The issue of gender equality in film has been a hot topic over the last few years, particularly when it comes to female representation in the director's chair. Though there are many female directors in the business, very few make it to "household name" status. This is especially true for the horror genre.
While really none of the top horror directors are women, there are many acclaimed films with women as their directors. These do tend to be movies quite specific to fans of horror/disturbing films and not so much big blockbuster hits, but that doesn't mean that they aren't great.
The Slumber Party Massacre (1982)
1982's The Slumber Party Massacre is one of the most interesting slashers of the 1980s. Not necessarily because of the film itself, but because of the story and intentions behind the movie.
Directed by Amy Holden Jones and written by Rita Mae Brown, the script for The Slumber Party Massacre was originally written as a parody film. It was meant to mock the slasher films of that era, and especially the way that women are sexualized in them. Ultimately, it was shot as a straightforward slasher but it still maintains a lot of extremely humorous moments that make a lot more sense if the audience knows the true intention. This film itself has pretty gratuitous nudity and sex, but it's so ridiculous that it does come off as really funny.
In 2021 there was a remake made, also written and directed by women, which premiered on Syfy. It's a different plot from the original but maintains a lot of the same themes, and the iconic Driller Killer villain, and is even more overt in its satirical nature.
Raw (2016)
Julia Ducournau's 2016 film Raw is not for the faint of heart. This is definitely one for people who are really into horror and disturbing films to enjoy, and not so much for the casual horror lover. The story follows a woman named Justine, who has always been part of a strictly vegetarian family. She's just started veterinary school and during a hazing ritual, is forced to eat raw rabbit kidneys. After this, Justine begins to develop a craving for meat, including human flesh.
Though very gruesome in its premise, Raw is very much a coming-of-age drama just as much as it is a horror film. There are some really nasty scenes in there that reportedly made some people faint at the Toronto International Film Festival, but there are a lot of emotional moments as well. Overall, it's beautifully crafted and everyone involved does their job to the best of their ability.
Most recently, Ducournau directed another French body horror film named Titane which won the Palme d'Or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.
Pet Sematary (1989)
This film is a certified classic and is probably the most well-known film on this list. Written by Stephen King, who also wrote the book of the same name, and directed by Mary Lambert, the story here is about a family who moves to a new home and discovers a strange pet cemetery in the forest near their home.
Most people probably know the full story here, but it's a really great movie so if viewers have been able to avoid spoilers up to this point it's best to watch going in blind. For being over 30 years old now, it holds up incredibly well and is still very touching and scary. There are some amazing horror moments in here, and it's recommended that viewers watch this one and skip the remake.
Lambert is still primarily known for her work on Pet Sematary and its sequel, but she also had a successful career in directing music videos for people like Madonna and Motley Crue.
The Babadook (2014)
The Babadook is a very well-known horror film for a few reasons. Firstly, it's just a really great scary movie. Secondly, it transcended the horror genre and became a viral internet meme-- especially for the LGBT+ community. It also serves as a directorial debut for an Australian woman named Jennifer Kent.
The story centers on a single mom and her young son, who is experiencing some behavioral issues. One night the young boy asks his mother to read him a book called "Mister Babadook", which describes a disturbing monster named the Babadook. After the reading of the book, strange things start to happen to the pair as the Babadook takes over their life in a very sinister way. Though not initially a huge commercial success, The Babadook has since gained a lot of fans. It also was one of the first horror films to start the big 2010's trend of using horror as a metaphor for mental health/illness.
Kent has since made one more feature film, a brutal revenge film named The Nightingale which was also very highly acclaimed.
Candyman (2021)
2021's Candyman sequel was very highly anticipated and became the subject of a lot of conversation among the horror community. It's set nearly 30 years after the original 1992 film but is set in the same universe and the same location and is a true sequel, despite its "spiritual sequel" marketing. This movie takes viewers back to Cabrini-Green, which looks a lot different than it did in 1992, and audiences see someone else get taken over by the legend of the Candyman.
The film was also highly anticipated because of its involvement with Jordan Peele, who serves as a producer and writer of the film. Its director though is Nia DaCosta, a relatively unknown director with only one feature film credit before this one but because of how stylistic and sharp this film is, no one would ever know that based upon viewing. This film made DaCosta the first African-American woman to have a number one film on its opening weekend. She is now set to join the MCU, directing Captain Marvel sequel The Marvels.