Our list of horror films you should watch if you’re gay

Horror hasn’t always been kind to the LGBT+ community.

The genre can be utterly ridiculous, but it’s at its best when it knowingly embraces this with both hands. While it’s always been campy, films never seemed to quite get the mix right until Wes Craven’s Scream hit cinemas in 1996 and changed the way people looked at horror forever.

Whether it’s actually fleshed out LGBT characters, strong-ass women or just a total camp-fest, the genre has given us gays plenty to love over the years.

Here’s our pick of horror films you should watch this Halloween season: 

Cursed

One of Wes Craven’s most underrated films, this horror gem slipped under the radar when it was released. Starring Christina Ricci as a reporter who gets bitten and ends up turning into a werewolf, it retains Craven’s tone from the Scream films that made the franchise so iconic.

There’s LGBT+ representation with Milo Ventimiglia’s character, a closeted wrestler who ends up coming out during the climax of the film, and the villain is an absolute, stone-cold bitch. It’s the campiest thing you’ll see outside of Christmas, and we loved every second.

Make sure you watch the clip above for one of the most iconic lines in horror film history, just FYI.

Sorority Row

One of the most criminally underrated horror films of all time, Sorority Row brings elements from the best slasher flicks, all while retaining a deliciously dark sense of humour that doesn’t relent until the very final scene.

Carrie Fisher plays an iconic house mother, and the film – without any shadow of a doubt – features horror’s best on-screen bitch. Yes, she even beats Gail Weathers to the crown. Jessica is well and truly a fucking icon in all senses of the word, and the film does her so wrong.

Scream

This one’s a total given. Responsible for the horror revival of the late 90s, the Scream franchise completely redefined the genre in just about every way possible. From its twisted sense of humour to its unrivalled death scenes, it also brought Gale Weathers.

She’s that original bitch that you ended up rooting for, and four films later, we love her just as much as we did when she first stepped out in that lime-green pant suit. The fringe in Scream 3 was a minor set back, but we’ve all had our weak moments. No one escaped the 2000s unscathed.

Nightmare on Elm Street 2

This is known as the gayest horror film ever made, it’s not hard to see why.

Freddy and the main character, Jesse, shared what became an almost intimate relationship at times, and their homoerotic interaction eventually turned the movie into a cult classic.

You’re Next

An independent home invasion film that was far better than it deserved to be, You’re Next gave us everything we ever needed. Strong, independent woman as the lead? Check. Dark sense of humour? Check. Straight men getting their comeuppance? Triple check.

It’s one of those rare films that manages to bring genuine scares, despite still retaining its camp edge.