KATIE MARIE

Women in Horror Month (WiHM), celebrated every March, is a time to spotlight the women who have shaped and continue to shape the genre in powerful, thought-provoking ways.

Horror, at its core, is about confronting terror and often emerging changed. Women, historically cast as victims in horror media, have increasingly reclaimed their place as architects of fear, subverting tropes, challenging norms, and injecting fresh perspectives into storytelling.

From Shirley Jackson, whose The Haunting of Hill House remains a seminal work in psychological horror, to Tananarive Due, who weaves Black horror with history and Afrofuturism, women have always been pioneers of fear. Writers like Caitlín R. Kiernan bring cosmic horror to life with unsettling beauty, while Mira Grant (Seanan McGuire) twists science and horror into apocalyptic nightmares.

In film, the landscape is shifting. Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook became an instant classic, exploring grief and motherhood through a monster that refuses to be ignored. Julia Ducournau gave us Raw and Titane, visceral and feminist body horror. Meanwhile, Issa López’s Tigers Are Not Afraid blends supernatural horror with real-world violence, creating a haunting, necessary tale.

Horror, like any genre, thrives when more and different voices take the stage.

Want to Dive Deeper? Check Out These Women in Horror!

Writers

Filmmakers