Yes another horror movie article, i don’t care.
On the account of missing the pride month post i thought why not combine two of my favorite things Gay+ horror and believe me when i say this genre goes far deeper than i expected. Just a disclaimer there is going to be a lot of homophobia discussed in this article. Alright let’s get into it.
Gay in horror
This section isn’t about gay horror movies but gay people in horror movies. In the early days of Hollywood there was a lot of experiments done when it came to new genre, one of which was thriller/ psychological horror which at the time was seen as same thing.
You might be aware of Psycho (1960), this movie changed the trajectory of Hollywood thrillers but at the time of casting, the iconic role of Norman bates was seen as a career death and who did they pick for this experimental role? A gay man of course. Anthony Perkins was hunted for doing this role, before ‘psycho’ Anthony was the romantic lead but after that he was heavily type casted and lost his popularity in the mainstream media.
Similarly in Strangers on a train (1951), Alfred Hitchcock abuses the the fact that lead actor Robert Walker was struggling with severe mental health issues and stress regarding his personal life and identity. Hitchcock weaponized Walker's manic, nervous energy for the role. The whole movie Robert’s character stalks and harasses a straight man.
Beginning
You can go back as far as you want but for me, the earliest gay horror has to be The Old Dark House (1932), this movie is director by an openly gay director (yes in 1935) James whale and has many gay theater actors in the cast like Ernest Thesiger.
This iconic movie was the first ever recorded use of the word “gay” in a movie to deliberately imply homosexuality. You can argue that it meant “happy” at the time but James knew exactly what he was doing when he described an eccentric feminine man as “ever so gay”. The movie is about a bunch of friends finding a shelter in the storm and entering a creepy mansion, same Hollywood trope but the characters are so unique and have a blend of queerness in all of their roles
You might know Mr. James Whales as the director of the iconic Frankenstein (1931) or Bride of Frankenstein (1935).
The Great rise
Queer horror started getting main stream attention in the late 70s during the sexual revolution and hippy movement. And then came the holy grail of queer cinema “the Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975). This movie about a bisexual genius cross dressing alien doctor revolutionized the genre, soon midnight screening of this movie became a meeting spot for queer youth all over the city.
The 80s followed right behind but there was a problem the “AIDS plague” had dawned over US and at the time AIDS was seen as a gay disease, something only gay people specially men could spread and so the stigma around queer media grew stronger. Nonetheless, we saw an interesting mix of gay and slasher horror in works like A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 (1985) and Hellraiser (1987).
Reccomdation
Now for the most awaited part, here are some queer horror to enjoy this summer:
1. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
I briefly mentioned it above but this is a staple of queer cinema and one of the best movies you will ever watch. The movie begins on Henry Frankenstein’s wedding night. He is in bed with his new wife, Elizabeth, when Dr. Pretorius bursts into the castle. Pretorius seduces Henry away from his marital bed, convincing him to leave his wife behind so the two men can become "partners" and create life together in a lab. Like c’mon this shit is so gay and the bride is so iconic, she screams in the face of her husband disgusted that she has to tied down to a man. LOVE.
2. A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 (1985)
Ok this movie is nowhere as good as its first counterpart but it is a fun watch, the plot is same Freddy Krueger haunting people and stuff. There is a lo of homoerotic subtext in this movie around a closeted teen in the 80s and i mean the boy has a Kate bush poster in his room what else do you want?
3. Daughter of Darkness (1971)
LESBIAN VAMPIRES!!!
Yes this is a lesbian vampire, thirsty for blood movie. If that alone doesn’t convince you to watch it then i don’t know what will. So this French movie is about a couple that goes to a resort and meets this mysterious Countess Báthory and her secretary Ilona. And its all downhill from there, a sense of sophistication and heaviness maintains itself across the film. I personally love this one.
4. Hellraiser (1987)
This movie is so brilliant and daring it will amaze you. Clive Barker a openly gay director making a movie about underground BDSM leather scene in New York in guise of horror in peak AIDS hysteria. It plays on the societal stereotypes on gay people, at a time when gay bodies were seen as toxic and disease ridden Clive turned panic into art.
The hidden commentary in this movie about homosexuality, pain, demonizing pleasure, homophobia is so intricate. An absolute must watch for queer horror.
5. Jennifer’s body (2009)
Yes again.
I have talked about this movie in probably every other article i write but yall its too good. This was “Megan fox in transformers” but for lesbians. A film about a demonic sapphic hot girl and her nerdy shy best friend ughhhh sign me UP.
Alright that was it, let me know if i missed any of your fav queer horror. If you have made it this far, Thank you so much for reading!! Below are the letterboxd rating of all the movies listed above:
Bride of Frankenstein (1935): 4.0/5
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 (1985): 2.8/5
Daughter of Darkness (1971): 3.5/5
Hellraiser (1987): 3.7/5
Jennifer’s body (2009): 3.5/5
Well now if you’ll excuse me, I have some Video tapes to return
May I also point out that the Chucky franchise is that of a major part in the lgbtq horror community.
bride of frankenstein is my fav