Why We Need More Women Leading Horror Films (And Why I Write Them)

From the silent screams of Psycho to the maternal breakdown of Hereditary, women have always had a place in horror, but too often, that place has been reactive. Victim. Survivor. Witness. But thankfully, that's changing. And it should.

Female-led horror isn't just about giving women more screen time. It's about reframing whose fear we're exploring and why. It's about putting the psychological, social, and emotional reality of womanhood at the heart of horror.

When a woman is the lead in a horror film, the story can shift from escape to examination. We can explore motherhood, trauma, repression, rage, and power in ways that feel deeply personal and terrifyingly universal.

Look at The Babadook, where grief becomes a literal monster. Or Run, where a disabled teen girl uncovers her mother's horrifying deception. Or Titane, which turns the body itself into a battleground for gender, identity, and survival. These stories don't just scare. They say something.

So why do I write female-led horror? Because I want women to be the ones doing the haunting. Making the decisions. Fighting the threat-or becoming it. I want to write characters who are messy, angry, and morally grey. Characters who reflect the fears we don't often see spoken aloud. Not just "Will I survive?" but "What am I capable of?"

Because horror is still one of the few genres where women get to be powerful, not in spite of their flaws, but because of them.

Because fear doesn't belong to one gender, and neither does rage.

As a horror screenwriter, I believe we need more women leading horror films, not just on screen, but on the page and behind the camera. I write them because I want to see them. And I hope my stories help make space for more.

-Renee