From the late 1970s through the 1980s, the horror movie industry produced arguably the most impactful and memorable titles in the genre. From “Halloween” to “Friday the 13th,” these slasher films defined the horror genre and changed the movie industry forever.
A large majority of these acclaimed films follow the well-used final girl trope. This reoccurring theme follows the main character, usually a young adult or teen woman, surviving and escaping whatever threat the movie poses, while all the other characters die off around her. With “Nightmare on Elm Street” or “Alien,” a plethora of horror movies follow this trope with minor variation. Whether you support the debatable over-use of this trope or not, it has sprouted something much worse in recent years.
The final girl trope at its best represents strong femininity, and at its worse it represents a stereotypical and sexualized view on women. From this worse end of the trope, sprouted the female revenge genre in horror which has had a resurgence in recent years. This new subgenre typically follows a woman who went through a traumatic experience like an attack, they survive and rehabilitate themselves and then exact revenge on those who committed the act. However, a large majority of these films focus on all the wrong aspects of female representation in horror.
The traumatic experience in these films is usually rape and often is the center focus of the entire movie. Even while exacting revenge many of the female characters are put in attire that would not be suitable to exact revenge on your enemies.
Frankly, I am sick of the subgenre because of how much they focus on a perverted view of the trauma of women, such as “I Spit on Your Grave” and the numerous B-movies it sprouted. While you may argue that is the whole point of the female revenge genre, if we shift our perspective to women directors, we see this does not have to be the case.
The 2017 aptly titled “Revenge” by French film director Coralie Fargeat is the perfect example of what the female revenge genre can be. The film follows the same set up as most of the films in the genre but soon into the film the audience can see how well it is executed. While it is a bit on the dramatic side the movie is impactful in a way that does not focus on the male gaze objectifying the body and character of the female lead. Instead, this experience in the film almost liberates the character and allows the audience to see her full potential.
Instead of long shots of what little the character is wearing, the audience gets a semi-realistic view of someone fighting for their life. I would not recommend most movies in this genre to anyone, as all they seem to care about is a spectacle of sex, however after seeing “Revenge” I have hope for the future of the genre.
I am sick of the male gaze in all these horror movies that are supposed to be centered on women and hopefully this revitalization of this genre shifts the industry to more impactful viewing experience.
