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1000 WOMEN IN HORROR – Review by Jennifer Merin

Jennifer Merin , , , , ,
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1000 Women in Horror is a fascinating feminist primer and analysis of the horror genre, chronicling its evolution from the earliest days of cinema to the present — 1895 to 2018, to be exact. The enlightening documentary covers the impressive history of women creatives who’ve focused on horror and have fully developed female-centered subgenres such as those base in experiences of abuse and rape revenge, challenging postpartem psysiological and psychological conditions, coming of age and dealing with aging, along with others that storytell about strictly female issues.

Directed by Donna Davies and based on the critically acclaimed eponymous book by AWFJ member Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, 1000 Women in Horror features Heller-Nicholas and other leading women film critics and cultural commentators, as well as a roster of current A-list female horror film directors, screenwriters and actresses, who speak about the cultural impact of the horror genre and discuss their personal introductions to horror films, telling what most attracted them to the genre and why the horror genre is particularly important in our current cultural context. Collectively, they point out that horror films were, for decades, the only movies that centered on assertive female characters as leading protagonists instead of treating women as eye candy or relegating them to supporting, often stereotypical roles.

It’s fair to say that 1000 Women in Horror is to the horror genre what Nina Menkes’ insightful 2022 documentary Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power is to mainstream Hollywood cinema — a compelling presentation that stimulates intensive debate about women’s creative work and the representation of women in the movies.

Whether you’re a horror fan or not, this is an important watch not only for film critics and other cultural commentators, but for all movie lovers and the general public who are interested in how cinema — specificaly the very popular horror genre — impacts society. The collection of horror movie clips presented to illustrate the commentary is extraordinary, but if blood and gore creep you out, you can close your eyes during the illustrative clips and listen to the cerebrally engaging commentary. 1000 Women in Horror is an enlightening reflection of current cultural concerns. A must see!

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Jennifer Merin

Jennifer Merin is the Film Critic for Womens eNews and contributes the CINEMA CITIZEN blog for and is managing editor for AWFJ.org, the online magazine of the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, of which she is President. She has served as a regular critic and film-related interviewer for The New York Press and About.com. She has written about entertainment for USA Today, The L.A. Times, US Magazine, Ms. Magazine, Endless Vacation Magazine, NY Daily News, New York Post, SoHo News and other publications. After receiving her MFA from Tisch School of the Arts (Grad Acting), Jennifer performed at the O'Neill Theater Center's Playwrights Conference, Long Wharf Theater, American Place Theatre and LaMamma, where she worked with renown Japanese director, Shuji Terayama. She subsequently joined Terayama's theater company in Tokyo, where she also acted in films. Her journalism career began when she was asked to write about Terayama for The Drama Review. She became a regular contributor to the Christian Science Monitor after writing an article about Marketta Kimbrell's Theater For The Forgotten, with which she was performing at the time. She was an O'Neill Theater Center National Critics' Institute Fellow, and then became the institute's Coordinator. While teaching at the Universities of Wisconsin and Rhode Island, she wrote "A Directory of Festivals of Theater, Dance and Folklore Around the World," published by the International Theater Institute. Denmark's Odin Teatret's director, Eugenio Barba, wrote his manifesto in the form of a letter to "Dear Jennifer Merin," which has been published around the world, in languages as diverse as Farsi and Romanian. Jennifer's culturally-oriented travel column began in the LA Times in 1984, then moved to The Associated Press, LA Times Syndicate, Tribune Media, Creators Syndicate and Arcamax Publishing. She's been news writer/editor for ABC Radio Networks, on-air reporter for NBC, CBS Radio and for Westwood One's America In the Morning. She is a member of the Critics Choice Association in the Film, Documentary and TV branches and a voting member of the Black Reel Awards. For her AWFJ archive, type "Jennifer Merin" in the Search Box (upper right corner of screen).