Queer Horror

Queer horror has an interesting history and comprises a relatively small group of films. From the 1930’s to the late 60’s, the Hays Code pushed queer content off movie screens, believing it would corrupt the American public. Filmmakers were sneaky, however, and hid the queer content between the lines, in the subtext. According to Jordan Crucchiola of Vulture:

Horror films in particular have made for a fascinating case study in the evolving perceptions of queer presence; queer-horror filmmakers and actors were often forced to lean into the trope of the “predatory queer” or the “monstrous queer” to claim some sense of power through visibility and blatant expressions of sexuality.

Although just as human sexuality can be deliciously complicated so too can defining what makes a queer film, well, queer. LGBTQA elements are attached to a broad spectrum of films, which makes compiling a list incredibly difficult. Some films have queer writers or directors (e.g. James Whale), some films have queer characters, themes, or plot points (e.g. Rocky Horror), and some films have just captivated the gay imagination and shaped queer culture (e.g. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?).

For my list, I am remaining inclusive and covering films that are mentioned frequently as staples of queer horror. Of course, being queer myself, I have already seen a good number of these films. So, in an effort to both compile a list of films that I either haven’t seen or saw too young and also champion more unsung queer horror films, here are the films that I am leaving off my list:

The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Babadook, Sleepaway Camp, What Keeps You Alive, High Tension, The Skin I Live In, Raw, Let the Right one in, Jennifer’s Body, Thelma, Lizzie, Paranorman, Silence of the Lambs, and Seed of Chucky.

That brings me to the main event, the revealing of 20 queer horror films that I will watch, write a little bit about, and hopefully inspire other horror fans to bring a little more queer cheer into their lives. Here they are: