LGBTQ+ Horror Movies Perfect For The Halloween Season
Is there anything better than snuggling in for the night to watch a spooky Halloween movie? It's undeniably one of the best parts of the fall season. There's a myriad of classics to choose from, including "Scream," "Psycho," "Carrie," and "A Nightmare on Elm Street," to name a few. But over the past decade or so, audiences have begun to push more and more for a focus on representation and diversity — and now more than ever, Hollywood is leaning in and listening. Indeed, movies can't just rely on being "good" anymore, as movie-goers are expecting a sense of social and political awareness in their casting.
The overwhelming narrative in regards to pop culture and media is that without question, representation matters. According to Nicole Martins of Indiana University, "There's this body of research and a term known as 'symbolic annihilation,' which is the idea that if you don't see people like you in the media you consume, you must somehow be unimportant." The Huffington Post article she's quoted in even suggests that when certain communities don't see themselves represented in media, it can have a large effect on their self-esteem.
That's why we're thrilled that there appears to be a noticeable shift in community representation in pop culture these days, which has led to an impressive number of films with LGBTQ+ inclusion to choose from — and here are our favorite horror movies of the bunch.
Snuggle up with your boo and watch B&B
We all love a romantic, feel-good film to watch on date night with our crushes — but if you ask us, the best genre for getting your boo to snuggle up close to you is horror.
To get things started, we recommend watching "B&B" from 2017. It centers around gay couple Marc and Fred — played by Tom Bateman and Sean Beale — as they take a special weekend trip to a bed and breakfast. Despite having been turned away from the religious owner the year before due to disapproval of their homosexuality, this year, Marc and Fred are back — and they're here to stay. Well, they probably should have found a different place to stay in the end, as their romantic getaway ultimately (and inevitably) is ruined by another guest with violent intent (via The Gay Times).
Despite many reviews that criticize the film for its ridiculous, borderline forced plot — after all, why would Marc and Fred come back to stay at a hotel that they knew was owned by a bigot? — the film did pretty well overall. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 91% rating, with reviews that call it "enjoyable" and "suspenseful" with an "excellent ensemble cast and almost perfect casting." Film Inquiry even commends the film for its impressive navigation of the male gaze and subtle yet sophisticated allusions to various Alfred Hitchcock films.
Jennifer's Body, the ultimate queer cult classic
Not every movie has to have outwardly gay characters or campy undertones to be considered LGBTQ+ friendly. In fact, there's one film in particular that some even consider to be something of a gay anthem, and there's not a single queer character.
2009 graced us with one of the most coveted and well-loved films that would later amass what Sarah Fonseca, per Them, calls a "queer cult" — and that film is "Jennifer's Body." The film centers around Jennifer Check, played by our OG celebrity crush Megan Fox, as she navigates getting possessed by a demon and subsequently stealing and eating all the boys that get in her way (via Buzzfeed News).
On the surface, the film sounds pretty heterosexual in nature. But film scholars and fans alike believe that the devil is in the details, and that the film's undertones actually perpetuate a homosexual narrative. Fonseca writes that scenes of Jennifer's "androcidal escapades" being juxtaposed with moments in which Anita "Needy" Lesnicki (Amanda Seyfried) is obviously dissatisfied by her boyfriend — both emotionally and sexually — serve as an obvious clue about Anita's obsession with Jennifer — an obsession that Fonseca believes to be romantic in nature and reciprocated by Jennifer. There's also an iconic scene where Anita and Jennifer make out, which many deemed at the time to be platonic — but we know better (via Youtube).
Bit has us dying to be invited to a feminist coven of vampires
"Bit" is a 2019 film that follows transgender actress Nicole Maines as Laurel, a young girl who joins a coven of four queer feminist vampires whose collective goal is to rid LA of predatory men (via Out). Not only is it a feminist masterpiece and LGBTQ+ hallmark, but it's also just an excellent film.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the flick garnered a 91% rating with a myriad of positive reviews, including ones that call the film "inventive," "robust[ly] feminine," and a "cult classic." One reviewer even commends the film on the risks it takes, writing, "'Bit' is our wake-up call that the conservative clichés of narrow representation in cinema are past tense."
One of the things that we love the most about the film, however, is that it doesn't incorporate Maines experiencing any struggles due to being transgender, which is a common trope that many films fall into. According to Eleven Groothuis writing for Bitch Media, transgender and nonbinary people are often depicted as "long-suffering secondary characters" with lives that consist of tragedy, depression, and inevitable death. This trope — which often extends to cis gay characters, as well — suggests that members of the LGBTQ+ community are less significant than their heterosexual counterparts, who more often than not survive in the end. As for Laurel, the biggest challenge she faces throughout "Bit" comes not from her gender identification or sexual orientation, but from the pesky problem of being an undead vampire.
So cuddle up, friends, and get ready to be spooked.