Nik McGrath
I’ve selected 10 films that stayed with me, that I would recommend, from watching 31 horror film directed by women as part of 31 days of Horror last October. These are all films that I would love to revisit, and even better, see on the big screen. I’ll be screening In My Skin on 11 February for WiHM. I can’t wait to see it on the big screen with an audience!
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)
Sublime. The beauty of black and white photography and film - the world seen in tints and tones. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) uses black and white in the most sublime way. A work of art.
The Girl played by Sheila Vand wears black when she’s ‘bad’, and white at home when she listens to her American pop vinyl collection and is ‘good’. Arash wears white when he’s ‘good’, but when he starts going ‘bad’ he wears a black Dracula costume. This symbolic use of black and white, good V bad, is subtle enough that it only occurred to me when I really started to think about the film. I need to see this film again and again and again.
Ana Lily Amirpour wrote, directed and had a small acting part in her film. A short in 2011, this story needed to be told in feature length.
Credit to cinematographer Lyle Vincent for this fine piece of work.
I’ve purposely not mentioned the story or the commentary around the film and the genre, because if you can you should come in dark and let the story reveal itself to you.
Kiss of the Damned (2012
Xan Cassavetes was inspired by Gothic vampire horror films of the 70s in writing and directing Kiss of the Damned (2012). The film poster is clearly inspired by 70s art and design, illustrated by Akiko Strehrenberger and designed by Gravillis Inc.
A story about forbidden love between the beautiful and mysterious vampire Djuna who lives a solitary life, and Paolo, a man who can’t stay away. Things are further complicated when Djuna’s sister Mimi comes to stay bringing danger, temptation and chaos wherever she goes.
This is a beautifully shot film with lovely use of composition and gorgeous subject matter. A feast for your eyes.
The Babadook (2014)
What a tour de force Essie Davis is as Amelia Vanek, widowed mother of Samuel (Noah Wiseman) in The Babadook (2014). Written and directed by Jennifer Kent, based on Kent’s short Monster (2005).
Kent builds the tension and creepiness so much so that I was watching late at night alone, and had to stop. The story feeds off our fear of what lurks in the corner of the room, the creeks in your house at night, and grief... Amelia is grief-stricken, raising Samuel who is considered strange by other children and adults alike. They are isolated by society for being the ‘hysterical grieving woman’ and strange little boy. Really, they are just the most beautiful two souls you would ever meet, who are unique and splendidly strange in their own ways. Who cares what society thinks.
Alexander Juhasz, book designer, illustrator and paper engineer, created the design of the character The Babadook and the pop-up book for the film. Juhasv worked with Kent to create a Babadook that “sufficiently disturbed” them both, as Juhasv explains on his website. The pop-up book was hand crafted and painted. Such fine and complicated work to create the mechanisms of the pop-up.
“It’s finger-lickin’ GOOD!” - Bill Paxton playing Severen, licking the blood off his fingers.
Kathryn Bigelow’s Near Dark (1987) came out the same year as another vampire movie The Lost Boys but sadly didn’t do as well at the box office. This is a fun film, written by Bigelow and Eric Red, coming out the year after Aliens (1986), which also starred Lance Henriksen and Jenette Goldstein. This was no coincidence as Bigelow and James Cameron we’re dating at the time. I liked the western farmer boy twist to this vampire story, and refreshingly no fangs. Not that I have anything against vampire tropes.
Dans Ma Peau (2012)
This film leaves you with her staring eyes looking straight through you... Marina de Van directed, starred, and wrote Dans Ma Peau (2002), English title In My Skin. Come along to the screening to hear my thoughts on the film.
So this February, make sure to catch a film directed by a woman and share it online using hashtag #WiHM and #womeninhorror, and let me know what you think of my list, and if you have any films to add! Hope to catch you at a WiHM screening at MHFS!