The best feminist horror movies to watch for Halloween

From Jennifer’s Body to Raw, discover horror movies featuring female protagonists who defy social norms, reclaim control over their bodies and become society’s worst nightmares. Numéro has selected the must-watch Halloween films that will send shivers down your spine for reasons other than monsters.

What if Halloween was an opportunity to look at horror movies through a different lens this year? Beyond the mutilated bodies and unbearable scenes, some features explore what it really means to be a woman in a society that seeks to control her body and desire.

From bloody revenge to monstrous transformations, horror cinema has become one of the favourite playgrounds for female directors who subvert its conventions and reverse power dynamics. From protagonists who refuse to be told how to behave to creatures that embody our deepest fears, here are the best feminist horror films to (re)discover this fall.

The must-watch feminist horror films for Halloween

The most intense: The Substance starring Demi Moore

In The Substance (2024), a mysterious substance allows Elisabeth Sparkle, a former television star played by Demi Moore, to create a younger, more attractive version of herself, portrayed by Margaret Qualley. Yet, this promise of perfection quickly turns into a destructive gamble, as the two women engage in a ruthless battle for their own existence.

Behind its grotesque transformations and deliberately over-the-top direction, the film denounces the entertainment industry, which condemns women to fade into oblivion as they age. This criticism takes on a particular resonance through its casting. On the one hand, Demi Moore, whose own career has been shaped by Hollywood’s relentless beauty standards and who has undergone cosmetic surgery. On the other, Margaret Qualley, with her model-like appearance. Together, they reveal two sides of the same obsession — that of a society which glorifies youth while condemning those who would do anything to preserve it. (CM)

The Substance (2024) by Coralie Fargeat, available on Canal VOD.

The most radical: Revenge by Coralie Fargeat

Before the shock of The Substance, Coralie Fargeat delivered her first bloody punch with the brutal and radical Revenge (2017). Matilda Lutz plays Jennifer, a young woman who got raped and left for dead in the desert after a hunting trip organised by three friends, including her lover. Her survival set off a relentless hunt for the powerful men responsible: three wealthy businessmen in their forties, all married with children. At the crossroads between a survival thriller and a quest for revenge, the film depicts the violent, gory revenge of a woman who was assaulted, while questioning the way victims of sexual and gender-based violence are treated and perceived. It also reverses the usual roles, breaking away from many films directed by men. Indeed, men become the ones being hunted throughout much of the film. (VS)

Revenge (2017) by Coralie Fargeat, available on Canal VOD.

The goriest: Raw starring Garance Marillier

A veterinary school, a hazing ritual and a piece of raw meat… That’s all it takes to dive into Justine’s everyday life into horror. In Raw (2017), Julia Ducournau follows a vegetarian teenager whose first experiences of adulthood awaken an unspeakable appetite. Cannibalism becomes the starting point for a disturbing exploration of desire and limits of the human body.

Released in 2017, the film made a lasting impression with its bloody, sometimes almost unbearable scenes, earning it a scandalous reputation. However, reducing Raw to its shocking imagery would mean overlooking what makes it so distinctive. Julia Ducournau portrays self-discovery as a physical experience, filled with new sensations, shame and uncontrollable urges. A daring debut feature, in which Garance Marillier delivers a mesmerising performance. Here, the excesses of gore ask a more intimate question — what do we do with the part of ourselves we would rather never discover? (CM)

Raw (2017) by Julia Ducournau, available on HBO Max.

The most metaphorical: It Follows starring Maika Monroe

The brilliant It Follows (2015) will haunt you long after watching it. Directed by David Robert Mitchell (Under the Silver Lake), the feature follows Jay, a young woman (Maika Monroe) from a Detroit suburb who has sex with a young man who then drugs her with chloroform. When the student wakes up, she learns that a mysterious entity will relentlessly pursue her, sometimes taking the appearance of strangers. As a result, she is forced to remain constantly on the run. A metaphor for sexual assault and the traumas that keep haunting us, It Follows explores sexuality from a particularly terrifying perspective. A deep and visually stunning horror gem. (VS)

It Follows (2015) by David Robert Mitchell, available on Canal VOD.

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night

Through its title, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night immediately evokes the universal fear and sense of danger women experience when walking alone in the dark, in the evening or at night. Behind this horror film is the Iranian director Ana Lily Amirpour, who captivates audiences with her sublime black-and-white aesthetic and original approach to vampirism from a female perspective. Det in a fictional Iranian town called Bad City, the feature reverses the roles — the insecurity and fear of harassment and assault in dark streets felt by women shift to the other side. This time, a woman is becoming the predator, punishing violent men. (VS)

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) by Ana Lily Amirpour, available on Canal VOD.

The most iconic: Jennifer’s Body starring Megan Fox

Jennifer’s Body (2009) subverts the codes of teen movies, turning them into a bloody horror comedy. Played by Megan Fox, Jennifer is the high school girl every boy dreams of, until demonic possession turns her beauty into a deadly weapon of seduction. Her best friend Needy, portrayed by Amanda Seyfried, watches helplessly as she undergoes this transformation and tries to protect anyone who crosses the young woman’s path.

Blending dark humour with gory scenes, the film plays with the image of the teenage bombshell, only to debunk that myth. Beneath its seemingly teen horror feel lies a satire of male fantasies and the way the female body is turned into a spectacle. Driven by the contrasting duo of Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried, the film combines fantasy, horror and comedy without sacrificing its irreverent tone. (CM)

Jennifer’s Body (2009) by Karyn Kusama, available on Netflix and Disney+.

The most coming-of-age: Carrie

With the cult coming-of-age film Carrie (1976), Brian De Palma adapted Stephen King’s novel and stages a high school girl bullied by her classmates and raised by a fanatically religious mother. When her telekinetic powers start to emerge, the humiliations she has endured culminate in terrifying consequences. It is hard to forget the famous locker room scene, which speaks volumes about the cruelty of group dynamics and the difficulties of being a teenage girl.

Sissy Spacek is phenomenal in her portrayal of Carrie White, a young woman disturbed by the changes taking place in her body. Her femininity becomes something shameful and monstrous, and she feels ashamed of what is happening to her. Her classmates punish her for it. Her revenge resonates as a liberating and bloody act of emancipation. (VS)

Carrie (1977) by Brian De Palma, available on Prime Video and Canal+.