Female Killers in Film

The plot of our film is a young, female photographer, suffering from multiple personality disorder, that is also a serial killer, her victims being primarily male. We are hoping to subvert gender roles and the usual character types seen in films.

In IMDb's 'Top 22 Horror Movie Serial Killers', all but one of the characters are male, demonstrating the proliferation of dominant male characters, all of which are seen, especially within the horror/thriller genre, as powerful and threatening. Women are usually portrayed as victims, being submissive and fragile, the characters in our film completely break away from these conventions, the female lead exerting her power and preying on males, showing their vulnerability.



 

Freddy Krueger -
A Nightmare on Elm Street

 

Hannibal Lecter -
Silence of the Lambs

 

Jack Torrance -
The Shining



        












Female killers in film are presented very differently to their male counterparts, in almost all cases, the women turn to crime after experiencing a trauma, the most common being sexual abuse. Vengeance is a recurring theme in these films, the female characters seeking out their abusers, this shows that even in films with a female lead, men still have important roles. The men are still shown as dominant in these abusive situations, however, the women are able to retaliate and a more sinister side of them is brought out. Below are a few examples of female killers in film that adhere to this archetype:

Jennifer Spencer (Sudden Impact) -
After she and her sister are raped, Jennifer Spencer seeks revenge and murders one of her attackers.

Aileen Wuornos (Monster) -
A prostitute kills a client in self defence after being raped, she then goes on a killing spree, murdering clients and stealing their money.

Mallory Knox (Natural Born Killers) -
The film is about Mallory Knox and her husband Mickey, two serial killers. Mallory had a neglectful mother and sexually abusive father, both of whom she murdered after meeting Mickey.

Mrs Mott/Peyton Flanders (The Hand That Rocks the Cradle) -
After her husband commits suicide following sexual assault allegations, Mrs Mott also loses her baby. She seeks revenge on the woman, and her family, that made the allegations by becoming her nanny 'Peyton Flanders' and attempting to kill her. Mrs Mott's attempt is unsuccessful, killing another woman instead.

Carrie White (Carrie) -
Carrie White is relentlessly bullied at school and seeks revenge at her prom after being drenched with blood, killing the majority of students and staff in attendance. She later returns home to her abusive mother who stabs Carrie in the back, Carrie then uses her telekinetic powers to murder her mother also.



We want our character to differ from these female killers. We have decided that we don't want our character to have an abusive past or be looking for revenge, we want her motive for killing to be simple - because she enjoys it. I think that this makes her more fearsome and intriguing as there isn't a clear reason for her violent side, making her a more mysterious character.