ABSTRACT
Donald Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election appeared to mark a significant setback for the advancement of female participation in US politics. However, one of the most striking features of Trump’s election is the degree to which it has inspired an upsurge in female-led political protests. From high-profile events such as the January 2017 Women’s March, to the record numbers of female candidates in the 2018 midterm elections, women across the country are choosing to fight back. Parallels to these protests can be found in a recent cycle of horror films that show women fighting back against violent and sadistic men. With their narratives of female survival and resilience, commercial and critical hits such as 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), Hush (2016), and Don’t Breathe (2016) tap into a growing sense of anger at the patriarchal structures that dominate US society. This chapter explores the relationship between this cycle of films and recent political shifts. Specifically, it considers the role that contemporary horror cinema has to play in representing and mobilising resistance to the anti-woman agenda of Trump.
