Horror Movies and Women's Rights: A Parallel History
Since the 1970s, horror movies and women's rights have been closely intertwined, with many films addressing social and political issues through a horror 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 while teaching a class on horror history in 2022, coinciding with the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v.
The horror genre has always been political, examining social and political issues through a spooky lens, as seen in films like Get Out, Hereditary, and The Babadook.
Johnson's book highlights the parallel between horror movies and women's rights, with films like Rosemary's Baby reflecting the feminist movement of the time.
Author's summary: Horror movies reflect women's rights issues since the 1970s.