What better time of the year than Pride Month to examine LGBTQ representation in both old and new horror movies. The genre has a long history of being associated with and enjoyed by those considered to be outsiders. Yet it has not always been inclusive or even that respectful of members from the LGBTQ community. Sometimes the implications of sexuality and identity in relation to a character's actions or fate in these movies are hard to gloss over. So, herein lies just ten LGBTQ characters from ten* different horror movies.
* More than ten if you count multiple characters from the same movie.
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Theodora/Theo
The Haunting (1963)
Actor: Claire Bloom
In the first film adaptation of the 1959 Shirley Jackson novel, The Haunting of Hill House, it was revealed that the character Theodora (or Theo) was a lesbian. The book was more subtle about this information, but the movie was explicit about it. Her sexuality alone causes some conflict between herself and other characters. The 1999 retelling had Catherine Zeta-Jones play the part of Theo. This time, though, the character is bisexual.
Jesse Walsh
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)
Actor: Mark Patton
It is no secret that this is one of the most homoerotic horror movies to come out of the eighties (or maybe ever). Until he admitted as such in the Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy documentary, writer David Chaskin had denied the homoeroticism in the movie's story. The protagonist, Jesse, is romantically linked to a young Meryl Streep lookalike, Lisa (Kim Meyers), but he continues to run back to his male friend, Ron, over and over. Jesse even ditches Lisa to sleep over at Ron's. Can't really blame him if you've seen Ron. The entire story is a horror metaphor for someone struggling with their sexuality. Mark Patton is openly gay.
Angela Baker
Sleepaway Camp (1983)
Actor: Felissa Rose
This summer camp themed slasher has earned quite the reputation because of itsAngela is actually her brother Peter, who supposedly died when they were involved in a boating accident at a young age. The real Angela was the one who passed. Their aunt, also a doctor that forged "Angela" medical records to hide the secret, had dressed Peter up as Angela. In the first sequel, Angela has reassignment surgery. She is played by Bruce Springsteen's sister, Pamela Springsteen, in two of the sequels.It is not a high quality movie - bad acting, awkward scenes that go on way too long, and really not that gory considering it is a slasher. Yet Felissa Rose brings a charm to Angela that makes her character one you root for. Even her protective cousin Ricky is endearing in spite of his potty mouth and penchant for yelling too much. Sleepaway Camp may have borrowed its twist ending's concept from an obscure 1982 slasher called Unhinged.
Sean
Animal (2014)
Actor: Paul Iacoco
This made-for-cable, by-the-numbers creature feature premiered on Chiller, a horror centric channel. The cast includes Keke Palmer (Scream Queens), Jeremy Sumpter (Friday Night Lights), Elizabeth Gillies (Victorious), and Joey Lauren Adams (Mallrats). One of the supporting characters that eventually becomes monster fodder, Sean, is openly gay. His performance is modeled after stereotypes for the most part. It is interesting, though, that before Sean finally dies, he admits that he fooled around with Elizabeth Gillies' character's boyfriend, played by Parker Young (Suburgatory, 4th Man Out). His confession made it sound like it was more than just a one-time tryst, too. Paul Iacoco, best known for his "part" in MTV's The Hard Times of RJ Berger, is openly gay.
Shi-eun Yoo & Hyo-shin Min
Memento Mori (1999)
Actors: Young-jin Lee & Ye-jin Park
The South Korean franchise Whispering Corridors was known for including taboo topics such as teen suicide and criticism of the country's educational system. Another common element among the unrelated films in the series was homosexuality. The second entry, Memento Mori, concerns a student, Min-ah, finding a diary that was shared between two other students, Shi-eun and Hyo-shin. The two young women were having a romantic relationship that they had to keep hidden for obvious reasons. Eventually, one of them commits suicide, unleashing a supernatural wave of energy upon the school. This hallucinatory slow burn is not going to make anyone jump out of their seats, or lose sleep at night, but it is horrifying for other sad reasons.
Bo
Cursed(2005)
Actor: Milo Ventimiglia
This Wes Craven picture was pretty much a disappointment in all aspects. The movie was stuck in development hell for some time, and it went through so many changes that one can only wonder what it could have been like had it not been ruined by bad decisions. Cursed is about a pair of siblings, played by Christina Ricci and Jesse Eisenberg, that are afflicted with lycanthrophy after encountering a werewolf. The brother has a bully named Bo, portrayed by Milo Ventimiglia (Gilmore Girls, Heroes, This is Us). He says some of the most ridiculous and homophobic insults to ever be said in a movie. Who can keep a straight (pun unintended) face when they hear someone utter such winning lines as "Come on, fairy. Shake your dust," or "I think you dog is gay, too"? As it turns out, Bo is closeted and he has the hots for Eisenberg's character. His crush may be influenced by the fledgling werewolf's pheromones. Or as the movie put it: "I have an unnatural sexual allure." The funny thing is that the brother already has a heterosexual love interest (Brooke) in the movie, but he has far better chemistry with Milo. Missed opportunity, Wes.
Dennis/Denny
The Axe Murders of Villisca (2016)
Actor: Jarrett Sleeper
This low budget chiller is loosely based on the real life 1912 murders in Villisca, Iowa. The Moore family and two guests were all killed inside of the Moores' home. All eight victims were beheaded with an axe. The movie has two young paranormal hunters, Dennis (Denny) and Caleb, looking to explore the notorious Villisca house. Caleb invites a young woman from his school, which obviously annoys Denny. Fast forward to the haunted house: all three teenagers are joined by Denny's homophobic bullies. The spirits in the house eventually possess them. One of the bewitched bullies, glamoured to resemble Caleb, puts the moves on Denny, and Denny does not resist. Of course Denny does not realize that his fantasy of kissing his best friend is just a cruel joke played by the ghost. Aside from this scene, The Axe Murders of Villisca is rather forgettable and not any more interesting than a bad filler episode of Supernatural.
May & Polly
May(2002)
Actors: Angela Bettis & Anna Faris
This movie failed to garner any money at the box office, but it has a small cult following. The lead women actors in the movie have a strong chemistry that makes you forget that Jeremy Sisto is even in this. Polly (Faris) identifies as a lesbian, and May is attracted to Sisto's character as well as Polly. The director cast Angela Bettis again in his Masters of Horror episode, Sick Girl.
Marie
High Tension(2002)
Actor: Cécile de France
Director Alexandre Aja grabbed many horror fans' attention with this gory slasher. The setup is simple: best friends Marie and Alex are staying at Alex's family's house one weekend. A man breaks into the home and then murders Alex's family. The surviving women are captured and chased for the remainder of the movie. What could have been a near perfect example of French new wave, extreme horror ended up just being a bit less than due to the hackneyed ending.Marie is the killer. She is inlove With Alex, and the male killer is all in Marie's head. Marie was killing everyone herself, but she did not see herself as the murderer.Many fans agree that the conclusion really puts a damper on an otherwise solid thriller. An unrelated but interesting tidbit about this film is the claim that it plagiarized the basic plot of Dean Koontz's novel Intensity. The author was made aware of this, but he chose not to pursue legal actions as a way to distance himself from the film, which he openly found "so puerile, so disgusting, and so intellectually bankrupt."
Miriam Blaylock & Sarah Roberts
The Hunger(1983)
Actors: Catherine Deneuve & Susan Sarandon
Tony Scott's erotic '80s horror flick The Hunger is generally regarded as a bad vampire movie that relies on style more than substance. It does, however, feature an evocative if not tame sex scene (by today's standards at least) between Deneuve and Sarandon.
What horror LGBTQ characters do you like/dislike, ONTD?