Written by Juniper October 27, 2024
Hey guys its almost Halloween, the best night of the year so to help celebrate gay Christmas I’ve put together a list of underrated queer horror movies for you to watch this Halloween. I kept it to the movies that probably won’t show up right away on a cursory queer horror movie google search so we can give some love to some underseen classics and so that this list won’t be insane. If you want more recs don’t hesitate to reach out if you want some of the more well-known stuff or less explicitly queer horrors.There’s so much that I had to cut out of the list just so it wouldn’t be ridiculously long. Anyway, if no one reads this I had fun writing it. If any of y’all do end up checking these out please let me know what you think. For most of these I’m the only one who knows what I’m talking about other than the long-suffering friends I’ve forced to sit through these with me! Enjoy responsibly!
My Best Friend is a Vampire (1987)
Why the fuck are we not all talking about this one alongside The Lost Boys and Fright Night among the teen vampire comedies of the 80s! A teen played by Robert Sean Leonard (you’ll recognize him as the tragic theater kid from Dead Poet’s Society) is bitten by a bodacious vampire milf and spends the rest of the film coming to terms with his new afterlife being pursued by a pair of bumbling homophobes, I mean vampire hunters, with a new sense of style, a girlfriend who is definitely not a lesbian and lots and lots of canned pigs blood. The film is delightfully campy and queer and he actually gets to stay a vampire through the end which never happens with these things. There is an established vampire community ready to accept and help him understand his new identity and its just delightful. Great double feature with something like Once Bitten (1985) and not very scary at all, great for casual viewing if you want something spooky but not too scary.
Knife + Heart (2018)
If you’ve read the October NOOTS you already know my thoughts about this one so I’ll direct you there if you haven’t. Just wanted to put it here again because I seriously cannot stress how gorgeous this movie is. Definitely a suspenseful watch though so keep that in mind.
Herd (2023)
One for my fellow zombie fans out there. Two women go out into the wilderness for a camping trip to fix their marriage even without the apocalypse this is a questionable decision. While they’re out there a strange virus overtakes the folks back home and the couple is thrown into a conflict between two warring militaristic Christian factions who have taken advantage of the crisis. The twist at the end of this film is devastating and throws into question every assumption we have about what a zombie movie looks like post-COVID. This is a sobering look at how we react to global crisis with a surprisingly hopeful ending, had me thinking long and hard about a lot of things.
Fear No Evil (1981)
The antichrist goes to high school, kisses boys and flounces around in a tulle robe what more do you want. This movie is truly buck wild, its not good per say but incredibly entertaining and something you gotta see to believe. Its one of my favorite weird little movies to come out of the early 80s and a shining example of Catholic horror excess including gender queer angels and weed that gives you boobs. The dog does die though so heads up about that.
Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
I’m so sorry film bros this is Brian de Palma’s best work. Get ready for the marriage of The Phantom of the Opera and Faust with a rock and roll playlist written by none other than Paul Williams, the man behind the Muppets’ signature song, The Rainbow Connection. This is a gorgeous film with fantastic music, a villain that represents evil Elton John (played by Williams himself) and a primadonna called Beef, a bitchy queer glam rocker who has stolen the heart of everyone I’ve shown this movie to. As well as the film debut of Jessica Harper, more lead contraltos in musicals please! This one is playing at the Rio on October 12th if anyone wants to join me to celebrate its 50th anniversary!
The Old Dark House (1932)
Everyone knows out queer director, James Whale’s work in Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein and even The Invisible Man this movie however seems to have slipped criminally beneath the radar. The Old Dark House is a hilarious pre-Hays Code romp as a series of strangers become trapped in a house of old money weirdos on a dark and stormy night. Fans of Bride of Frankenstein may recognize Earnest Thesiger from his role as the fabulous Dr. Pretorious in that film as he plays the sickly patriarch in this one. Oh and did I mention Boris Karloff? Another approachable film for the horror squeamish this inspiration for The Rocky Horror Picture Show is worth checking out for free on Tubi! Have a Potato!
Penda’s Fen (1973)
This is another one I’m bring back from NOOTS so if you haven’t gone back and read NOOTS from May please take a look at what I wrote there about this underseen folk horror. This movie has been incredibly meaningful to me over the years and I really wish more people would see it. Anyway the whole thing’s on youtube you have no excuse!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghu0ITA8aSE
Gothic (1986)
If you have delved much into the history of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein you’re probably at least a little bit familiar with its origin at a ghost story party at the villa of Lord Byron. Have you ever wondered that that night was really like? Well probably nothing like this but that’s not the point. Ken Russel is one of my absolute favorite movie freaks who will come up again on this list. This drug-fueled ghost story being only one of his contributions to trippy, campy queer horror stories. This particular film is a dreamy tribute to the history of the gothic genre which is unafraid to shy away from the queerness of the history it portrays and surprisingly accurate in some places even as it twists the story into a fantastic journey into the psyche of some of the greatest literary minds of the 18th century. The performances are absolutely fantastic, everyone here came to play! The film is free to watch on Tubi, have fun.
The Lure (2015)
Ever wanted to see Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid done as a Polish, 80s glamrock musical? Boy do I have the movie for you. Join two man-eating mermaids on their path to stardom, romance and ultimate tragedy. Includes on screen fish bottom surgery! Another great soundtrack and some truly impressive practical effects on those tails, definitely something to check out if you’re a fan of the inherent trans subtext of mermaids.
Hello Mary Lou Prom Night 2 (1987)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge but for lesbians is the usual pitch I give for this one. This one has absolutely nothing to do with the first Prom Night film. Instead of a slasher we have the story of a prom queen returning to haunt her high school and take back the crown she rightfully deserves. This is a hilarious, campy and very special film from queer writer Ron Olliver, who would go on to write and direct Prom Night 3: The Last Kiss, another underappreciate gem. Mary Lou is a diva for the ages, her sexuality as fluid as her lip gloss, she steals every scene she enters. If you want to watch a horny teenage high femme stab a priest to death with a crucifix this is the movie for you, after all it’s not who you go with, it’s who takes you home.
Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996)
We gotta start doing this-time-they’re-in-space sequels again. If you haven’t seen the first two Hellraiser films what are you doing go watch them! However if you are a seasoned fan who has been understandably reluctant to venture into the 9 sequels I would really recommend giving the fourth entry a try. A while back I decided to watch all 11 of the things and I can say that most of them aren’t worth watching, but Bloodline is something special. In this film we follow the creation of the infamous puzzle box itself beginning boldly with Pinhead in space before flashing back to 17th century France and then the 1990s. It’s not a good movie, but its far from boring and doesn’t deserve to be pulled down into the mire of bad sequels with the rest of the franchise, except maybe Deader that one has its moments too.
Nightbreed (1990)
This is one of my favorite horror movies of all time, scratch that, movies of all time. This is the second out of the three films that queer icon of psychosexual body horror, Clive Barker, creator of Hellraiser directed. It’s an adaptation of his 1988 novella Cabal following a man accused of a series of murders taking shelter with his true family, a community of monsters who live under a graveyard. We another body horror icon in trans ally David Cronenberg giving an excellent performance as our primary villain, a Danny Elfman score and some of the most beautiful creatures ever put to film. This one has an incredibly profound story behind the scenes from a disastrous theatrical cut to the director’s cut now available free to watch on Tubi. If you never watch another film I tell you to, watch this one its a profound fantasy about community resilience and the celebration of radical otherness from someone who knows what its like to have to hide what makes him different.
Stage Fright (1987)
If I have any big slasher fans out there this is a little known movie you should definitely check out. An escaped mental patient stalks the cast of a new arthouse play about another killer stalking a fictional city. It’s fun, its meta, its got some great kills and one of the freakiest 3rd act body dumps I’ve seen in a slasher. The owl mask is absolutely iconic and we got some excellent petty theater gays on the chopping block. Enjoy!
Theater of Blood (1973)
I talked about this one briefly in my queer creator spotlight on Vincent Price. This was one of his favorite films as he finally got to do Shakepspeare. The movie follows a washed up theater actor taking bloody revenge by killing each and every one of his theater critics in reenactments of various Shakespearean death scenes. Its funny, its bloody, its everything you want out of a sleazy 70s Price Picture
Fright Night 2 (1988)
Fright Night (1985) is a bonafide classic, with at least 3 queer folks in its main cast and a goofy sensibility that has made it beloved over the years. However no one really talks about the sequel which is a damn shame it really is. The first film follows a teenage boy who discovers that his neighbor is a vampire, in the sequel the vampire’s sister comes back for revenge. Roddy Mcdowell reprises his role as the horror host turned reluctant vampire hunter Peter Vincent, named for Peter Cushing and Vincent Price and he is just as fun to watch as he was in the first film. A queer icon no longer with us, there is a certain sweetness to all of Roddy’s performances that make me wish he’d done more movies like this one while he was around. In any case watch this movie for the 80s vampire polycule if nothing else, and the bit where the movie stops in its tracks so we can have a vampire bowling scene. The vampire gender is strong with this one my friends.
976-Evil (1988)
I have never met anyone else who’s seen this movie and that’s a damn shame. Queer actor Stephen Geophries is an unsung hero of the teenage monster as far as I’m concerned. If you’ve taken my advice and seen Fright Night you might remember him as Evil Ed and if you’re thirsty for more of that manic performance this is a must see. In this world all you need to do to make a deal with the devil is call the hotline resulting in an absolutely bonkers series of events as a repressed kid takes revenge on all those who have wronged him. It’ll be a cold day in hell when I don’t recommend this movie!
The Lair of the White Worm (1988)
Hello Ken Russel, and hello bad Brahm Stoker story made into a truly delightful snake vampire folk horror as we join a young Peter Capaldi and Hugh Grant as they investigate a strange cult stirring in the fields of England. If you want blue vampire divas in giant ritualistic strap-on’s we got it, you want snake charming bagpipes, we got it, you want another weird-ass Ken Russel dream sequence, look no further. This one’s free on Tubi and Plex so have fun!
Jawbreaker (1999)
Welcome to Mean Girls before Mean Girls. Queer writer director Darren Stein tells the story of a trio of high school bitch queens who accidentally murder their best friend in a birthday prank gone wrong. Its a fantastic black comedy in which Rose Mcgowen (Tatum from Scream) deepthroats a man with a popsicle what more do you want? Its a damn shame that this was overlooked!
All About Evil (2010)
Did you love Natasha Lyonne in But I’m A Cheerleader? I know I did. In this movie she saves her failing movie theater by making snuff films alongside a crew of queers and weirdos. Directed by big name in the queer horror scene, drag queen, Peaches Christ this movie stars such names as Cassandra Peterson aka Elvira playing against type as a concerned mother. Its a love letter to the schlockmeisters who inspired Peaches’ cult movie career and a must see for the horror meganerds out there.
Night of the Creeps (1986)
This movie deserves so much more love than it gets. A college town is attacked by alien slugs, chaos ensues. Its a simple meal well made with a central ‘bromance’ that’ll break your heart. Some great disabled rep and fantastic head-bursting special effects! This too is a send-up of classic sci-fi horror in space aliens, axe-murders and an amazing performance by scream king Tom Atkins. This movie never fails to thrill me!
Elvira’s Haunted Hills (2002)
If you haven’t watched Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) might I suggest a double feature this halloween. This second lesser known film is a loving spoof of Vincent Price and Roger Corman’s Edgar Allen Poe pictures from the late 60s and early 70s which you may have read about in the September entry of NOOTS. The references are great for those familiar with those earlier films but the movie is just as accessible and hilarious for those who have never heard the name Roger Corman. Elvira stars alongside the halloween staple Richard O’brien writer of The Rocky Horror Picture Show as our heroine finds herself stranded in a classic old dark house. Also free on Tubi, sensing a pattern?
Flesh For Frankenstein/ Blood For Dracula (1974)
Did you know that Andy Warhol produced two horror films in 1974, well now you do, go watch Dracula and Frankenstein as you’ve never seen them before, horny in a weird way. Queer actor Udo Kier brings a queer energy to the mad doctor and the count that I don’t think anyone else could bring. I don’t know how else to describe these two other than kitchy, sexy and ruthlessly satirical. Fair warning, we got some really politically incorrect humor here so look up the trigger warnings but otherwise enjoy!
May (2002)
Getting into the aughts with Lucky Mckee’s weird girl classic following a lonely 20 something looking for the perfect partner. As she navigates failed romances from a douchy film bro to her polyamorous lesbian coworker she decides to just make her perfect companion herself. This tragically earnest modern Frankenstein is the epitome of 2000s angst that holds up to today… also free on tubi.
Tragedy Girls (2017)
What if Billy and Stu got away with it at the end of Scream and what if they were lesbians? Join these wannabe influencers as they become slashers for likes in this 2010s black comedy as the power of ‘friendship’ is stronger than morals.
Shock Treatment (1981)
Did you know The Rocky Horror Picture Show had a sequel? I want to preface this by saying that this is by no means a direct sequel, but another Brad and Janet story this time starring our friend Jessica Parker as the girl next door. In this sister film to a halloween staple, Brad and Janet are dragged into the fantastical world of public television as Richar O’brien satirizes reality tv and commercialized mental health before either entered the public zeitgeist. The music is absolutely fantastic and the sets are just as garishly fabulous as the previous film. Give this movie the love it deserves.
Cecil B Demented (2000)
There had to be at least one John Waters movie on this list and believe me we’ll get to him on a future NOOTS. Out of all his movies this is one of the least discussed which is a travesty as I think its one of his best. This semi-autobiographical story of a filmmaker dedicated to filth and transgression will have you laughing and cheering for his queer film crew of freaks as they stick it to the commercial film industry and leave destruction in their wake. This is the movie for film nerds who love to laugh at themselves while satirizing some very real problems in the entertainment industry that have only gotten worse.
The Legend of Hell House (1973)
Roddy Mcdowell only ever plays one character. Your sweet gay uncle who offers you sweets whenever you come over and sometimes stares off into the distance thinking about the boy who got away in his youth. In this film he is a paranormal investigator returning to with a team to exorcise the house that traumatized him when he was a teenager. This classic haunted house tale is weird and horny in the way only ghost movies from the 70s were. The twist will absolutely send you, so do yourself a favor and check this one out.
Ravenous (1999)
This is just one of the many reasons we gotta let women make more horror movies. If you’re a fan of westerns and homoerotic cannibals this is for you. Ravenous follows a soldier banished to the frontier of Southern California in the 1840s. There he is tempted by forbidden fruit and Robert Carlyle. Also David Arquette plays a funky little stoner in this one, you go scream king! The tone of this movie is all over the place it flips from horrifying to darkly funny on a dime and somehow it works, absolutely fantastic fiddle soundtrack as well. Unfortunately, it is part of the nasty American tradition of appropriating Indigenous folklore hence my complicated feelings on this particular movie. All the same the lore feels more like a vampire movie than anything else and the highs are definitely high so if you can get by the bits that haven’t aged well its a fun ride.
Slay (2024)
This is a surprise hit for me. I love Tubi, but its original content usually leaves something to be desired, this one however was just delightful. 3 drag queens book themselves at the wrong bar and end up in a hole in the wall in the middle of the bible belt. During their set the bar is attacked by homophobic vampires and they must band together with the locals to survive. The writing here is fantastic, these characters feel as real as they are goofy and I haven’t laughed out loud at a movie this much in a long time. This movie does something that you don’t see a lot in movies about queer folks stranded in less than accepting areas. It acknowledges and validates the queer folks already in those spaces and their desire to stay where they are, building acceptance in their homes. Fans of vampires, drag and country queers will love this diamond in the rough. I know I’ll be revisiting this one soon, and yes, free on Tubi.
The Field Guide to Evil (2018)
I love an anthology and this has gotta be one of the best. Folk horror is my favorite subgenre and this captures perfectly why that is. Field Guide is a collection of folk horror stories from a variety of directors covering the folkloric traditions of a wide variety of cultures from Eastern Europe to India to the US of A. The cinematography is gorgeous and these stories are truly terrifying and perfect for a dark and stormy night to send a chill down your spine. We’ve got a queer story in the first segment but each story seems stranger and more captivating than the last. If you love the kinds of scary stories told over campfires for centuries do yourself a favor and open up The Field Guide to Evil.
Good Manners (2017)
When I tell you I sobbed watching this movie for the first time… Good Manners is a modern Brazilian fairy tale for the ages following a nanny who is hired by a young pregnant rich woman to look after her child when they are born. But there is something positively wolfish going on as this young mother takes strange turns with the arrival of the full moon. As the pair begin to fall in love, our heroine realizes that she may have bitten off more than she can chew. This story is driven by love, the horror and the happiness alike. It is a testament to the unconditional love of a family no matter what the outside world has to say, a film that understands the queerness of werewolves.
Dr. Jeckyll and Sister Hyde (1971)
Honestly if you haven’t seen any of the classic Hammer films from the 70s you’re missing out, these sleazy gothic tales will never grow old. This one for me is a particular favorite being an unintentionally trans take on Robert Louis Stevenson’s already incredibly queercoded classic. We may not pick up on that particular element of the book today but doing just a little bit of digging on Victorian queercoding and its as gay as the fourth of July. In this version the well-meaning doctor attempts to extend his life by injecting himself with an estrogen chemical cocktail and accidentally transes his gender. This low brow flick has something fun to say about repressed identities and the freedom of giving in to your darker desires. Good for her!
The Wild Boys (2017)
I don’t know what they’re putting in the water over in France but I want a hit. This beautiful acid trip follows a group of badly behaved boys sent to an island to improve their characters. There they are subjected to a bacchanalia of temptations and magic which will transform them for better or for worse. A trans fairy tale for the ages and a trip and a half for the senses. The colors alone are breathtaking and worth a watch for the weirdos and perverts out there. You know who you are.
Tetsuo The Iron Man (1989)
This one’s for my cyberpunk nerds out there. That’s right, I got some more psychosexual body horror for ya! In this tale a character known only as the metal fetishist, played by the director, becomes the victim of a hit and run. He becomes obsessed with his attacker and infects him with metal and a love that can destroy this whole fucking world. When I call this a sensory nightmare I understate the effect. Every sense is turned up to 11 from the soundtrack to the visuals to the sense of nasty dirty bodily mutilation and yet it is beautiful. This is a story about transformation, kink and the matching of freaks. Warning for sexual assault, but if that’s something you can get past its under 90 minutes and milks everything it can out of each one.
Look What Happened to Rosemary’s Baby (1976)
Yeah so no one really knows about the made for TV sequel to Rosemary’s Baby and probably for good reason…it’s bad. But hear me out, the antichrist is gay again or at least in a committed bromance if you know what I’m saying. This is a good one to put on with some friends who’ve had something to drink, who doesn’t love the kind of camp that didn’t set out to be camp. The big ritual involves our boy dancing badly in goth clown make-up what more do you want from me? Fuck Roman Polanski, watch this one instead this halloween. Anyway you have no excuse its free on youtube.
Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School (1988)
Ok the queerness of this one is mostly vibes but it was formative for little Juniper. I saw something in this movie as a kid that I wouldn’t put a name on for a long time. In this underappreciated gem Shaggy and Scooby take jobs as gym teachers at a posh girls school not knowing that the parents of their students are creatures of the night. This is the kind of cozy spooky content that can be enjoyed at any age, the puns are cheesy there’s some really great character design with the girls. This has very similar vibes to the Addams family in giving us a set of characters who revel in the weird and are radically comfortable in their monstrous skin or fur, or ectoplasm, or scales or… well you get the idea.
