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The Covenant: A Queer-Coded Paradox

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When looking for queer representation in film, we’re usually looking for ones that are unabashedly queer in their storytelling, movies that are prideful of their queer identity. Today, we’re not discussing one of those films. Instead, I want to look at a film that was trying so hard not to be queer that it became even more queer. A film that’s been reclaimed by the community it didn’t want to be a part of. Am I losing you already? This may not make sense at the moment, but The Covenant is quite the conundrum with lots to talk about.

For those unaware, The Covenant is a 2006 film directed by Renny Harlin (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4, Deep Blue Sea) following a coven of 4 teenage boys with supernatural witch powers. When insidious events occur following the arrival of a mysterious new student, the Sons of Ipswich (not a boy band) must unravel the secrets of their New England town and their dangerous powers before the friend group is destroyed. Well, that’s the straight synopsis. Reading with a queer lens, the film is about a hyper-masculine guy battling to keep his queerness (powers) in check, only to be tempted by the unabashedly queer who wants to bone and steal his powers. By objective film standards, it’s not a good movie suffering from a fan-fiction caliber screenplay and an over-reliance on CGI. But I’m not here to review the film critically, but rather to pose analytical questions about the intentions behind this film being created, and if my queer theories make the film worthy of discussion at all.

A Movie With Foggy Intentions

Just by reading the synopsis and looking at a few screengrabs, the inspirations behind The Covenant are quite obvious. The film presents itself as the love child of The Craft and The Lost Boys, which can already lead to assumptions about the film. Aside from the light horror elements and sleek aesthetic, The Craft and The Lost Boys share DNA in another major category: queer subtext. The biggest question behind The Covenant getting made is who saw those 2 films as inspiration and thought, “Let’s make that, but straight and cool”. 

Rather than target the established audiences of those films (women and the queer community), The Covenant insists on being a badass witch movie that Chris and the boys will chest bump over, as evident by the aggressive metal music and womanizing. There’s an argument that the film, based on the cast of muscular men, was aimed toward the young girls demographic. Aside from the brief swim team practice scenes and a paper-thin love story, nothing about the film would seem appealing to female audiences. Instead, The Covenant squanders a golden opportunity to make a film for the community of queer boys who wished they were witches and will lust over the smooth, shiny cast of hunks. Rather than make the subtext of The Lost Boys actual text, the film takes away the text altogether. Well, it tries to anyway.

Can’t Hide What’s Inside

Despite admitting the film is not good and being annoyed by its inception, there’s something about The Covenant I can’t help but love. The magic of camp is that it comes in two different flavors: intentional camp that tends to be over-the-top and camp that is blissfully unaware of itself. The Covenant falls firmly in the latter category, as this film is 100% trying to be serious while failing spectacularly. The stakes are hollow, the dialogue is awful, and Sebastian Stan is a whole different movie. All of the calculated missteps culminate in a delicious campy stew of hilarity, but its campiness only scratches the surface of the queerness brewing underneath.

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The Covenant is a fascinating entry to the queer horror canon in its insistence on not being queer, despite the very obvious queer metaphors presented throughout the film. Referred to simply as The Power, the magical abilities of the sexy covenant boys can easily be read as a general queer identity. The film establishes The Power has been around for centuries, but sworn to secrecy. Hiding queer feelings would make sense for these old-money families to maintain their status. Then the film takes it a step further, linking the magic abilities to the characters’ health stating that using the powers takes years off their lives and becomes more addictive the more they use it. So not only do we have the social implications of being queer, but now we have the standard AIDS allegory to demonize queers and addicts. And of course, the main villain is portrayed as the flamboyant queer with a crush on the protagonist, willing to kill for the Gay Agenda.

By the points listed above, the queer theory of this film would be anti-queer as the film ends with the villain being slain and the Sons of Ipswich presumably keeping their queer secrets until another threat comes along. This puts me in a moral dilemma. Do we condemn Harlin & writer J.S. Cardone for recognizing the queer tropes, but choosing to ignore them, resulting in a queer-baiting effect? Or do we give them the benefit of the doubt that they were blissfully unaware in their pursuit of making a badass witch movie? It’s hard to say when the film uses distinct language like “it’s seductive” and “lust for power” when describing the magical abilities while having an absurd amount of homoerotic tension between Caleb and Chase.

However, this ambiguity allowed the film to take on an identity of its own apart from the creators’ intention. The Covenant is as confused as the queer audience looking to see themselves in a film. The only way the film takes on a positive queer reading is if you’re rooting for the villain, and I’m not going to lie to you: I’m totally on Team Chase. The man is a bisexual menace who creates tension with the Sons of Ipswich while trying to steal their girlfriends, which is queer chaos at its finest. And perhaps the most poignant thing the film has to offer is the way Chase’s backstory is presented, discovering his powers without close friends around him for support. With all the silliness within The Covenant, the film gives surprising empathy to Chase with the line, “do you know what it felt like growing up not knowing what this is?”. From then on, I’m rooting for Chase to take everyone’s powers. Even though Chase isn’t the most positive queer representation, he’s the only character in the film that embraces who he truly is. 

Boys Will Be Witchy Boys

Once again, The Covenant is not a good film. Ignoring the oddly serious tone, wooden acting, lackluster plot, and many other factors, I believe the main fault of this film is not embracing its identity as a campy queer send-up of the films it’s trying to defy. Yet, The Covenant, still feeling queer despite everything about it trying not to be, ends up being the most queer aspect of the film. In addition to the sexy speedos, homoerotic games of foosball, and all the boys having conversations way too close to each other’s faces. All this to say, there is a lot of fun in this silly witch movie if you’re willing to embrace its true identity. The queer community reclaiming The Covenant out of spite would be the most badass aspect of a film that is trying oh so hard to be straight.

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DeVaughn Taylor is a creative artist based in LA. Main contributions to the horror community include hosting/producing the Specter Cinema Club podcast, as well as a rotating panelist on The Pod and the Pendulum. Favorite movies include American Psycho and The Neon Demon, Peach Rings for ideal movie snack.

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The Best Horror You Can Stream on Shudder in July 2025

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Looks like another July will be spent getting cozy with Shudder in this house. Between all the new (to me) international titles and the conclusion of Hell Motel on July 29th, the app has filled my calendar for the month. Hold my texts, keep your emails in the draft folder, and don’t look for me outside. My TV and I are on a mission, and we’re prioritizing the five titles below. I hope they grab your attention and make it into your Shudder viewings this summer as well. However, I’ll be too busy watching them to know what anyone else is doing, so happy streaming whatever you decide to get into. 

While we have you here, you should consider joining us for Bloody Brunches! Every Sunday at 11 AM CST / 12 PM EST, we’ll be livestreaming a new episode of Hell Motel. Who know’s who you’ll see, sometimes Ian Carpenter and crew stop by!

The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month

Lake Placid (1999)

A small group of people try to capture a gigantic crocodile terrorizing the people of Black Lake, Maine. I am not an aquatic horror girl, and I am usually unimpressed with 90s action horror titles. I make a special exception for Lake Placid though. Sure, it stars Bridget Fonda, Bill Pullman, and Oliver Platt. However, real film buffs know that it’s really the late Betty White who carries this movie. Her foul-mouthed character stood on business and is the reason most of us revisit this title during the summer.

You can watch Lake Placid on July 1st.

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Nyi Blorong (1982)

The South Sea Queen’s daughter rises to take a human lover. I have a long history of disliking snakes and movies about snakes. However, I’m leaning into this 1982 film because I deserve a retro Indonesian horror fantasy moment. I am also excited because it stars the late Suzzanna, the queen of Indonesian horror. I only learned about her a few years ago and wanted to spend some time with her work. As usual, Shudder is making it too easy to become a better cinephile. 

You can watch Nyi Blorong on July 7th.

The Housemaid (2018)

An orphaned girl is hired as a housemaid at a haunted rubber plantation in 1953 French Indochina. Once there, she falls in love with the landowner, which sends the ghost of his dead wife into a jealous rage. I was excited to watch this just because it sounds chaotic, and I do not see enough Vietnamese horror for my liking. However, I recently discovered it is also an IFC Midnight title, so now my expectations are through the roof. IFC has been the home of upsetting, weird, and unique horror since 2010. I have a date with Shudder on July 14th, because I want this movie in my eyeballs the second it becomes available.

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You can watch The Housemaid on July 14th.

Swallow (2020)

A pregnant housewife is compelled to eat dangerous objects, leading her husband and in-laws to become more controlling. Swallow had the misfortune of debuting during the top of the pandemic, so many people missed it. I found it on accident during Thanksgiving back when Showtime still had its own app. It’s quiet chaos that surprised me in a good way. I have been trying to make everyone I know watch it, and Shudder is making that so much easier this month. I am overdue for a rewatch myself, so I will also be hitting play while it’s available this July. 

You can watch Swallow on July 21st.

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Monster Island (2024)

A Japanese ship transporting prisoners of war and a British POW are stranded on an island where a mythical creator hunts them. Can they work together now that their very survival depends on it? I was bummed I missed this movie at Overlook Film Fest this year because all my friends loved it. So, obviously, I am thrilled Monster Island (also known as Orang Ikan) is hitting the Shudders streets so soon. I do not know what the other monster movies are doing this July because my heart belongs to this baby.

You can watch Monster Island on July 25th.

So, as usual, I will be hiding in my apartment and trying to make Shudder Saturdays my personality. I’m running at their international titles like it’s my job and revisiting a few movies I never spend enough time with. I hope your Shudder watches spark as much joy for you as I expect mine will this July. 

 

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‘Bride of Frankenstein’ at 90: Why Universal’s Horror Classic Still Haunts and Inspires

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In the 90 years since its release, The Bride of Frankenstein is still the Universal Monsters franchise’s strongest film.

I first watched The Bride of Frankenstein on cable around 15 years ago. Director James Whale’s fable of a misunderstood creature’s quest for a bride really stayed with me after subsequent viewings. Speaking of The Bride, she’s the Universal Monster with the most potential for a gripping and modern reimagining that hasn’t been fully tapped into yet. Universal’s newest theme park Epic Universe, opening back in May, inspired a deeper dive into The Bride of Frankenstein, the titular role and its legacy.

Unveiling The Bride: The Plot and Power of the 1935 Classic

Immediately following 1931’s Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein centers on Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) as the sinister Dr. Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger) urges him to collaborate on creating a mate for The Monster (Boris Karloff). In the meantime, The Monster travels across the countryside, learns to speak, and meets Pretorius. When both scientists complete and unveil The Bride (Elsa Lanchester), she rejects The Monster, motivating him to pull a lever and famously say, “We belong dead.” Pulling the lever ignites an explosion, killing The Monster, The Bride, and Pretorius.

Just as it took two scientists’ minds to create her onscreen, two individuals gave life to The Bride’s characterization and look: Lanchester and makeup master Jack Pierce, who designed nearly all the original Universal Monsters.

The Bride’s Hiss: How Lanchester Stole the Show with Limited Screentime

The Bride not being the film’s main protagonist is ironic since she’s the title character. Making the most of her brief performance, Lanchester’s swan-like mannerisms as The Bride sharply contrast with the humanity Karloff brings out of The Monster. After her dual role as The Bride and author Mary Shelley herself in the film, Lanchester took on more horror film roles like Henrietta Stiles in Willard (1971). It’s not hard to imagine what could’ve been for her career if she reprised her role in The Bride of Frankenstein’s sequels Son of Frankenstein and Ghost of Frankenstein. If a lab explosion couldn’t kill The Monster, wouldn’t it be the same for The Bride?

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Besides the white streaks, Lanchester surprisingly didn’t wear a wig to portray The Bride since Pierce shaped her red hair to look the way it does. Pierce’s work on The Bride is just as iconic if not more so than Lanchester’s performance, ensuring the character became inseparable from her intended suitor in pop culture’s eyes. Case in point: There’s so much officially licensed merchandise playing up a romance between the two characters, even though The Bride can’t stand her intended mate. Beyond Lanchester and Pierce, there is one man responsible for how the film itself would come out.

James Whale’s Masterpiece: Directing The Bride of Frankenstein

Whale stitched great set designs, fantastic performances and composer Franz Waxman’s eerie score together to create a masterpiece.

Having Frankenstein, The Old Dark House and The Invisible Man under his belt by the mid-‘30s, it’s clear Whale creatively peaked while working on The Bride of Frankenstein. Although so much about Whale’s talents has been said, there’s a reason why his work on the film stands out across his filmography: He really went wild when directing it. Every character is practically cartoony, the sets are more elaborate and the plot is thematically richer than the original’s. Being an openly gay filmmaker, he cranked up The Bride of Frankenstein’s camp to legendary heights.

The Bride of Frankenstein is the final horror movie Whale directed. The novel Father of Frankenstein and its film adaptation Gods and Monsters, starring actor Ian McKellen as Whale, dramatize his life after directing the film. According to the reference book Universal Horrors by Tom Weaver, Michael Brunas and John Brunas, he initially didn’t want to direct his horror work’s apex. Just like Henry Frankenstein’s relationship with the monster he created, The Bride of Frankenstein’s production is a case of life imitating art. The Monster’s in-universe infamy further parallels Whale’s Frankenstein duology’s lasting popularity.

How The Bride of Frankenstein Shaped Horror Sequels and Adaptations

The Bride of Frankenstein’s influence can be seen across other horror films and Frankenstein adaptations.

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Having “Bride of” in a horror sequel’s title is synonymous with including the main character’s female counterpart, leading to Bride of Re-Animator, Bride of Chucky, etc. The similarities go further than the titles, with The Bride of Frankenstein inspiring the former’s plot and furthering Tiffany’s arc in the latter. The Bride of Frankenstein inevitably shaped Frankenstein’s future adaptations as well.

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein from 1994 closely follows the original novel. Breaking away from the novel’s narrative, its third act pays homage to The Bride of Frankenstein when Victor brings Elizabeth back to life with similarly brief screentime. Mia Goth’s seemingly red hair on the set of Guillermo Del Toro’s upcoming Frankenstein may hint at her character similarly becoming The Bride.

The Bride’s Untapped Potential for a Modern Horror Remake

With Warner Bros. releasing its own take on the character with The Bride! in 2026, it makes Universal’s reluctance to make a new remake downright egregious.

The Bride is still the literally redheaded stepchild among the Universal Monsters. When it comes to being neglected by Universal, The Creature From the Black Lagoon is the only character who rivals The Bride, but that’s another story. Universal did plan a remake directed by Bill Condon, who helmed Gods and Monsters, for its aborted Dark Universe film franchise.

The Bride’s Absence in Epic Universe’s Monsters Unchained Ride

Looking at Epic Universe, the Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment ride apparently leaves The Bride out, even though she makes more sense to be in it than The Phantom of the Opera. However, The Bride does make meet-and-greet appearances across Dark Universe’s grounds.

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Several ideas can be incredible for when Universal finally releases a remake of The Bride of Frankenstein someday. Based on what I’ve heard about 2023’s Poor Things, it’s exploration of a mad scientist’s creation’s experiences in a restrictive society is closer to what a modern reimagining should be. Having a woman behind the camera can lead to a feminist vision, delving into The Bride questioning her life’s purpose.

Until the day a proper remake debuts, the original 1935 film remains The Bride of Frankenstein’s definitive incarnation.

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