Film: Horror

Critics often attack horror films for the way in which they capitalize on gender stereotypes of men and women. In the horror genre, men typically assume roles of the monstrous, the mastermind, the madman, or the antagonizer. Writers often assign women to roles of the possessed, the victim, and the figure ripe for sexual assault. Several recent horror films disregard the stereotypes supported and furthered by the rest of the genre, but in sum, horror films reinforce stereotypical messages about gender for their viewers.

Many of the classic horror films, such as Frankenstein, Dracula, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (all three originally appearing in 1931), are based on novels and carry the ideological slant of the original author. Most of the monstrous lead characters are men, a pattern common in contemporary horror. Monsters like the Fly, Chucky, Leatherface of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Michael Meyers of the Halloween series (since 1979), Freddie of Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), and Jason Voorhees of the Friday the 13th franchise (since 1978) are all male. Many horror movies incorporate monstrous women, but most often the scariest monsters are male. This pattern suggests that men remain more dangerous and capable of greater destruction than women or that they are more inclined to acts of terror. Females are just as capable of horrific acts, yet the stereotype of placing men in the role of monster consistently portrays males negatively.

Men also often assume the role of mastermind. Characters like Hannibal Lecter of The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Jigsaw of the Saw movies (beginning in 2004) typify the extremely intelligent male; these men outsmart the women who study them or with whom they work. Clarice Starling follows Lecter's trail, and while she solves many of his riddles and seems to partake in mental banter with him, she cannot catch him. Some viewers and critics suggest that Starling does not catch Lecter because she finds herself sexually attracted to him and allows him to escape; this scenario, however, also portrays Starling as the weaker of the two, the one more inclined to act on emotion rather than logic. Likewise, the main character in the Saw films, Jigsaw, continually outsmarts his victims and even his assistant, Amanda.

Another common role that men play in horror films is the antagonist. A wealth of examples exists to demonstrate this point. Consider, for instance, Micah in Paranormal Activity (2007). A demonic presence has haunted Katie, Micah's girlfriend, for most of her life. The presence accompanies her into Micah's home. Though Katie begs him not to antagonize the demon, Micah repeatedly provokes the demon, acting as if he feels unthreatened. Similarly, in movies like those in the Halloween series, men often insult or irritate Michael Meyers without considering how he might react. These examples cast men as rash, unthinking, and antagonistic, perpetuating negative stereotypes about males.

In the horror genre, women most often appear weaker than men. To begin, in films about possession, the possessed is almost always female. Consider films involving exorcisms: The Exorcist (1973), The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005), and The Last Exorcism (2010). Those possessed in the films are all women. In Paranormal Activity, the female is ripe for demonic possession and abuse. Similarly, in films like Rosemary's Baby and The Omen, women are used to perpetuate evil by either bearing or raising the son of the Devil. While logistically women are chosen for this role because of their childbearing or child-rearing capabilities, women like Rosemary Woodhouse (Rosemary's Baby, 1968) and Katherine Thorn (The Omen, 1976) also either succumb to the charms of their satanic child, like Rosemary, or die at the hands of the child instead, like Katherine. All of these women subjugated because of demonic forces to possession, childbearing, or child rearing are incapable of saving themselves. In turn, women are often cast as victims, a decision that emphasizes a traditional stereotype about gender.

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