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Horror has always been queer. And don’t let the fragile incels of the internet tell you any different. Since Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein (a man making the perfect man with body parts of other men, come on!), horror has always analyzed society’s obsession with othering queer people. When you move into the 20th Century, historically, gay men and women were clubbed to death, arrested in unjust club raids, and treated to such cruel medical procedures as a lobotomy and, much later, conversion therapy.
Every step of the way, Queer Horror has served as a beacon, both illuminating reality and giving queer horror fans a safe space. Whether it’s the Hays Code era or the Gay Panic of the ’80s, queer people have endured an onslaught of hate and death from every corner, and that’s been reflected in countless horror films of various eras. From a gay ass slasher to a Hammer era switcheroo, Queer Horror stands tall as, perhaps, the most interesting section of the genre.
Here are some Queer Horror Essentials. Does your favorite make the list?
Hellbent (2004)
Directed by Paul Etheredge
It took a good 15 years before I ever saw Hellbent. What’s wrong with me? It’s the gayest thing since Freddy took revenge on Jesse. A super awkward hot guy goes out on Halloween with his super awkward hot friends for a night of revelry. Naturally, a shirtless, masked hunk stalks the streets and picks them off one by one. There’s nothing so delicious.
Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971)
Directed by Roy Ward Baker
Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde dropped in the early ’70s. That must have felt like a vision. Coming two years after Stonewall, it’s as progressively queer as you can get, particularly if you’re non-binary. The story follows much of the original blueprint, except that Dr. Jekyll creates an elixir that turns masculinity into femininity. First, it’s a fly. Then, it’s him, transforming into Sister Hyde (Martine Beswick). The crux of his situation is that he needs female hormones to make the switch, leading him to don a very Jack the Ripper persona to hunt down women at night. Eventually, Sister Hyde does the killing, and it’s pretty gnarly.
Cat People (1942)
Directed by Jacques Tourneur
Arriving during the Hays Code, Cat People wears its queerness like a brassiere. It’s all just under the surface, ready to be ripped off. Simone Simon plays Irena, a woman from Serbia, from where she fled after her village was ransacked by the so-called Cat People. She believes she’s a cat person, too, and struggles in her new marriage to Oliver (Kent Smith). Beholden to society’s rigid structures on gender, the film dives deep into questions of redefining yourself and the isolating feeling of being queer in the world. When Oliver leaves Irena for his co-worker Alice (Jane Randolph), he unwittingly unleashes the beast.
Daughters of Darkness (1971)
Directed by Harry Kรผmel
Something must have been in the water in 1971. A surealist, sexual wet dream, Daughters of Darkness gives new meaning to “blood suckers.” A young couple stops at a lavish French hotel on their way back to England. They meet the illustrious Countess Elizabeth Bรกthory (Delphine Seyrig), and her presence is almost blinding. She stirs up a bisexual frenzy that’s just irresistible. If you’re gonna start your Queer Horror journey, you should start right here.
I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
Directed by Jane Schoebrun
If you’re a horror writer and don’t mention the very trans story, you should retire. Jane Schoebrun packs I Saw the TV Glow with so much trans imagery, including the image above, that you can’t deny its core. The story follows Owen (Justice Smith) and his friend Maddy (Jack Haven) when they bond over the popular TV series, The Pink Opaque, one summer in 1996. Through exploring our nostalgia for childhood media, Schoebrun stages the perfect trans allegory. Identity is on a spectrum, and the trek to find yourself is never linear. That’s powerful and beautiful.
Knife+Heart (2018)
Directed by Yann Gonzalez
On a gay porn set, a bondage killer stalks and murders queer men. The porn director Anne (Vanessa Paradis), amidst a tumultuous breakup from Loรฏs (Kate Moran), but she’s determined to continue filming a new porno. But as her actors start going missing, she soon realizes that her life is just as much in danger. Knife+Heart is gloriously Giallo-inspired and features everything you could want: stylish blood and guts, a mysterious killer, and an overwhelming sense of dread that only Yann Gonzalez could deliver.
Closet Monster (2015)
Directed by Stephen Dunn
Name a queer person who hasn’t thought of themselves as monstrous at one point or another. Stephen Dunn’s Closet Monster, billed as a drama/mystery/fantasy, also perfectly fits the body horror genre. To not include “horror” as among its labels does it a disservice. As Oscar (Connor Jessup) grows closer to accepting his homosexuality, nuts and bolts spew out of his stomach. He eventually pulls a tire iron out of his stomach when he’s sick and tired of taking his abusive and homophobic father’s shit. It’s a revolutionary act that sees Oscar finally accepting all parts of himself. We just don’t talk about this film nearly enough.
Stranger by the Lake (2013)
Directed by Alain Guiraudie
Itโs Grindr by the lake. Dozens of men poke through the surrounding woodlands for their next willing playmate, commentary on the very fleeting nature of relationships in the queer scene. Stranger by the Lake skirts the line between horror and thriller with dangerous volatility. When mastachiod killer Michel (Christophe Paou) catches the eye of Franck (Pierre Deladonchamps), their dalliance could lead to deadly consequences. Franck willingly overlooks Michel’s bloodlust for sex, offering up an interesting critique of queer club culture. I previously wrote about it extensively through the lens of another character named Henri (Patrick dโAssumรงao) and his suffocating loneliness.
Poison (1991)
Directed by Todd Haynes
An anthology of sorts, Poison dissects themes of isolation and violence. Each segmentโ”Hero,” “Horror,” and “Homo”โdelicately weaves together to create a powerful and pulverizing exploration of humanity’s raw brutality against others. Its mix of horror, drama, and sci-fi treats genre fans to a smorgasbord of the genre. Only the last segment contains an explicitly gay character, yet the entire film delves deep into the queer experience. It’s a real doozy.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)
Directed by Jack Sholder
Freddy’s Revenge has always been the most terrifying series entry. Jesse’s agonizing journey is the tip of the iceberg; the way Freddy taunts him, as a real-life homophobe would do, using his very vulnerable state against him, sends chills down my spine even now. Jesse, and Patton’s ability to rip your heart out, embodied the full emotional scale I’ve undergone in my life, sliding between denial, shame, fear, depression, and numbness. [Full Essay]
The Old Dark House (1932)
Directed by James Whale
Horace Femm (Ernest Thesiger) is gay as a picnic basket. Given the time, it’s never explicitly addressed. But there are signs. When two groups of passersby plead for refuge from a torrential downpour, it’s a recipe for wacky shenanigans. Horace’s sister Rebecca Femme (Eva Moore) hoots and hollers about “no beds” in the most absurd fashion. She’s obviously the comic relief, and Moore delivers in every way. Horace stands as the gay piece in a menagerie of outlandish characters, making for a film that’s both haunting and hilarious.
The Vampire Lovers (1970)
Directed by Roy Ward Baker
Marcilla (Ingrid Pitt) loves women, and that’s never a question. She ravages the townsfolk with her seductive nature, preying on various women around the village. She entrances them with her gaze, and they are all hers on which to feed. The Vampire Lovers was as progressive as they come. There’s something about the early ’70s that saw numerous queer horror films hitting theaters. It must have been a sight to see as a queer person witnessing yourself on the silver screen so often. We love to see it.
Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (1981)
Directed by William Asher
Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (aka Night Warning) is a very difficult watch. The amount of F slurs will blow your mind. But if you stay with it and watch it multiple times, you’ll understand how important it is to queer cinema. When Billy’s (Jimmy McNichol) parents die horribly in a car crash, his aunt Cheryl (Susan Tyrrell) takes sole custody to raise him. In high school, his basketball coach Tom Landers (Steve Eastin) is openly gay and becomes the target of a homophobic cop investigating a recent murder, the victim of which happens to be Tom’s lover. The film surprisingly doesn’t “bury the gays.” In fact, it buries the “bury the gays” trope. Not only does Tom survive, but he also saves Billy’s life.
The Seventh Victim (1943)
Directed by Mark Robson
The Seventh Victim is another queer-coded film, but the queerness is in the details. Jacqueline (Jean Brooks) is very depressed, and she turns to a cult to find answers to her life. She connects with another young woman, and it’s only hinted that the two have a romantic relationship. When Jacqueline’s sister Mary (Kim Hunter) leaves school and comes looking for her, Mary finds herself entangled in a police investigation into a string of murders. And Jacqueline tragically becomes the seventh victim.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Directed by Jim Sharman
51 years later, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is still being discovered and leaving a glittery mark on its viewers. Tim Curry, as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, delivers a performance so bubbly and vivacious that it is very clear he was made for this role. A pair of newlyweds get a flat tire and head to Frank’s mansion to use the phone. Instead, they crash an extravagantly gay party full of strange characters and Frank’s chiseled creation, Rocky (Peter Hinwood). If you’re not gay before watching, you just might be after.
The Haunting (1963)
Directed by Robert Wise
When invited to spend the night in a supposedly haunted house, Theodora (Claire Bloom) joins several others, including Nell (Julie Harris), with whom she strikes up a deep friendship. But it’s maybe more than that. The queerness lies within Theodora’s soft gazes and clutching of Nell when danger is near. It might be the most subtly gay of the list here, but that doesn’t minimize its significance to queer horror history.
Death Drop Gorgeous (2020)
Directed by Monster Makeup
Death Drop Gorgeousย is a perfect example of making the most out of a shoestring budget. Its DIY coarseness is vital to its overall charm. The trio of directors works overtime to deliver soapy queer drama and nauseating kills ไธ the best of all involving a penis and a meat grinder. A masked killer lures several gay men from a local drag bar to their death, becoming evident that their bloodlusty revenge is quite personal. It’s perfectly salacious and tantalizingly gory, and never stops being one of queer horror’s best modern offerings.
Slay (2024)
Directed by Jem Garrard
Tubi doesn’t get enough credit. People online talk a lot of shit about the streaming service, but it’s a top-tier platform that has some damn good originals. Slay is the cream of the crop. The film follows a group of drag queens when they travel to the wrong bar to perform. It’s actually a biker bar in the middle of red country. But after owner Dusty (Neil Sandilands) entices them with an envelope of cash, they decide to perform anyway. While onstage, a vampire wanders into the bar and ignites a night of pure mayhem. Not only does the film prove to be a great genre film, but it also tackles homophobia in a very real, grounded way.
Dressed to Kill (1980)
Directed by Brian De Palma
After sex worker Liz (Nancy Allen) witnesses the murder of Kate Miller (Angie Dickinson), she becomes the target of a serial killer in women’s clothing. Liz is the only witness to the slaying and becomes caught in the killer’s sticky web. I can’t speak for the entire queer community, but I don’t interpret Dressed to Kill as homophobic or transphobic. Honestly? We need more queer villains, an embodiment of queer rage in its purest, most sadistic form.
Multiple Maniacs (1970)
Directed by John Waters
If you have Divine starring in your film, it better be the gayest film alive. And of course, it’s a John Waters film, so it already has a perfectly shaven leg up. Lady Divine runs The Cavalcade of Perversion, a traveling show of sexual acts and other perversions. When the show is done, she robs the patrons at gunpoint. Eventually, Divine grows bored and starts murdering the attendees, which leads to a murderous womanhunt. Multiple Maniacs is low-budget enough to just work.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1995)
Directed by Kim Henkel
Easily the gayest of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, The Next Generation shows Leatherface (Robert Jacks) wearing the face of a woman with flowing brunette hair and wearing a lacy blouse. Leatherface is seen several times putting on lipstick and fingernail polish. Jacks’ performance leans into the innate femininity of the character, fleshing it out into a full-blown queer icon. Leatherface isn’t a real threat here (that lies with Matthew McConaughey’s performance as Vilmer Slaughter), but instead, a victim of society.
The Serpent’s Skin (2026)
Directed by Alice Maio Mackay
Alice Maio Mackay has the single most consistent body of work of any current indie filmmaker. And sheโs only 21. Sheโs made six films already, with another set for festivals soon. Her latest,ย The Serpentโs Skin, slithers between queer joy and rageโslimy tentacles that capture the scope of the queer experience. In true Mackay fashion, the story grounds itself in raw humanity and colors with a seemingly monstrous story about a young queer woman killing the worst kinds of men. Written with frequent collaborator Benjamin Pahl Robinson, the film arrives as Mackayโs second-best film, behindย Carnage for Christmas. [Full Review]
merch for every mood
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