Bloody Women

An avid viewer of slasher films since a teenager, I have always been interested in how this subgenre of horror is enjoyed by women. Dr Marybec Griffin, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Behavior, Society and Policy at the School of Public Health at Rutgers University, and I are researching the female viewer of slasher films, how women take enjoyment from this subgenre of horror and how their experience as a stakeholder is influenced by professional reviewers.

 

The target audience for horror films is men between the ages of 15 and 24 years, and slasher films are deemed successful within the fan community when they contain plots that appeal to this demographic. Slasher films written and directed by women, or containing elements that appeal more directly to the female viewer, often do less well at the box office. Marybec and I are investigating whether negative reviews of such slasher films affect viewing numbers and if the industry would benefit from taking its female viewers more seriously.

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Slasher films continue to be relevant today because they transgress the binary and heterosexuality, and they provide an escape for viewers who may still feel trapped within these continuing culture and gendered norms. We are seeing increased positive discourse around the subject of sexuality and non-binary gender today but, even though the discourse is changing, not all individuals yet feel free to express themselves. Bloody Women considers one subgroup of the slasher audience community – female viewers – and we hope that our work will provide a foundation for further discussion amongst other subgroups.