Over the years, horror movies have become increasingly more feminist in their politics. Put it down to the rise in female horror directors or the changing times, the genre's masculine terrain is shifting.

Female-led horrors are plentiful, and horror movies centering on women's experiences aren't so hard to come by as they once were. Still, some horror movies do it better than others. From The Craft to The Invisible Man, these are the horror movies that stand out for their portrayal of women and women's issues.

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The Craft (1996)

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Andrew Fleming's The Craft is a cult-classic horror movie that centers on a group of teenage girls who form a coven. Sarah (Robin Tunney) is the new kid in town, and upon transferring to a Los Angeles high school, is sought out by Nancy (Fairuza Balk) and her gang of practicing witches for her powers. Sarah completes the coven, and the girls' powers grow exponentially stronger. They begin casting spells — a revenge spell on a racist bully, a love spell on a douchey guy — but are soon faced with negative consequences. Sarah is afraid, but mostly of Nancy, who has turned power-hungry.

The Craft isn't overtly feminist by today's standards, but it paved the way for more female-led, female-centered horror movies, and, for better or for worse, The Craft: Legacy, which is explicitly feminist in its message. The Craft celebrates female power, autonomy, and sisterhood (until it doesn't). It also celebrates being yourself. The girls in The Craft are a refreshing alternative to other female characters in 90s teen movies. They're misfits who enjoy being misfits, and somehow make it to the end of the movie without a makeover.

Ginger Snaps (2000)

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Canadian cult horror movie Ginger Snaps is a werewolf story like no other. Written by Karen Walton and directed by John Fawcett, it follows two outcast sisters, Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) and Brigitte (Emily Perkins), who are hiding a big secret: the former is a werewolf. On the night that Ginger got her first period, she was bitten by a lycanthrope, and she hasn't been the same since. Intent on destroying everything and everyone in her path, it's up to Brigitte to save her sister and herself.

Ginger Snaps flips the werewolf subgenre on its head to explore female puberty in new and interesting ways. Periods suck for 99% of women, and getting one's period for the first time can be a traumatic experience. Ginger Snaps acknowledges this, using lycanthropy as a metaphor for the horrendous physical and emotional transformations that come with menstruating. It's laughable how relatable it is, and it's commendable for bringing such a "taboo" topic to the horror table. Ginger and Brigitte are also fantastic characters who know what they want and aren't afraid to go after it. Ginger will even kill for it.

Jennifer's Body (2009)

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Another cult hit, Jennifer's Body is a horror movie made by women for women. Written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama, it stars Megan Fox in the titular role and Amanda Seyfried as "Needy," Jennifer's best friend. When Jennifer is possessed by an evil demon and starts devouring the school's male population, Needy is horrified but undeterred. She will put an end to this, and hopefully before Jennifer gets her hand on Chip (Johnny Simmons), Needy's sweet boyfriend.

Jennifer's Body begins with Needy's narration, "Hell is a teenage girl." This quote sets the tone for the rest of the movie: a movie about toxic female friendship, queer romance, and unbridled female rage. Jennifer's Body favors Jennifer and Needy's friendship (relationship?) above any heterosexual coupling. Chip is expendable, like every other male character, and men in this movie aren't heroes. They aren't all villains either. Jennifer is — but is she really? More of an antihero, Jennifer is an alluring, hedonistic, and sexually liberated woman who may as well be the poster child for third-wave feminism.

The Babadook (2014)

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Australian horror The Babadook doesn't market itself as a feminist movie, but it most certainly is. Written and directed by a woman (Jennifer Kent), it follows a widowed mother named Amelia (Essie Davis) struggling with depression and raising her unruly child Samuel (Noah Wiseman). One day Amelia discovers a mysterious book in their home titled "Mister Babadook"; after reading the book to Samuel, she unwittingly invites the monster (Tim Purcell) into their lives and must do everything in her power to make him leave.

The Babadook is a multi-layered horror movie about grief and the pressures of motherhood, and Amelia is a multi-faceted and relatable character. As a mother, she is far from perfect; her frustration often gets the better of her, and it's clear she has some resentment towards her child. (Samuel's father was killed in a car accident while driving Amelia to the hospital to give birth.) She's also sick of being pitied and talked down to by others. Amelia is bursting with anger, and, at one point, she even becomes the monster in her own story. Few horror heroines ever have the privilege of shedding their good girl image, but Amelia does, and to say it's cathartic to watch is an understatement.

The Invisible Man (2020)

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Based on the H. G. Wells novel of the same name, Leigh Whannell's The Invisible Man is a feminist retelling of the original story. Starring Elisabeth Moss in the lead role, it follows a woman named Cecilia who cannot escape her abusive ex-partner, a scientist named Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). Convinced Adrian has used his power to become invisible and stalk her, Cecilia tells the police but is swiftly turned away. Fearing her own safety, she is inevitably forced to take matters into her own hands.

Whannell's The Invisible Man is a tale about domestic abuse and gaslighting. Its exploration of the latter is particularly poignant. The police's rejection of Cecilia and insistence that she is crazy is a harsh reminder of the world we live in: a world where women's concerns are often dismissed and not taken seriously. Elisabeth Moss treats the material with the sensitivity it deserves, and Cecilia is a heroine that women would be lucky to have on their side.

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