Gore-geous Girls: 6 Movies Where Women Aren’t Afraid To Get A Little Bloody
Mary Beth McAndrews
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Maybe I’m biased, but I love a good movie with a woman just drenched in blood. Whether she’s getting revenge, fighting off a monster, or performing her own acts of depravity, there’s nothing better than seeing a female character covered in viscera. It spits in the face of the idea that women are pure beings that must be protected at all costs. The characters aren’t afraid of getting a little, or a lot, bloody. In Dread’s new movie Ditched, Marika Sila’s Melina does just that and taps into her more primal side to deliver some nasty kills. In honor of the film, which is chock full of blood, guts, and brains, we’ve listed some of the perfect movies to pair with the new release.
Excision
Richards Bates, Jr. absolutely killed it with this one. AnnaLynne McCord is just bathing in blood for a good 50% of this film and it’s gorgeous. McCord plays Pauline, a strange girl with a lust for blood. She often fantasizes about an idealized version of herself, bathed in blood and surrounded by half-naked men. In her ideal world, she would be the contemporary Elizabeth Bathory. Outside of these fantasies, Pauline works towards her goal of becoming a surgeon. As her blood lust grows, things spiral out of control and her fantasies slowly become part of her reality.
Revenge
Coralie Fargeat’s rape-revenge film Revenge is an all-time favorite of mine. Not only does Fargeat gouge out the metaphorical and literal eyes of the male gaze, but she creates one badass woman who undergoes a bloody transformation. Jen (Matilda Lutz) goes on vacation with her married boyfriend to a secluded house in the middle of the desert. His two friends join up with them and immediately lust after her. When one of the men rapes her, she’s left for dead, impaled on a tree. But she survives and goes scorched earth on these men who felt entitled to her body.
Ready Or Not
The ending image of Grace (Samara Weaving) in her blood-soaked wedding dress smoking a cigarette is iconic and epitomizes how much I love these types of characters. Ready Or Not is the ultimate warning about in-laws, as Grace marries into a wealthy family that actually wants to use her as a sacrifice to their strange family curse. But they don’t just capture her and kill her. No, that would be no fun! Instead, they play a fun game of hide and seek with a killer twist. Radio Silence’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett brought us this bloody good time and gave us a little preview of what to expect with their interpretation of Scream.
Audition
Kiri kiri kiri kiri… Those words still float through my head sometimes as I think about Takashi Miike’s absolutely disgusting 1999 film Audition. Now, this is a weird one, because much of the film feels like a rom-com or drama. But when that third act hits and the vomit hits the bowl, Miike reveals this is something very different and very weird. Asami (Eihi Shiina) reveals she is not the innocent woman of Shigeharu’s (Ryo Ishibashi) dreams. No, she seeks revenge on the men who take advantage of her. Her weapon of choice? Piano wire.
May
Sweet May, she’s just a lonely bisexual searching for love while also obsessing over dolls and human body parts. Lucky McKee’s 2002 film is a bloody examination of the predatory female gaze and what it means for a woman to view the human form as parts rather than a whole. Angela Bettis creates a sympathetic villain whose loneliness pushes her to extremes. Plus, the film features Anna Faris, comedy legend and queen.
The Eyes of My Mother
If you’re looking to be upset, look no further than Nicolas Pesce’s feature film debut The Eyes of My Mother. After a traumatic event in her childhood involving a serial killer, Francisca (Kika Magalhaes) becomes numb to the idea of violence. This film is split into three parts where Francisca’s violent impulses continue to build as she grows up and works through her sexuality. She is one of the most harrowing horror characters I’ve ever seen as she’s so detached from her actions. Francisca is motivated almost entirely by medical curiosity. Her humanity is almost nonexistent and it’s incredible to watch.
Ditched is now available to watch on digital and VOD. It comes to Blu-ray on February 15.
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