Black Women Survival in Horror

While watching horror films (both classic and contemporary), the notion of Black women survival hits hard. To live in the ugly, horrific world of now remains another kind of vicious monster to battle altogether. Yet in October, the month of haunting Halloween and all things ghoulish, the horror genre allows escape into supernatural. Personal favorites include mostly Stephen King (Carrie, Christine, Misery), the traditional Hocus Pocus, the first Halloween, Nightmare Before Christmas, Nightmare on Elm Street, and a Ray Bradbury animated treat (The Halloween Tree). 

However, the grossly, overkilled Black body or their glaring absence can oftentimes ruin the enjoyment of most other films. Or moreover, the lack of Black women seen in horror films or their early demises are downright deplorable. The latter are rather disingenuous caricatures. They are certainly not a monolith, but they do not standby to be viciously killed. 

Alien Vs. Predator (2004)’s Alexa Woods was one of the first Black women to outlive the majority in the 2000’s. With eyebrows raised, waiting and waiting for the beasts to change their minds, to slash her up in the final seconds, it was supremely shocking that Alexa and the alien had an epic stare down, no death in store.

In the vampire realm, Black women are prone to death such as the case for Tina in Blacula who is tragically shot and once turned into a vampire— immediately staked or Queen of the Damned’s Akasha, raised back to life and killed by the very vampire who summoned her. They fare no better in television with Kendra’s disturbing death on Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Tara Thorton’s vampiric turn and eventual murder in True Blood. Still, in two different vampire films made almost twenty years apart, Bill Gunn’s Ganja & Hess (1973) and Eddie Murphy’s Vampire In Brooklyn (1995) differ from their Black women survival. While Ganja was turned, she did not have that final fatal death and Rita rejected becoming a full vampire.

Before dying in Scream 2, Jada Pinkett-Smith survived the dark, sinister events of Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight, her Jeryline fleeing on a bus just as her Set it Off and Jason’s Lyric (although due to a rather ambiguous ending some do not believe Lyric lived). CCH Pounder’s character kept a modest amount of hope alive, but eventually succumbed to the vile creatures. Still, wonderful to see her holding her own and protecting another, making sure Jeryline sees the next day. That is somewhat missing from the others— a true comrade, a sistah looking out. Although Emayatzy Corinealdi’s Kira makes it through one hell of a twisted dinner party in thriller The Invitation, she seems rather isolated as the stranger joining the fray as the girlfriend, the only Black woman, standing out in a rather uncomfortable way. 

Whereas “the rage” takes over Europe, Naomie Harris’s Selena is the dynamic Black woman ready to kill anyone in Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later much like The Walking Dead’s Michonne played flawlessly by Danai Gurira, the only Black woman survivor (so far) to challenge the zombie apocalypse. As the tethered kill their shadows, Lupita Nyong’o’s dynamic dual performance in Us lets us almost forgive writer/director Jordan Peele for killing Georgina in Get Out. Sure, Georgina is obviously possessed by an old white woman, but seeing a Black man run over a Black woman’s body still upsets the spirit. Also huge props to portrayer Betty Gabriel on a chilling performance. 

Maybe our Black selves are centuries above this frightening, scary monster, psychologically disturbing phenomenon that mostly center whiteness. After all, whiteness still remains a dangerous enemy throughout history of marginalized, indigenous cultures across the globe. That is the true villain. The true undeniable horror. Yet the delicious addiction of the fright looks great with a Black person living, a Black woman leading and existing, being smart and resourceful. While we wait with baited breath for Nia DaCosta’s Candyman remake (and pray that a Black woman survives in it), the world must know that the audience is ready for this genre to be transformed, to give up a universal satisfaction. Yes, Black women are in a lot of horror films/TV, but it is past the time that they rightfully stay alive too.