5 Underrated Horror Heroines

Hello! As a big supporter of awesome female characters in horror, I took it upon myself to compile my list of underrated carriers of the XX chromosome.

5. Elise Rainier (Insidious)

What a badass! Using her intense psychic powers, Elise helps families in need by dealing with the spectral creepy-crawly entities reaching out from “the further.” She also happens to look like a boss whilst doing so. Elise barely breaks a sweat and rarely loses her cool. This is obviously the gal you want in your corner when tormented souls or spooky red and black colored demons are bothering you.

4. Samantha (House of the Devil)

You can’t help but feel a little bit bad for poor Sam. Sure, it seems weird to accept a gig “watching” an elderly woman when you were set up to think you’ll be babysitting small children. But then there was the allure of free pizza and that rental deposit deadline looming. I can relate, Sam! Anyway, once she gets into trouble on this fateful night, Sam isn’t going down easy. She proves to be a fighter and a survivor. Not to mention a killer dancer.

3. Lorraine Warren (The Conjuring)

Here we have another psychic helper, just like Elise. But you know what makes Lorraine even cooler? She’s a real life person who turned 89 this year! Lorraine bravely squares off against evil in order to aid and defend the innocent. Bravo, sister!

2. Melanie Daniels (The Birds)

Played by the exquisite Tippi Hedren, Melanie is a dry-humored, practical joker trying to prove to the world she’s not some playgirl spoiled brat. Then she happens to get caught up in a bird-pocalypse along the way. She witnesses some crazy stuff and holds it together for a pretty long time. And lest we forget, she saves the school children from a particularly nasty feathered flock. Lesser women would have crumbled to pieces much sooner under the pressure.

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Oh, wait! Before we get to #1, let me give credit to some honorable mentions…Thanks, ladies, for almost making the cut.

Liz Taylor! I didn’t want to venture in TV land for this list, but I cannot get the amazing Liz Taylor from American Horror Story: Hotel out of my mind! She’s a smart, loving, wise-cracking broad who is tough as nails. No matter what life and that crazy-ass hotel threw at her, Liz stayed golden.

Next, sisters Callie and Tricia from Absentia. I had a hard time choosing which of these brave and flawed ladies I admired more. Then I realized they’re just even better as a packaged deal. I liked how realistic these characters felt to me, as individuals and as siblings.

And here is the darling Emily from Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride. Emily is a whacky, fun, beautiful, and ultimately selfless romantic heroine. Animated or not, she’s a treasure to the horror realm.

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And now, I give you my #1 pick! Drum roll please…

1. Dani (Hocus Pocus)

Last but not least! This little moppet is the quintessential 90’s cool kid. She’s a tough little cookie with a heart of gold. Plus, she loves Halloween like every true horror fan does. Awesome witch costume? Check. Comic relief? Yes. Brave? Yup. Wise cracks? You know it. Perhaps it goes without saying that she is SO much cooler than her lame brother Max and is the real hero of this Halloween story.

Sandra is a The Bloodlust contributor and has been a fan of scary books, movies, and spooky true tales since a young age. Her favorite types of horror are supernatural/paranormal, horror-scifi hybrids, classics from the 1960’s or earlier, and anything with a cult in it. Sandra is a married ghoul happily owned by a spoiled cat. When not immersing herself in the macabre, she’s usually running, crafting, playing with creepy dolls, and watching either Disney or sports.

~ Sandra (@LilMsMnstr)

5 Dark Horror Movies About Motherhood

Arguably, there is no bigger transformation in this life than becoming a mother. I’ve heard friends describe it as having your heart running around outside of your body. That sounds terrifying, and there are tons of horror movies out there with themes of all aspects of motherhood. If you ask me, the real horror story is what happens to your body when you get pregnant (I know it’s a beautiful miracle, but it’s also pretty intense). With Mother’s Day coming up, I thought it would be fun to take a look at 5 horror movies with themes about motherhood, pregnancy, or the lack thereof:

1. Proxy (2013) Not Rated

Directed by Zak Parker, Written by Zak Parker and Kevin Donner

Proxy is the story of 3 people who have suffered the loss of a child. Whoof, heavy stuff. I’m going to be honest, it doesn’t get any lighter from here on out. I caught sight of Proxy when it was on Netflix, and I’m glad I gave it the two tries it required to enjoy this little treat. Premiering at the Toronto Film Festival in 2013, it received generally favourable reviews but it’s got one of those tricky endings that tends to polarize people.
At the film’s open we are introduced to Esther, quite visibly pregnant, being viciously attacked by an unknown assailant. Her unborn baby is killed in the attack and through her grief over the loss, Esther comes to join a support group. There she is received by like-minded people who may not be what they seem. I enjoyed the drama and suspense of Proxy, and relished in some scandalous ideas about the lengths people will go - and actions they can forgive - for the people they love. I recommend it, with an open mind.

2. Rosemary's Baby (1968) Rated R

Written (screenplay) and Directed by Roman Polanski

Of course, the first title that comes to my mind when I think of motherhood is Rosemary’s Baby. A well-known classic, and one of my favourite films of all time. Rosemary’s Baby tells the tale of a young couple moving into a new apartment building. Shortly after their occupancy, Rosemary becomes pregnant, and things start to spiral from there. Mia Farrow’s portrayal of a whisper-thin mother-to-be descending into paranoia at the hands of her neighbours is perfect. Her innocence and determination adds a plausibility to the idea of what could go on inside the mind of a young mother who listens to her sixth sense. Or her 666th sense. Get it? Heh heh. I definitely recommend this one, it’s a must.

3. Antichrist (2009) Not Rated

Written and Directed by Lars Von Trier

If you’ve never watched a Lars Von Trier movie, this one probably shouldn’t be your first. That being said, Antichrist has some of the strongest themes about motherhood I can think of. It wrestles with the darkest ideas of what it means to be a mom, and thoughts nobody wants to talk about. Of course, that’s only if your brain can get past the bizarre animal symbolism and graphic genital “situation”. Antichrist begins with another unfortunate child death (which takes place while the kid is unsupervised due to some passionate marital bliss). While recovering from this trauma, the couple heads to the woods where things get crazy. Mainly, she gets crazy. If we know anything by now, it’s that bad things happen in the woods. Charlotte Gainsbourg, as always, approaches her role with a fearlessness I can only admire. This is just a movie I can’t stop talking about. Watch it so I have somebody to talk to.

4. Grace (2009) Rated R

Written and Directed by Paul Solet

I have to admit, the cover of Grace used to give me the heebie jeebies at the video store (remember when we had video stores?) so I avoided it for a long time. Babies already kind of creep me out, so the idea of one that gets sustenance from a bottle full of blood is less than appealing. However, one viewing was enough to show me the other side of the “devoted parent.” Grace, of course, is the name of the unborn (and deceased) child inside of Madeline who insists on carrying to term. After the delivery, her baby comes back to life with an unusual appetite. For blood. Clearly Madeline is the type of doting mother who will go to the next level to care for her child, and the level after that. It’s gross guys, and it’s not that good. I don’t recommend it. But it’s a good creepy example of a deranged mother’s devotion to her child.

5. Inside (2007) Rated R

Written and Directed by Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury

Who doesn’t love a little bit of French extremism? Everything’s better in France. The food, the wine, the shocking and unrelenting gore. Inside is a story about a young pregnant woman who survives a devastating crash and is then harassed by a woman who wants her unborn child. Things are not going well for her. I’ve had this movie recommended to me several times, so I finally had the chance to check it out. I think we can say right off the bat there’s some questionable baby CGI happening reminiscent of an early 00s music video. Somehow this doesn’t completely detract from the film. I seem to remember watching a similar movie around Y2K with Daryl Hannah called Hide and Seek that was like an episode of some kid’s show, comparatively. The gore in this film is shocking, violent and intense. On the other hand, Inside is extremely suspenseful and I found myself suffering through the depravity for that reason alone. Do I recommend it? Sure, why not. At a brisk hour 22 minutes, it’s worth a shot.

I left out some obvious contenders that deserve a mention: Mommy Dearest, Psycho, The Brood, Lyle (internal link), and The Babadook (internal link) to name just a few. Not all of them carry themes as dark as the ones in the list above. Our relationships with our parents is often complicated, so I think we can all relate to the underlying ideas presented in these films whether we’re parents or not. After all, isn’t mankind’s basic instinct to reproduce? Well, not mine as long as I can still get poutine in the middle of the night without having to worry about leaving my child unattended.

Becky is one of The Bloodlust's newest contributors, hailing from the West Coast of Canada, where she resides with her pet rabbit. When she's not devouring horror movies, she spends her time playing video games, cooking, and going to local comedy shows. She enjoys body horror, psychological horror, and anything that makes her feel weird for a few days after.

~ Becky (@bexbz)

10 Found Footage Movies We Think You Should Definitely Check Out

Found Footage is a genre that most horror fans either love or hate. It was the cool, shiny new baby for a while there and then it quickly started to become over-used and overrated. Why wouldn’t it be? It’s a method that allows filmmakers to use a minimal budget to make a film that could very well be a theatrical hit (that’s a pretty tempting ROI for the folks involved). So now that it’s being used more often than it had in the past, one has to wade through quite a bit of crap in order to find the gems. But they’re out there, folks! Don’t give up on FF yet! Here are 10 FF movies that The Bloodlust thinks you should check out.

Segments from the V/H/S movies: 10/31/98 (V/H/S) & A Ride in the Park (V/H/S 2)

10/31/98 - A fun take on the “haunted house” idea and it even managed to include some weird culty/exorcism business. It’s also worth mentioning that it was a totally plausible found footage movie since it revolves around a Halloween party where one of the main characters is dressed as a teddy bear, complete with a nanny cam. So you don’t have to wonder, “why are they still holding on to the damn camera?!” This segment was written and directed by Radio Silence, who were also involved in the recently released horror anthology, Southbound.

A Ride in the Park – V/H/S 2 was definitely an improvement over its predecessor and even though it was a tough call choosing between this segment and the cult one (Safe Haven), I went with this. The story centers on a mountain biker, with a GoPro attached to his helmet, who goes for a nice ride in the woods and is attacked by zombies. Again, the plausibility and likelihood of the actual found footage-ness of this really helps the viewer to not have to suspend disbelief too much, which is a huge plus when you’re watching something that’s only 15 – 20 minutes long. For a lot of folks, zombies have been done to death, but this was a very clever zombie POV that was a fun ride from beginning to end.

Both V/H/S movies are available on Netflix

Rec

Hailing from Spain, this 2007 film from writer/director, Jaume Balaguero, was the inspiration for the American remake, Quarantine. However, I would recommend this a million times over the remake (which is almost always the case). It’s a simple concept: a TV reporter and her cameraman sneak their way into an apartment building after the firemen they were originally running a story on, are called to the building to find a missing woman. It’s safe to say shit goes downhill from here. The tension and unease this movie creates is palpable and, by the end, I would’ve been terrified by anything they decided to throw at me.

The Bay

This movie was a recommendation that I hadn’t heard anything about so I had zero expectations going in, but I must say it was a pleasant, albeit disgusting, surprise. It falls victim to a few of the familiar issues that plague found footage movies – namely, why characters would still be holding onto a camera when they should be dropping everything and getting the hell outta dodge. However, I was happy to look past all that and enjoy this disgusting story of a small Maryland town that finds itself in the grips of an ecological disaster. I’d recommend not watching this whilst eating.

The Visit

This movie was M. Night Shyamalan’s 2015 return to film writing/directing (I’m choosing to completely ignore After Earth or The Last Airbender). M. Night became a well-known name once he released Sixth Sense and precious little Haley Joel saw dead people, but then the quality of his movies seemed to diminish with each new release. Though, I’m one of the very few steadfast fans of Signs and The Village. Call me crazy, IDGAF. Anyway, The Visit was both hilarious and creepy and definitely the best way to announce a return to the world of good movie making.

The Poughkeepsie Tapes

When using found footage to tell the story of the discovery of a collection of graphic videos made by a sadistic serial killer, it’s probably fairly easy for your movie to fall into the category of mindless “snuff.” If that’s what you’re going for, great - you do you. However, I’m pleased The Poughkeepsie Tapes didn’t go that route and, instead, told its story in such a way that the viewer gets not only the grisly visuals, but the unsettling and creepy atmosphere, as well. It manages to be disturbing and horrifying without feeling cheap and exploitative. Plus, if you happen to be a lover of True Crime, you would be crazy not to check this out.

Devil’s Pass

This 2013 movie, loosely based on the Dyatlov Pass Incident, was another Netflix recommendation (every so often, Netflix gets it right). It’s a common found footage set-up: five people set out to make a documentary only to have things go horribly wrong and now their footage is all we have left of them. Maybe it was the bleak, frozen landscape that can’t help but make you feel isolated; maybe it was the general fear of some unknown force taking out each character; maybe it was the conclusion that I did not see coming (and I’m pretty good at guessing where movies are headed) – whatever it was, this movie was a fun watch from beginning to end.

Trollhunter

Oh, Trollhunter. Why don’t more people that I know love you? This is another movie that takes place in a cold, snowy setting and it follows a group of students investigating the recent killings of some bears. They get far more than they bargained for when they run into Hans the hunter and learn that what he hunts is just a bit bigger than a bear. Trolls, people! If that doesn’t make you run to your favorite movie-watching service to check this out, I just don’t know what will. Watch it and join us Trollhunter lovers!

Trollhunter is available on Netflix

Creep

Creep was a fairly unknown, yet rather disturbing movie from Mark Duplass, who is generally known more for his work in the Comedy genre. It follows a videographer who answers an ad on Craigslist for a non-descript, one-day job at some remote mountain home. Anyone with half a brain should know that you’re taking a huge risk by even answering an ad like this but I guess when you’re struggling for money, you’ll throw caution to the wind. Needless to say, shit gets super weird and super crazy once our main character meets his new employer (played by Mark Duplass, himself). I was ridiculously uncomfortable almost the entire time – that’s high praise!

Creep is available on Netflix

Afflicted

As an avid traveler to foreign lands, the idea of coming down with some horrible affliction while in a foreign land with only your buddy to support you, is a rather terrifying one. The Directors/Writers of this movie, Derek Lee and Clif Prowse, both star as the main characters, which I feel helped the movie since they both know exactly how they want the characters and story to play out. Though slow at times, Lee and Prowse’s finished product is a fun and interesting take on the classic vampire monster.

The Taking of Deborah Logan

Growing old is a scary concept, and if you’re growing old and losing your mind at the same time, that’s even scarier. The Taking of Deborah Logan explores this concept it a round-about way (round-about in that there’s a snake monster of sorts involved in the story, as well…). With all seriousness, there are a couple of particular scenes from this movie that will stay with me for a long time and it’s not because it gave me fuzzy feelings about my grandparents. While this movie is by no means the scariest movie I’ve seen, I still think you’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t at least give it a shot.

The Taking of Deborah Logan is available on Netflix

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So that’s it for our main list. Have we missed any that you think are absolutely not to be missed? Or are you of the group that absolutely hates found footage? Wherever you stand on the FF genre, leave us questions/comments/movie suggestions!

Because I feel bad leaving some off of the main list, even though I think they were entertaining enough to recommend to others, here are my “Honorable Mentions”:

The Conspiracy (Netflix)
Chronicle
Willow Creek
Grave Encounters (Amazon Prime)
As Above, So Below
Sinister “home movies” (only from the first movie)