Summary

• LGBTQ+ horror movies and TV shows provide entertainment, representation, and thrills, serving as an important part of queer culture.
• While some horror engages in harmful tropes, there are more directors and screenwriters now providing queer horror stories that aren't demonizing.
• Many examples of queer horror stories exist within movies and TV shows, offering diverse LGBTQ+ characters and storylines that go beyond their queer identities.

There are many great LGBTQ+ horror movies and TV shows that provide entertainment, representation, and thrills. The horror genre is one of the backbones of queer culture. This intersection exists for multiple reasons. Queer culture and the horror genre both frequently reject conventional societal standards. Additionally, even before moving pictures existed, horror novels provided some of the earliest examples of queer representation. As the genre adapted to movie and TV screens, horror continued to play an integral role in queer expression with many shows even making direct commentary on LGBTQ+ issues.

While horror is an important part of LGBTQ+ culture, not everything in the genre is helpful to the community. Some horror engages in harmful tropes like the predatory transperson, "burying your gays," and the obsessive Sapphic woman. However, this has become less common recently, with more directors and screenwriters providing queer horror stories that aren't demonizing. As such, many great examples of queer horror stories exist within movies and TV shows.

13 Spiral (2019)

Kurtis David Harder’s Spiral — not to be confused with the 2021 Saw sequel of the same name — follows a gay couple who move into a Chicago suburb to raise their teen daughter. They soon discover a dark secret about the picturesque neighborhood, however, as the Shudder original movie leans into both survivalist and psychological horror, weaving together an interesting plot. Spiral is like a queer horror companion to Get Out, as it makes social commentary on the intersection between racism and homophobia in the United States.

12 Chucky (2021-Present)

The TV continuation of the Child's Play franchise leans into the queerness of the character Glen/Glenda from Seed of Chucky. In the first season of the show, Chucky mentions his genderfluid child to Jake, making it clear that he s the LGBTQ+ community. Glen and Glenda eventually appear in the series as two nonbinary twins with different gender expressions. As a nod to their identity, they drive around a car with “they/them” on the license plate. In addition to a well-written nonbinary storyline, Chucky cast nonbinary actor Lachlan Watson as the twins, honoring the need for trans actors to play trans roles.

11 Los Espookys (2018-2022)

The Spanish-language horror series Los Espookys tells the story of a group of friends who decide to make a business bringing horror to life for clients. One of the main characters, Andres, is a gay man who gets haunted by a demon. The series also hints at another character, Renaldo, being asexual, an identity often overlooked in TV representation. Los Espookys provides a prime example of LGBTQ+ characters whose storylines don’t center around their queer identities.

10 Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

The satirical slasher movie Bodies Bodies Bodies follows a group of rich kids who decide to party at a mansion while waiting out a hurricane. They decide to play a game where one person is a murderer and must try to kill everyone without anyone discovering their identity. This movie centers around the lesbian couple Sophie and Bee, who are too cute to handle. Their sexuality is never challenged or addressed in Bodies Bodies Bodies, normalizing their identities. Sophie is played by nonbinary and bisexual actor Amandla Stenberg.

9 The Haunting Of Bly Manor (2020)

The miniseries The Haunting of Bly Manor tells the story of an American nanny named Dani who comes to care for two children on the Bly estate. She soon begins experiencing supernatural occurrences, pushing her to learn about the property’s dark history. At the center of this series is a beautiful romance between two women: Dani and Jamie. While The Haunting of Bly Manor places the story in the '80s, the relationship exists outside the bounds of history, providing a utopia where an interracial lesbian couple can have an open relationship without judgment.

8 M3GAN (2022)

In the horror movie M3GAN, the titular AI doll becomes murderous when following her prime directive of protecting a girl named Cady from emotional or physical harm. Before the movie was even released, M3GAN went viral online with some memes embracing the title character as a queer icon. The doll is fierce and protective of Cady, and both characters see each other as chosen family – an important concept within the LGBTQ+ community where individuals often get outcast from their families of origin. While the movie doesn’t technically include any queer characters, it’s a must-watch for any LGBTQ+ horror marathon.

7 Dracula’s Daughter (1936)

The black-and-white film Dracula’s Daughter is one of the earliest examples of LGBTQ+ representation in horror movies. The plot involves a vampire named Countess Marya Zaleska, who seeks out a cure for her condition. While Dracula’s Daughter can seem harmful due to the predatory gay stereotype, it can also be reclaimed. Looking at Dracula’s Daughter with a modern lens, Zaleska is a complex Sapphic anti-hero who struggles to cope with her identity. She’s in a society that views LGBTQ+ identities as a psychological deviance that needs curing. However, by the end of the film, Zaleska accepts her identity, no longer wishing it away.

6 Hellbent (2004)

The slasher horror movie Hellbent follows a group of gay men in West Hollywood who try to evade a masked killer who wields a sickle as a weapon. This movie started a wave of gay slasher films, but it remains one of the best of all time. Hellbent has a cult-classic following due to its entertaining plot and dialogue. The jokes hit just right, providing moments of relief that subsequently raise the tension. Every actor provides a stellar performance, making their character feel real, compelling, and fleshed out.

5 The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

The Rocky Horror Picture Show centers on a couple whose car breaks down near a castle where they meet a group of aliens led by Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a mad scientist transvestite from the planet Transsexual in the Transylvania galaxy. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the epitome of LGBTQ+ horror. Dr. Frank-N-Furter cross-dresses and gets sexually involved with both main characters. Rather than stigmatizing or shaming queerness, The Rocky Horror Picture Show celebrates it.

4 Jennifer’s Body (2009)

The teen horror movie Jennifer’s Body follows Jennifer Check, a cheerleader who begins killing boys at her school after becoming possessed by a demon. Jennifer’s Body bombed when released in theaters in 2009 but has since been embraced as an iconic queer movie. Though it’s never canonically confirmed, this movie offers clear bisexual representation through its main character, Jennifer. The relationship between Jennifer and Needy is gloriously Sapphic with the pair even sharing a kiss. Jennifer’s Body’s LGBTQ+ representation is further strengthened by the fact that she’s played by bisexual actress Megan Fox.