit.  Her short is masterfully done with an ending that will stay with you long after it’s over.

Now go out and help spread the word about these talented directors and do your part to help support Women in Horror all year long!

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

News

Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

Published

on

Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

Published

on

The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

Published

on

Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading