Horror films historically commonly featured female protagonists; contemporary films of the genre also continue to use this element. However, the reasoning for the presence of female protagonists in horror films changes over time. Initially, female characters were positioned as members of the weaker sex, which added more thrill to the audience’s sense of fear. Further technical developments in the genre allowed horror films to become more violent and gory but eventually led to the audience’s age restrictions. Thus, from 1980-1993, horror films mainly capitalized on the interests of adult audiences by sexualizing female characters to attract more viewers (Salzman, 2021).
However, the modern audience has higher standards for story progression, representation, and character development. Therefore, modern horror films often use symbolic stories where the female protagonists’ confrontation with the terrorizer fulfills an important social function.
For example, the recent horror film The Invisible Man captures the experience of a young woman who escaped violent relationships but felt like her dead partner continued to bother her. In addition to referring directly to the relevant social issue of domestic violence, the horror film’s plot draws attention to the problem of public perception of women’s claims about domestic and sexual violence. Thus, the main character is placed in a situation where other people do not believe her worries because her terrorizer is invisible to others. The viewer is presented with the opportunity to observe how surrounding people’s distrust pressures the mental health of a woman suffering from violence in relationships.
The film’s final segment showcases how the main character uses the terrorizer’s technique against him and relieves the pressure, even though society will never know that she is right. The segment emphasizes the outsider position of the public in #MeToo cases, where the victim seeks justice for herself but becomes accused of desire for public attention. Thus, modern horror films can focus the audience’s attention on important social issues through fictional stories.
Reference
Salzman, E. (2021). Column: Horror genre has relied on female sexuality. The Ithacan. Web.