30 Woman-Friendly Horror Movies for the Thrill-Seeking Feminist
By Emily Scott
Housebound
Housebound, Image via Semi-Professional Pictures
Sub-Genre: Horror comedy
What it’s about: Kylie, a young woman who has been in frequent trouble with the law, is ordered to be placed on house arrest for 8 months in her mother’s home. Kylie and her mother clash in many ways, not the least of which is that her mother believes the house is haunted. Kylie makes fun mother for it, but the more time she spends in the house, the more she realizes that there is something very unsettling going on. When she discovers that her security officer Amos is also an amateur ghost hunter, Kylie arranges to set up an investigation. But getting deeper into the strange happenings of the house puts Kylie in a lot of danger. And because of her ankle bracelet, it’s danger she can’t run away from.
What makes it feminist: Housebound is another one of those movies that sets us up to think that its characters will be pretty stereotypical, only to totally throw us for a loop later. Kylie and her mom Miriam have always been at odds. Kylie has been a rebel since she was a teenager, and being trapped in her childhood home with her mom and her stepdad gives her reason to exacerbate her abrasive personality. Miriam is a pleasant housewife who is at once intimidated by her daughter and frustrated by her lack of respect.
After Kylie discovers that her mom believes there’s a ghost in the house, she is even more dismissive of Miriam than she was before. But once she has her own supernatural experience, she begins to investigate. Throughout the movie, Kylie evolves from trivializing Miriam and her concerns, to validating them and teaming up with her to fight it. And when the real threat begins to emerge, Kylie and Miriam put themselves in danger to save each other, proving how much they love one another despite their differences. This is a story about two very different women becoming stronger when they work together, and in the process coming to realize that they really care. Even if they still annoy the hell out of each other.