[Editorial] “I’M THE FRIGGIN’ BEST!” Portrayal of Strong Women and Girls in Psycho Goreman

Horror has for decades been portraying women as the victims on screen, ensuring that their voices are stifled, their bodies are subjected and their lives are meaningless. Female horror fans have had to grow up in a world where their gender is the sole reason for being bound, brutalised and bloodied, often making the genre feel inaccessible for its constant victimhood against women.

But we are beginning to see a shift from this on-screen depiction, with creators favouring strong female characters instead. And when it comes to monsters, aliens or any subspecies which can be found within a sci-fi horror film, there is usually a severe lack of female authority, with most of these characters acting as secondary parts to their male counterparts. 

But Shudder’s latest release from director Steven Kostanski reverses the gender roles and shows every male character as subservient whilst the women, and girls of this story dominate, lead and kick ass. Here’s why Psycho Goreman is a friggin’ cool slice of feminist horror.

Mimi: the girl we want our daughters to be

She might not be eloquent, but who cares? Girls don’t need to be cute, dressed in flowers and know their airs and graces to be absolutely badass. Mimi, played so exceptionally well by Nita-Josee Hanna that it’s almost unbelievable, is the centre of attention in every scene of Psycho Goreman and we wouldn’t want it any other way. She is unashamedly herself at every moment, and doesn’t allow anyone or anything to stop her from getting what she wants in the world - a trait we could all take a little more from. She is assertive towards every male in her life, and that allows for Mimi to consistently save the day over and over again. Plus, deep down she’s a sweetheart which never goes unnoticed.

Susan: the wife that wears the trousers

Although Susan (Alexis Kara Hancey) might not have the most on-screen presence throughout the film, when we do hear her, there is a power she exudes that isn’t often portrayed in horror. We have become accustomed to seeing wives portrayed as obedient to their husbands and servicing to their families, but Psycho Goreman flips the trope on its head. Susan wears the trousers in her marriage with Greg and clearly says what she thinks and does what she wants. There is no subservient behaviour displayed within Susan, and it serves as a powerful reminder that although women can be wives, that does not diminish their true selves as women. 

Pandora: an evil overlord that does not frig’ around

There is something so liberating about seeing not only a woman portrayed as evil, but also as the head overlord sent to destroy the most powerful male demon in the galaxy. Pandora (Kristen MacCulloch, Anna Tierney and Roxine Latoya Plummer) sits around a table of male demons, all completely incompetent of providing guidance, and incapable of destroying their enemy. This powerful and potent being has all the power, and not once seems phased by going head-to-head with the big bad wolf. Pandora provides the audience with a strong female villain whom is easy to identify with and likable even in her arrogance. 

What of the male characters? Luke, Greg and Psycho Goreman are powerful in their own right  

Even though the strong female characters are empowering to see on screen, their liberation does not diminish the power of the male characters in Psycho Goreman. If anything, it increases the strength of those men and their true identities. Luke is constantly teased and mocked by Mimi, and although he feels he needs to stand up to her - their bond is equal, and the truth is that Luke’s power is allowing Mimi to be the strength of their siblingship. Greg might come across as a husband ‘under the thumb’ but really, his power comes from his emotional capacity - he is portrayed as a sensitive soul, one that cries and doesn’t need to be macho to succeed in being a man. Finally, we have the demon himself - Psycho Goreman. The meanest demon to ever exist, but controlled by a small girl who has his stone. Seeing this character portrayed with a soft side is incredibly empowering, it’s nice to not have a demon that is all power, strength and male-bullshit something that so many films think they need to show. Psycho Goreman likes hunky boys, he listens to Mimi and in the end, he discovers that love trumps destruction. 

Psycho Goreman is a perfect example of breaking down the gender stereotypes of particular characters in horror, and portraying them in a more realistic way. It is refreshing and reviving to see strong female characters alongside gentle male characters, and something a lot of other films could learn from.

RELATED ARTICLES

---

---

GHOULS GANG DISCOUNTED SHOP

---

EXPLORE

---

MORE ARTICLES

---

---