It’s finally that time of year again, horror movie season. Here is a list of 15 female centered and or directed horror films to enjoy this Halloween!

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1. Jennifer's Body (2009)

The now cult classic film and one of the most iconic female horror films, Jennifer's Body, is  directed by Karyn Kusama and it stars Amanda Seyfried and Megan Fox. The story follows best friends Jennifer and Needy, when one night Jennifer gets possessed by a male eating succubus (demon.) This is definitely one of my favourite horror movies, in general.

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2. Carrie (1976)

Carrie is the classic horror movie, based on Stephen King's first novel written in 1974. The film tells the story of Carrie White, a teenager with telekinesis and her quest for revenge. Its feminist theme does not objectify the main character and does a good job of portraying girlhood.

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3. Pearl Trilogy - Pearl, X & MaXXine (2022)

This film slasher trilogy stars Mia Goth. It spans over three decades. The first film was set in 1918 about a farm girl who dreams of becoming a movie star and slowly descends into violent madness. The other two films, set in the 1970s-80s, continue Pearl's story.

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4. Lisa Frankenstein (2024)

This is one absolute favorite movie on this list. Lisa Frankenstein is a love letter to 80s horror and comedy. It’s directed by Diablo Cody who produced Jennifer's Body. It follows Lisa Swallows, a lone goth girl, who falls in love with a dead man and, surprise, brings him to life, Frankenstein style. This film puts a twist on Frankenstein and does it from a female perspective and does an amazing job of portraying female rage. 

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5. Ginger Snaps (2000)

This Canadian film explores the horror of femininity. The night Ginger gets her first period something supernatural happens to her and her sister helps her fix it.

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6. The Craft (1996)

The Craft is perfect for the season of the witch. It follows a coven of four teenage witches who grow power hungry.

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7. XX (2017)

This film is four horror short stories about four different women. It is also directed by four different women.

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8. Rosemary's Baby (1968)

The story follows Rosemary Woodhouse who is paranoid that her neighbours are trying to take her baby as a sacrifice.

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9. Coraline (2009)

Coraline is the perfect slightly scary but not full horror movie. Coraline is about a young girl who moves into an old house and discovers an alternate reality where everything is better. It is a beautiful stop motion film and has a very magical whimsy vibe to it.

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10. Death Becomes Her (1994)

This film is directed by Rober Zemeckis, who did Back To The Future, and stars Meryl Streep. This spooky, not too scary movie follows two women who drink potions to give them eternal beauty.

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11. Black Swan (2010)

This psychological body horror explores a ballerina's transformation into embodying both the innocence and evil of the swans in Swan Lake. 

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12. Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

Bodies Bodies Bodies is a horror comedy directed by Halina Reijin and produced by A24. The story follows a group of young people who play a game at a house party at night during a storm and things go wrong.

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13. Midsommar (2019)

Another A24 movie, this disturbing violent psychological horror follows a couple that is drawn into a Swedish cult.

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14. The Substance (2024)

This body-horror is directed by Coralie Fargeat and won an Oscar last year for hair and makeup. The film follows a woman who takes a mysterious substance to make her young and beautiful. The film is an allegory for beauty standards.

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15. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

A sequel to the 1931 film Frankenstein, focusing on his bride.

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BONUS: Yellowjackets (2021)

Yellowjackets is a physiological horror thriller TV series on Amazon Prime. It is about a girls' soccer team whose plane crashes and they are stranded in the mountains, resulting in a cult. It has an almost entirely female cast with complex characters and a very eerie and disturbing plot.

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