Horror Movies and Women's Rights: A Historical Connection
Since the 1970s, horror movies have been closely tied to women's rights, with many films examining social and political issues through a spooky lens.
A new book, Scream With Me: Horror Films & the Rise of American Feminism, 1968–1980, by Eleanor Johnson, explores this connection. Johnson, a Columbia professor, was inspired to write the book after teaching a class on the history of horror in 2022, coinciding with the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v.
The horror genre has always been political, and its connection to women's rights is a significant aspect of this.
- Key films such as Get Out, Hereditary, and The Babadook have examined social and political issues through horror.
- Rosemary's Baby is another notable example, with its themes of women's rights and reproductive freedom.
Author's summary: Horror movies reflect women's rights issues.