Horror is a genre rightfully criticized for its problematic depictions of women as overly sexualized and objectified victims. Like most entertainment niches, horror movies have historically been a male venture, one dictated by the voices and ideas of men. However, female directors have worked hard to subvert this trend, especially in recent decades.
Remakes and sequels are a popular way to bring mainstream audiences into horror narratives, and female directors are responsible for putting out more well-known genre features than you may realize. This list brings together 5 horror remakes and 5 horror sequels, all of which are directed by women.
Remake: Black Christmas (2019)
Blumhouse Productions gave independent director Sophia Takal the funding she needed to reimagine one of the first slasher films: 1974's Black Christmas. Takal's rendition follows a group of sorority sisters at Hawthorn College who are being taunted by a stalker. It stars Imogen Poots, who received acclaim for her performance.
The updated feature deviates from the original, making a much more hard-hitting statement about the way women are forced to defend themselves in a patriarchal world. Even though it received mixed critical reviews, Takal's feature is an important addition to the cannon, one designed to empower young women and flip genre narratives on their heads.
Sequel: Slumber Party Massacre II (1987)
Believe it or not, the sequel to one of the most gruesome and outlandish '80s slasher films was directed by a woman. Written and directed by Deborah Brock, Slumber Party Massacre II was produced by the godfather of pop horror: Roger Corman. The first film, also directed by a female, was written by feminist novelist Rita Mae Brown.
In Brock's follow-up, the original film's final girl, Courtney, survives only to find herself and her friends attacked again, this time by a madman with a red guitar turned murder weapon courtesy of a giant drill attached to the instrument's head. Even though it's considered a horror film, Slumber Party Massacre II is really a black comedy that highlights the inanity of gory, misogynistic features.
Remake: Carrie (2013)
Kimberley Pierce, known for directing the Oscar-winning feature Boys Don't Cry, is at the helm of this 2013 reimagining of Brian De Palma's classic horror movie Carrie. While the original stars Sissy Spacek in the title role, Pierce's film stars Chloë Grace Moretz. Moretz is supported by well-known actors like Julianne Moore and Judy Greer.
Moore plays Carrie's fanatically religious and overbearing mother, Margaret White, whose emotional and physical abuses aid in her daughter's telekinetic spiral. Despite being a contemporaneous take, Pierce's film sticks close to the original, which is adapted from the Stephen King book of the same name. While it received mixed reviews, the update is worth watching for the stellar performances on behalf of its talented cast.
Sequel: Critters 3 (1991)
Not only is Critters 3 directed by a woman, but it also marks Leonardo DiCaprio's debut in feature films. In this feature, the miniature alien fiends leave Grover's Bend by catching a ride underneath a family's car. Once the family reaches their new home, the creatures hatch and start causing problems in their new home.
The movie's director, Kristine Peterson, is credited for working on films as diverse as Apocalypse Now, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, and Tremors. The Critters franchise is known for bringing campy humor to the horror genre, and while this installment has little critical acclaim, it has attained cult status.
Remake: Rosemary's Baby (2014)
In Roman Polanski's classic Satanic panic feature from 1968, Mia Farrow stars as a young woman whose womb is sold to a group of demon worshippers by her scummy husband, Guy, played by John Cassavettes. In 2014, NBC produced a two-part miniseries inspired by the movie's source material: Ira Levin's novel. The miniseries is directed by a Polish woman named Agnieszka Holland, and it stars Zoe Saldana in the title role.
Instead of New York, the miniseries unfolds in Paris, France. Rosemary and her husband befriend the older couple in their new apartment complex, and things go south for Rosemary from there. While critics deem it an unnecessary remake, it still retains the form and themes of the original movie.
Sequel: The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999)
Before the 2013 remake, Katt Shea directed a follow-up to 1976's Carrie. Shea is known for erotic thrillers like Poison Ivy, and her seductive style shines through here. Like its predecessor, The Rage digs into high school bullying, sexism, and toxic masculinity.
Emily Bergl stars as Rachel Lang, who happens to be the younger half-sister of Carrie White. After she finds out her best friend took her own life as a result of a sexual assault, Rachel's genetic predisposition for enacting telekinetic revenge comes out with full force. Rachel starts taking out the male classmates responsible for her dear friend's death.
Remake: Silent House (2012)
Husband-wife directing team Chris Kentis and Laura Lau are responsible for this remake of a 2010 Uruguayan film with the same name. Kentis and Lau are also known for the taut out-at-sea thriller Open Water. Lau wrote the screenplay for Silent House, which stars Elizabeth Olsen stars as Sarah, a young woman who visits her family's old Victorian home with her father and uncle.
Like the original film, things take a terrible turn when a woman claiming to be a childhood friend of Sarah arrives at the house. While the original film relies on a "based on a true story" label and a continuous shot cinematographic style, Olsen's performance and the filming techniques in the remake have both been praised.
Sequel: Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
Intended to be the final feature in the Freddy Krueger franchise, Freddy's Dead is the follow-up to 1989's A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child. Director Rachel Talalay produced A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master before going on to direct this sixth installment. She went on to helm movies like Ghost in the Machine and Tank Girl.
In Freddy's Dead, Freddy comes face-to-face with an opponent capable of ending his reign of terror for good: his own daughter. Played by Lisa Zane, Maggie Burroughs is a doctor who comes to find out that after her murderous father was slaughtered, she was put up for adoption. She enters the dream world he controls in order to take him out once and for all.
Remake: Rabid (2019)
The Soska sisters, Jen and Sylvia, are behind this remake of David Cronenberg's infamous feature. Like Cronenberg, The Soskas are Canadian horror directors also known for Dead Hooker in a Trunk, See No Evil 2 and American Mary.
Laura Vandervoort stars as Rose in the Soskas' film, a woman who gets into a terrible car accident that disfigures her face. Rose agrees to experiment with stem-cell therapy in order to remove the scars, but the medical procedure doesn't go as planned. Rabid is full of the body horror and dread that makes Cronenberg's film so memorable.
Sequel: Witchcraft III: The Kiss of Death (1991)
One of the longest-running horror franchises happens to be the cheesy paranormal romance series known as WitchCraft. Most of these direct-to-video movies, distributed by Troma, revolve around a warlock named William Spanner.
This third installment in the franchise is directed by Rachel Feldman, and it finds Spanner rejecting his warlock ways and trying out a normal life as an assistant district attorney. Unfortunately, supernatural evil makes its way into Spanner's life, and he is forced to revive his magical powers to save his girlfriend Charlotte.