SCARY LADIES: Part 1- 5 eclectic female Writers and Directors who fill us with fear.

Posted by Liz Whittemore on Dec 27, 2015 | 0 comments

My family always looks at me with a not so subtle side eye whenever I give them my scripts to read… reason being, the majority of them  are horror. Since the fourth grade, I have ventured into the darker realms of  my imagination with writing original short stories, a macabre fascination with Poe and Shakespeare, and listening to Stephen King audio books. I saw my first horror film at the age of two. Poltergeist both scarred me and paved way for a love of the horror genre. Considering the formulaic history of women being the helpless and usually not to bright victims in Horror, I present a beautiful handful of female writers and directors that will throw you for a scary loop. These are their films.

Lynne  Ramsay‘s WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

Eva Khatchadourian (Tilda Swinton) is a travel writer/publisher who gives up her beloved freedom and bohemian lifestyle to have a child with her husband, Franklin (John C. Reilly). Pregnancy does not seem to agree with Eva, but what’s worse, when she does give birth to a baby boy named Kevin, she can’t seem to bond with him. When Kevin grows from a fussy, demanding toddler (Rocky Duer) into a sociopathic teen (Ezra Miller), Eva is forced to deal with the aftermath of her son’s horrific act.

https://youtu.be/bV7Y5cylhNc

Marjane Satrapi‘s THE VOICES

Jerry (Ryan Reynolds) is that chipper guy clocking the nine-to-five at a bathtub factory, with the offbeat charm of anyone who could use a few friends. With the help of his court-appointed psychiatrist, he pursues his office crush (Gemma Arterton). However, the relationship takes a sudden, murderous turn after she stands him up for a date. Guided by his evil talking cat and benevolent talking dog, Jerry must decide whether to keep striving for normalcy, or indulge in a much more sinister path.

You can read my review here.

Jennifer Kent‘s THE BABADOOK

Amelia, who lost her husband in a car crash on the way to give birth to Samuel, their only child. She struggles to cope with her fate as a single mom. Samuel’s constant fear of monsters and violent reaction to overcome the fear doesn’t help her cause either, which makes her friends become distant. When things can not get any worse, they read a strange book in their house about the ‘Babadook’ monster that hides in the dark areas of their house. Even Amelia seems to feel the effect of Babadook and desperately tries in vain to destroy the book. The nightmarish experiences the two encounter form the rest of the story.

https://youtu.be/EVxOrUjX-bc

Justina Walford‘s THE LADIES OF  THE HOUSE

THE LADIES OF THE HOUSE follows the events surrounding a birthday outing with two brothers and a friend which turns into a horrific fight for survival after they become trapped in a house with a “family” of malevolent women who enjoy a pin-up lifestyle and a special diet.

Take a look at my review.

Ana Lily Amirpour‘s A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT

In the Iranian ghost-town Bad City, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, the townspeople are unaware they are being stalked by a lonesome vampire.

One of my all time favorites to share with audiences.