Movies
Here to Slay: A Queer Horror Movie Viewing Guide
Calling this a comprehensive queer horror movie list would be a lie. It may not even be possible for a single guide to exist as the entire horror genre is one of the queerest media classifications there ever was and will be. The main foundations of horror are rooted in queer, “outsider” identities and narratives that don’t conform to society and its rules. Horror makes us confront the uncomfortable, much like queer people do on a day-to-day basis.
Here are some must-watch horror movies from contemporaries to classics that display themes, characters, and storylines that are unapologetically queer in all definitions and forms.
The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Starting this list strong with the (queer) woman who is literally the mother of the horror genre—Mary Shelley. Directed by James Whale, who was openly gay throughout his entire career (practically unheard of in the ’30s), Bride of Frankenstein is a perfect genre film that oozes queerness from its writing by Shelley and its direction and tone from Whale. Over the top and heavily queer-coded, this classic is widely seen as a defining queer feminist horror film and a huge step toward queer representation in media. Plus, Elsa Lanchester masterfully inspired too many drag looks to count.
Daughters of Darkness (1971)
How terrifying, women owning their own sexuality! And even more terrifying: them owning it with other women! While Carmilla holds a special place in my heart as the lesbian vampire of my dreams (and she’s the reason our boy Dracula exists at all), Daughters of Darkness gives us a mesmerizing portrayal of the real-life legend Countess Báthory. This film honors queer legacy as it gets passed down generationally through its characters, all while being a feminist masterpiece, much like The Hunger (1983), which deserves an honorable mention. Also, this proves that all vampires are gay. I don’t make the rules.
Videodrome (1983)
Body horror at its finest. Here is director David Cronenberg on transness: “They’re saying, ‘Body is reality. I want to change my reality. That means I have to change my body.’ And they’re being very brave…I say, go ahead. This is an artist giving their all to their art.”
Vamp (1986)
Vampire strip club. Keith Haring painting a body mural on the one and only Grace Jones. Doesn’t get queerer than that. Again, all vampires are gay.
Scream franchise
It would be an actual crime not to include the Scream franchise on this list. Yes, Billy and Stu were in love. That’s obvious. More importantly, Mindy Meeks is one of the most exciting, loveable, and relatable queer characters the horror genre has seen in recent years. I can’t wait to see her growth as a character and queer horror icon. Seeing her continue to fight and survive on a massive movie theater screen will always be revolutionary.
Ginger Snaps (2000)
Werewolf films exhibit transformation like no other subgenre can. Brigitte and Ginger go to desperate lengths to keep Ginger’s identity closeted throughout the entire movie. It’s rare to see women go through the werewolf transition, and Ginger Snaps clearly shows us what shame, ostracism, and “passing” can look like for anyone in the LGBTQ+ community.
Seed of Chucky (2004)
Nonbinary icon Glen/Glenda. Queen Jennifer Tilly. King of trash John Waters. Need I say more?
Jennifer’s Body (2009)
There’s too much to say here in a short paragraph, so I will leave it at this: I first saw Jennifer’s Body when I snuck into the movie theater (I was only 14) after seeing two girls kiss in the trailer. Shout out to Jennifer Check for that sexual awakening.
All About Evil (2010)
More horror films written and directed by drag performers, please! Natasha Lyonne and Cassandra Peterson (AKA Elvira!) star in this wild, bloody ride from the mind of Peaches Christ, and I couldn’t be more grateful for its existence.
The Fear Street trilogy (2021)
The Fear Street movies took me by surprise when I first saw them, to the point where I got emotional. The main teen romance being a queer-centered one, felt genuine and exciting. Phil Graziadei, an openly gay screenwriter, was the co-writer, and nonbinary actor Ryan Simpkins smashed their role in Part Two. You can tell queer folks were in the room when creating this project, and I’m crossing my fingers for more installments soon.
Queerness is cemented in horror no matter where you look, and this short guide is just a small taste of films that aren’t afraid to dive deep into the many representations of queerness and gender identity. I could go on and on, and your list may look completely different from mine. In fact, I hope it does, because that’ll ultimately illustrate the full breadth of queer horror and how its limitations are never-ending.
As a queer person, it’s almost too easy to be convinced you’re the monster. Society wants to eradicate us, tear us down, and throw us away, which is why we tend to see ourselves in this strange, expanding genre. It helps to remember what horror films have taught us since the very beginning: we always fight back (and absolutely slay while doing it)
For a year round queer streaming guide, check here!
We are finally in the midst of Shudder’s 61 days of Halloween! There are so many horror movies to consume and 31 days simply isn’t enough. Use the long Labor Day weekend to kick off your horror movie countdown and add these movies to your Shudder queue. Here is a list of what I would recommend checking out to ease into the Halloween spirit right before going into full blown premature trick-or-treating mode.
The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month
The Yeti (2026)
A large creature has captured people in a remote Alaskan town in the 1940s. The sheriff has put together a search-and-rescue monster hunting party to bring back the captives. It sounds like the premise of a Cold Iron Studios co-op video game in the same vein as Aliens: Fireteam Elite. The stylization from co-directors Gene Gallerano & William Pisciotta in the trailer makes me think they have cooked up a story that blends action, horror, and wilderness survival. Sign me up, sheriff!
Leave (2022)
Hunter was found as a baby abandoned in a cemetery wrapped in a cloth covered with satanic symbols. She has been searching for answers her whole life about where she came from. Her journey to find her parents takes her down a mysterious path, and she is being warned by something from the beyond to leave this mystery alone. Can she trust who this investigation is leading her towards? It’s a mysterious, supernatural, culty film that will give you chills.
Penny Lane is Dead (2026)
One crazy night in Australia with perhaps a dash of revenge. Shudder’s latest original looks to be packed with blood and violence in this story of girls just trying to have fun until the crazy cousin drugs the party and invites dangerous people to play. The trailer promises lots of body horror (trigger warning, there may be SA or threat of it). I’m not saying it will be Evil Dead level, but there’s definitely something in the Aussie water with Lee Cronin pumping out his gory deadites and mummy films, and now Mia Kate Russel with this one.
The Others (2001)
This is a PSA to the younger readers of Horror Press; stop what you’re doing and watch Nicole Kidman go 100 miles per hour in this classic ghost story with a twist. Dreary weather, massive estate, confusing corridors, creepy house servants you don’t know if you can trust, and sad British kids. The ending is an all-timer and spoilers should be avoided at all costs. It has exactly what you need to get right into the cozy, spooky mood for 61-days of Halloween.
Dark Harvest (2023)
If The Hunger Games and The Purge had a baby and raised it during Oktoberfest. Teenage boys are tasked with hunting and killing the entity known as Sawtooth Jack on Halloween night, or it could mean certain peril for their town. Of the movies I have listed here that I have not seen, this is going to be at the top of my watchlist. Teens fighting for survival on Halloween night and the battle setting is in a cornfield?! Say less. I am there with my Sam Adams seasonal in hand. Another perfect movie to cannonball me right into the Halloween spirit.
This list has been carefully curated to watch in a specific order to gear up for a Halloween marathon. Start with the wintry monster movie, move on to a macabre supernatural thriller, followed by a ramp-up in blood and gore, to then be lulled into a spooky, bump-in-the-night classic, all to end on a ritualistic hunt taking place on Halloween night. This is just getting things started for the first 30-days. Looking forward to sharing the next list to get you through October.
Anyone who follows legendary horror author Stephen King on social media or reads the back of books knows one thing. It’s harder to find something that King hasn’t blurbed than something that he has. The dude is a voracious consumer of genre media, and he finds a lot to love. It’s an admirable quality. But, speaking as someone who saw American Ultra after he praised it, you can’t always trust his recommendations. Today, I’ll cut some of the wheat from the chaff and break down the best modern horror movies he’s recommended.
Three notes: First, I have decided to define “modern” as “2001 or later.” Second, King practices good social media hygiene and has deleted many of his old posts. A lot of them are archived elsewhere. However, it’s more or less impossible to make a truly comprehensive list of his recommendations. I’ve synthesized multiple different sources and done my best to truly encapsulate the breadth of his recommendations. Third, I have not included any adaptations of his own work. He may be outspoken about the ones he doesn’t like, but he’s still obviously biased in that department.
#10 Snakes on a Plane (2006)
To quote King himself (defending putting 2012 among his top 2009 movies), “no filmgoing diet is complete without some cheese.” Snakes on a Plane is a does-what-it-says-on-the-tin movie, delivering high-flying serpentine thrills. However, it’s also a remarkably faithful resurrection of the atmosphere of old 1970s airplane thrillers.
#9 Final Destination 5 (2011)
In his Best of 2011 entry on Final Destination 5, King called it “the best since the first,” and he’s absolutely right. While the sequels probably peaked with the highway prologue in Final Destination 2, the fifth installment is pound-for-pound the most thrilling entry. Between the bridge collapse, the laser eye surgery, and the nail-biting sequence where a screw falls pointy-side-up on a balance beam, there’s no denying there’s real power here. And that’s not even mentioning the fun final twist!
#8 A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
In a since-deleted Tweet, King called Day One “the rare ‘big Hollywood film’ that is both intimate and textured.” It’s true. A Quiet Place: Day One is a mini miracle of horror filmmaking. An IP-drenched prequel to a duology of good-not-great post-apocalyptic popcorn blockbusters shouldn’t be this genuinely stirring. Plus, relative newcomer Joseph Quinn holds his own against the awe-inspiring Lupita Nyong’o, resulting in an all-timer two-hander.
#7 The Strangers (2008)
After watching The Strangers, King took to Entertainment Weekly to pontificate about what makes good horror. If you inspire someone who literally wrote the book on horror to think about it more, you’ve done something right. Bryan Bertino’s home invasion movie is one of the grimmest movies of the 2000s, but its desperate existential dread is terrifying and perfectly in line with King’s best works.
#6 Splice (2009)
King included Splice on his Top 10 list for 2010, particularly praising the “talented actors… who take the material seriously.” How did this grotesque genetic-experimentation horror movie directed by the guy who made Cube land Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley? Who knows. But they breathe life into some already super solid material. What Brody in particular gets up to feels even more twisted because it’s the guy from The Pianist doing it.
#5 Smile (2022)
In a since-deleted Tweet, King called Smile a “good, scary horror film.” He added that “the real surprise is Sosie Bacon as Rose. What a hell of a performance.” Bacon really was a revelation, but so was debut director Parker Finn. His control over tone and pacing leads to some of the best scare sequences of the 2020s.
#4 The Rule of Jenny Pen (2024)
King’s not fucking around about the New Zealand horror film The Rule of Jenny Pen. It’s one of just two horror movies on his New York Times ballot for the best of the 21st century. The underseen movie is a real corker, too. It follows a judge (Geoffrey Rush) recovering in a care home after a stroke. However, his relaxation is ruined by a sadistic retiree (John Lithgow) who is obsessed with his baby doll puppet. Lithgow’s performance is stunning, and his thrillingly dark energy commands the screen every second he’s in front of the camera.
#3 Barbarian (2022)
In a since-deleted reply to a fan’s Tweet about Barbarian, King said “Yeah, that movie blew me away. It was crazy! Crazy GOOD!” This movie contributed what is perhaps the definitive scary basement in horror, which is no small feat. That’s all thanks to director Zach Cregger’s control over onscreen darkness (one of his many skills). The man must be a shadowmancer of some kind.
#2 Train to Busan (2016)
Train to Busan is the only other horror movie on King’s NYT ballot. It has received a lot of international recognition over the years. Perhaps more than any other non-Parasite movie from South Korea. That’s because it’s flipping amazing. Its crackling energy makes it one of the scariest fast-zombie movies in history. But it also marries that with a compelling father-daughter story. There’s really nothing Train to Busan can’t do.
#1 The Descent (2005)
King put The Descent on his 2006 best-of list, calling it “the best horror movie of the year.” Forget that. It’s one of the top horror movies of the century so far. It’s a bloody good monster movie nestled into a skin-crawlingly claustrophobic spelunking movie.
Honorable Mentions:
The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) – I’ve never seen it, so I can’t in good faith recommend it
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) – A masterpiece, but it’s not really “horror”
Obsession (2026) – We gotta let this one sit, in order to avoid recency bias
