45 Essential LGBTQ+ Horror Movies
As long as there have been horror films, there have been queer horror films. Before homosexuality was formally legislated out of existence in Hollywood by the Production Code — commonly referred to as the Hays Code, which established mandates for “moral standards” in motion pictures and banned depictions of “sexual perversity” — the legendary filmmaker James Whale was building the foundation for American genre cinema with films like Frankenstein, The Old Dark House, and The Invisible Man. Here was Whale, a gay man, building horror in his own image and having astounding box office success as some groups were lobbying Hollywood to censor queerness out of existence. Fortunately, they weren’t creative enough to drive the big bad Other away.
In the century since America became the world’s leader in horror film production, the genre became a bastion for the outsiders, the marginalized, the people made monsters by self-appointed adjudicators of sin, and who saw themselves in the supposed “villains” at the center of stories like Dracula’s Daughter. On rare occasion, queer folks were given real protagonists to root for, like Theo in The Haunting, but it wasn’t until the Hays Code was abandoned in the late 1960s that sexuality outside the bounds of heteronormativity became more overt. (Not to say it was all positive representation, but the lesbian vampire wave of the 1970s certainly signified that the puritans were losing the culture wars in genre.)
The Moral Majority reign of the Reagan Era slammed up against the AIDS crisis, and the excess and tumult of the ’80s gave rise to ultra-stylish and sexualized gore in movies like The Hunger and Hellraiser. The indie cinema boom at the turn of turn of the millennium coincided with the emergence of New Queer Cinema, and eccentric coming-of-age darlings like May and Ginger Snaps provided an alternative to the glossy studio slashers of the time.
Now we can choose from a lesbian domestic drama involving a baby werewolf in Good Manners, a transfeminist vampire movie in Bit, or a French slasher set in a gay porn community with Knife + Heart. The monsters are out of the closet, and they’re never going back in.
Here are our essential LGBTQ+ horror movies, in order of release. – Jordan Crucchiola
(Editor’s note: We’ve updated the list for 2022, including Titane, Freaky, and Fear Street Part Three: 1666.)
98%
Critics Consensus: Let the Right One In reinvigorates the seemingly tired vampire genre by effectively mixing scares with intelligent storytelling.
Synopsis: When Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant), a sensitive, bullied 12-year-old boy living with his mother in suburban Sweden, meets his new neighbor, the mysterious and moody Eli... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Henrik Dahl
Directed By: Tomas Alfredson
96%
Critics Consensus: Good Manners adroitly juggles disparate tonal shifts while taking a uniquely smart and sensitive look at female relationships.
Synopsis: A mysterious and wealthy woman hires a lonely nurse named Clara to be the nanny of her soon-to-be born child. When a full moon brings... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Isabél Zuaa, Marjorie Estiano, Cida Moreira, Miguel Lobo
Directed By: Juliana Rojas, Marco Dutra
94%
Critics Consensus: Sexy, smart, and darkly humorous, Stranger by the Lake offers rewarding viewing for adult filmgoers in search of thought-provoking drama.
Synopsis: Franck falls in love with Michel, an attractive, potent and lethally dangerous man.
Starring: Pierre Deladonchamps, Christophe Paou, Patrick d'Assumçao, Jérôme Chappatte
Directed By: Alain Guiraudie
93%
Critics Consensus: Merging an emotionally-involving queer relationship with its clever monster concept, Leviticus executes its intriguing hook with eerie aplomb.
Synopsis: Two teenage boys must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most -- each other.
Starring: Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen, Mia Wasikowska, Jeremy Blewitt
Directed By: Adrian Chiarella
93%
Critics Consensus: Raw's lurid violence and sexuality live up to its title, but they're anchored with an immersive atmosphere and deep symbolism that linger long after the provocative visuals fade.
Synopsis: Stringent vegetarian Justine (Garance Marillier) encounters a decadent, merciless and dangerously seductive world during her first week at veterinary school. Desperate to fit in, she... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf, Rabah Nait Oufella, Joana Preiss
Directed By: Julia Ducournau
92%
Critics Consensus: Thelma plays with genre tropes in unexpected ways, delivering a thoughtfully twisty supernatural thriller with a lingering impact.
Synopsis: A college student starts to experience extreme seizures while studying at a university in Oslo, Norway. She soon learns that the violent episodes are a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Eili Harboe, Kaya Wilkins, Henrik Rafaelsen, Ellen Dorrit Petersen
Directed By: Joachim Trier
90%
Critics Consensus: The strong female cast and biting satire of teenage life makes Ginger Snaps far more memorable than your average werewolf movie -- or teen flick.
Synopsis: The story of two outcast sisters, Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) and Brigitte (Emily Perkins), in the mindless suburban town of Bailey Downs. On the night of... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle, Kris Lemche, Mimi Rogers
Directed By: John Fawcett
90%
Critics Consensus: Thrillingly provocative and original, Titane reaffirms writer-director Julia Ducournau's delightfully disturbing vision.
Synopsis: Titane: A metal highly resistant to heat and corrosion, with high tensile strength alloys, often used in medical prostheses due to its pronounced biocompatibility.
Starring: Agathe Rousselle, Vincent Lindon, Garance Marillier, Laïs Salameh
Directed By: Julia Ducournau
89%
Critics Consensus: Fear Street Part Three: 1666 sends the slasher series back in time for a trilogy-concluding installment that caps things off on a screaming high note.
Synopsis: The origins of Sarah Fier's curse are finally revealed as history comes full circle on a night that changes the lives of Shadysiders forever.
Starring: Kiana Madeira, Ashley Zukerman, Gillian Jacobs, Olivia Welch
Directed By: Leigh Janiak
87%
Critics Consensus: Both psychological and supernatural, The Haunting is a chilling character study.
Synopsis: Dr. John Markway, an anthropologist with an interest in psychic phenomena, takes two specially selected women to Hill House, a reportedly haunted mansion. Eleanor (Julie... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, Russ Tamblyn
Directed By: Robert Wise
85%
Critics Consensus: Impeccably cast and smartly written, Bodies Bodies Bodies is an uncommonly well-done whodunit.
Synopsis: When a group of rich 20-somethings plan a hurricane party at a remote family mansion, a party game goes awry in this fresh and funny... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Myha'la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders
Directed By: Halina Reijn
84%
Critics Consensus: Setting the stage to slay all day, Tina Romero's feature debut is a glowing zombie-fest filled with humor and heart, proving that there's more than enough room in the genre for these Queens of the Dead.
Synopsis: Drag queens and club kids battle zombies craving brains during their drag show in Brooklyn, putting personal conflicts aside to utilize their distinct abilities against... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Katy O'Brian, Jaquel Spivey, Quincy Dunn-Baker, Margaret Cho
Directed By: Tina Romero
84%
Critics Consensus: An entertaining slasher with a gender-bending, body-swapping twist, this horror-comedy juggles genres with Freaky fun results.
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Millie Kessler spends her days trying to survive high school and the cruel actions of the popular crowd. But when she becomes the latest... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton, Katie Finneran, Celeste O'Connor
Directed By: Christopher Landon
82%
Critics Consensus: Smart, stylish, and well-acted, What Keeps You Alive proves it's still possible to spin an engrossing horror yarn without fundamentally altering established formula.
Synopsis: Jackie and Jules are a couple celebrating their first anniversary at a secluded cabin in the woods belonging to Jackie's family. From the moment they... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Hannah Emily Anderson, Brittany Allen, Martha MacIsaac, Joey Klein
Directed By: Colin Minihan
81%
Critics Consensus: Knife + Heart wrings giallo-inspired thrills out of a boldly challenging story that defiantly succeeds on its own stylish merits.
Synopsis: In the summer of 1979, Paris-based filmmaker Anne is a producer of third-rate gay porn. After her editor and lover Lois leaves her, she tries... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Vanessa Paradis, Nicolas Maury, Kate Moran, Jonathan Genet
Directed By: Yann Gonzalez
80%
Critics Consensus: A slow-burning thriller that teeters between reality and delusion, Knocking views social issues through a blurred lens streaked with horror.
Synopsis: After suffering a traumatic incident, Molly (Cecilia Milocco) moves into a new apartment to begin her path to recovery, but it's not long after her... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Cecilia Milocco, Ville Virtanen, Meliz Karlge, Albin Grenholm
Directed By: Frida Kempff
71%
Critics Consensus: Led by a pair of compelling performances, The Perfection is a smart, gripping thriller that barbs its wild twists with cutting wit.
Synopsis: A troubled musical prodigy and a new star pupil embark down a sinister path.
Starring: Allison Williams, Logan Browning, Steven Weber, Alaina Huffman
Directed By: Richard Shepard
100%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Leah's grief over her toddler's death turns into paranoia when she begins to suspect her neighbors are part of a satanic cult.
Starring: Gaby Hoffmann, Ingrid Jungermann, Eleanor Hopkins, Rebecca Street
Directed By: Stewart Thorndike
93%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: An obsessive and murderous woman (Susan Tyrrell) tries to control her nephew, a 17-year-old basketball player (Jimmy McNichol).
Starring: Jimmy McNichol, Susan Tyrrell, Bo Svenson, Marcia Lewis
Directed By: William Asher
93%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Two men are haunted by their dead relationship.
Starring: Björn Stefánsson, Sigurður Þór Óskarsson, Guðmundur Ólafsson, Aðalbjörg Árnadóttir
Directed By: Erlingur Thoroddsen
93%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A transgender teenage girl fights to survive after she falls in with four queer feminist vampires.
Starring: Nicole Maines, M.C. Gainey, Diana Hopper, James Paxton
Directed By: Brad Michael Elmore
90%
Critics Consensus: Debuting writer-director Bertrand Mandico's The Wild Boys impresses with the breadth of its ambitions -- and the skill with which they're often triumphantly realized.
Synopsis: In the beginning of the 20th century, five children on the island of La Réunion commit a savage crime. As punishment, a Dutch captain takes... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Christophe Bier, Pauline Lorillard, Sam Louwyck, Elina Löwensohn
Directed By: Bertrand Mandico
82%
Critics Consensus: Sleepaway Camp is a standard teen slasher elevated by occasional moments of John Waters-esque weirdness and a twisted ending.
Synopsis: Bunks and the showers are a mad stabber's beat at a summer camp strictly for teens.
Starring: Felissa Rose, Jonathan Tiersten, Karen Fields, Christopher Collet
Directed By: Robert Hiltzik
81%
Critics Consensus: A coming-of-age drama with unexpected twists, Blue My Mind transcends some clunky moments with fully realized characters brought to life by strong performances.
Synopsis: Mia, 15, is facing an overwhelming transformation. Her body is changing radically, and despite desperate attempts to halt the process, she is soon forced to... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Luna Wedler, Zoë Pastelle Holthuizen, Regula Grauwiller, Georg Scharegg
Directed By: Lisa Brühlmann
71%
Critics Consensus: Jacqueline Castel's feature debut is an arresting queer and lycanthropic coming of age story that longs for more, but delivers just enough panache to satisfy.
Synopsis: Heather, an outcast teenage goalie, longs to play on the hockey team of her small northern town. She meets and falls in love with newcomer... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Bobbi Salvör Menuez, Amandla Stenberg, Stephen McHattie, Heidi von Palleske
Directed By: Jacqueline Castel
71%
Critics Consensus: Elevated by writer-director Clive Barker's fiendishly unique vision, Hellraiser offers a disquieting - and sadistically smart - alternative to mindless gore.
Synopsis: Sexual deviant Frank (Sean Chapman) inadvertently opens a portal to hell when he tinkers with a box he bought while abroad. The act unleashes gruesome... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Sean Chapman
Directed By: Clive Barker
70%
Critics Consensus: Above average slasher flick.
Synopsis: Young misfit May (Angela Bettis) endured a difficult childhood because of her lazy eye. And though contact lenses have helped May adjust as a young... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Angela Bettis, Jeremy Sisto, Anna Faris, James Duval
Directed By: Lucky McKee
70%
Critics Consensus: Nadja approaches the Dracula legend from an idiosyncratic angle - and with just enough visual style to overcome uneven storytelling.
Synopsis: After her father, Dracula, is killed, vampire Nadja (Elina Lowensohn) launches a feud against her father's murderer, Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Fonda). Nadja begins her... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Elina Löwensohn, Jared Harris, Peter Fonda, Suzy Amis
Directed By: Michael Almereyda
69%
Critics Consensus: Challenging and rewarding in equal measure, Climax captures writer-director Gaspar Noé working near his technically brilliant and visually distinctive peak.
Synopsis: When members of a dance troupe are lured to an empty school, drug-laced sangria causes their jubilant rehearsal to descend into a dark and explosive... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sofia Boutella, Romain Guillermic, Souheila Yacoub, Kiddy Smile
Directed By: Gaspar Noé
65%
Critics Consensus: Suspiria attacks heady themes with garish vigor, offering a viewing experience that's daringly confrontational - and definitely not for everyone.
Synopsis: Young American dancer Susie Bannion arrives in the 1970s Berlin to audition for the world-renowned Helena Markos Dance Co. When she vaults to the role... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth, Angela Winkler
Directed By: Luca Guadagnino
64%
Critics Consensus: Whistle doesn't blow it when it comes to milking some memorable frights from its nifty conceit, although this horror flick could've dared to be more original beyond its main hook.
Synopsis: A misfit group of unwitting high school students stumble upon a cursed object, an ancient Aztec Death Whistle. They discover that blowing the whistle and... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Dafne Keen, Sophie Nélisse, Percy Hynes White, Nick Frost
Directed By: Corin Hardy
64%
Critics Consensus: Dracula's Daughter extends the Universal horror myth in an interesting direction, but the talky script and mild atmosphere undermine its ambition.
Synopsis: Although Count Dracula was destroyed by Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan), who is now being tried for his murder, Dracula's daughter, the Countess Marya Zaleska... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Otto Kruger, Gloria Holden, Marguerite Churchill, Irving Pichel
Directed By: Lambert Hillyer
61%
Critics Consensus: If you only watch one art-world satire with horror overtones this year -- or most others -- it should probably be Velvet Buzzsaw.
Synopsis: After paintings by an unknown artist are discovered, a supernatural force enacts revenge on those who have allowed their greed to get in the way... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Toni Collette, John Malkovich
Directed By: Dan Gilroy
61%
Critics Consensus: Stylish yet hollow, The Hunger is a well-cast vampire thriller that mistakes erotic moments for a satisfying story.
Synopsis: John (David Bowie) is the lover of the gorgeous immortal vampire Miriam (Catherine Deneuve), and he's been led to believe that he'll live forever, too.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, Susan Sarandon, Cliff DeYoung
Directed By: Tony Scott
58%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Angela Baker (Pamela Springsteen), a psychotic transsexual, escapes from a mental hospital and surfaces at a summer camp as a counselor who lectures her teenage... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Pamela Springsteen, Renee Estevez, Tony Higgins, Valerie Hartman
Directed By: Michael A. Simpson
54%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: "Psycho Beach Party" is a manic party-mix of 50's psychological thrillers, 60's beach movies, and 70's slasher films. The story focuses on Chicklet Forrest (Lauren... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Lauren Ambrose, Thomas Gibson, Nicholas Brendon, Kimberley Davies
Directed By: Robert Lee King
56%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Decades after promiscuous teen Mary Lou Maloney (Lisa Schrage) dies during a prank gone wrong, she returns as a spirit out for revenge and eager... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Michael Ironside, Wendy Lyon, Louis Ferreira, Lisa Schrage
Directed By: Bruce Pittman
48%
Critics Consensus: All Cheerleaders Die sets out to subvert horror tropes, but ends up falling victim to many of the same trashy cliches it's trying to mock.
Synopsis: A rebellious teen convinces the cheerleaders to take down the captain of the football team until a supernatural problem thrusts the young women into a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Caitlin Stasey, Sianoa Smit-McPhee, Brooke Butler, Amanda Grace Cooper
Directed By: Lucky McKee, Chris Sivertson
47%
Critics Consensus: Jennifer's Body features occasionally clever dialogue, but its horror/comedy premise ultimately fails to be consistently funny or scary enough to satisfy.
Synopsis: A beautiful cheerleader (Megan Fox) gains an insatiable appetite for human flesh after a hungry demon takes control of her body.
Starring: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, Adam Brody
Directed By: Karyn Kusama
47%
Critics Consensus: Otto, or Up with Dead People plays to writer-director Bruce LaBruce's provocative strengths, but proves frustratingly less than the sum of its parts.
Synopsis: A gay zombie (Jey Crisfar) manages to be cast in a horror film.
Starring: Jey Crisfar, Katharina Klewinghaus, Ketih Böhm, Marcel Schlutt
Directed By: Bruce La Bruce
47%
Critics Consensus: An intriguing subtext of repressed sexuality gives Freddy's Revenge some texture, but the Nightmare loses its edge in a sequel that lacks convincing performances or memorable scares.
Synopsis: Jesse Walsh (Mark Patton) moves with his family into the home of the lone survivor from a series of attacks by dream-stalking monster Freddy Krueger... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Mark Patton, Kim Myers, Robert Rusler, Clu Gulager
Directed By: Jack Sholder
36%
Critics Consensus: Give Seed of Chucky credit for embracing the increasing absurdity of the franchise -- even if the end results really aren't all that funny or entertaining.
Synopsis: Gentle Glen (Billy Boyd) is a ventriloquist's dummy, the offspring of evil doll Chucky (Brad Dourif) and his doll bride (Jennifer Tilly), both of whom... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jennifer Tilly, Brad Dourif, Billy Boyd, Redman
Directed By: Don Mancini
23%
Critics Consensus: As disposable as its predecessor is indispensable, The Rage: Carrie 2 mimics the arc of Stephen King's classic story without adding anything of value.
Synopsis: When her closest friend commits suicide after being manipulated by the popular crowd, quiet and bookish Rachel Lang (Emily Bergl) decides to get back at... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Emily Bergl, Jason London, Dylan Bruno, J. Smith-Cameron
Directed By: Katt Shea
17%
Critics Consensus: Sophisticated visual effects fail to offset awkward performances and an uneven script in The Haunting
Synopsis: This horror tale focuses on visitors to the secluded mansion of Hill House who have been called to the isolated location by Dr. David Marrow... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson, Lili Taylor
Directed By: Jan de Bont
4%
Critics Consensus: The Covenant plays out like a teen soap opera, full of pretty faces, wooden acting, laughable dialogue, and little suspense.
Synopsis: In the 17th century, five families with supernatural powers make a pact of silence. Eventually one power-hungry family is banished. The descendants of those four... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Steven Strait, Toby Hemingway, Chace Crawford, Taylor Kitsch
Directed By: Renny Harlin
