THE WOMEN WHO BUILT THE HORROR GENRE

When you think of the iconic directors of horror movies, it’s usually male filmmakers like Wes Craven, George Romero, John Carpenter, Tobe Hooper, and David Cronenberg that come to mind. The best-known women in horror tend to be “scream queens,” actors like Fay Wray and Jamie Lee Curtis, whose characters are frequently relegated to perpetual victim status and who may be occasionally awarded the role of villain. But women are rarely talked about for their off-screen contributions to horror.

So it may come as a surprise — though it shouldn’t — to learn that women have always been at work behind the scenes, aiding in the development of the horror genre across numerous media. Milicent Patrick was the costume designer (1954); Daphne du Maurier wrote the short story that Alfred Hitchcock adapted as (1963); Stephanie Rothman worked alongside B-movie legend Roger Corman for several years before going on to direct the cult horror exploitation film in 1971. More recently Nia DaCosta made history when (2021) became the first film directed by a Black woman to debut in first place at the box office, setting a vital precedent for the future of horror.