Horror films have long struggled with the depiction of female victims, often reducing them to objects of spectacle. Terrifier (2016) takes this to an extreme, forcing viewers to confront their complicity in cinematic violence. This analysis explores the film’s unsettling interplay between feminism, the male gaze, and the deconstruction of horror tropes.

Dawn Emerson (Catherine Corcoran) in Terrifier (2016). © Dark Age Cinema / Damien Leone
7 min read
Feminism, the Male Gaze, and the Objectification of Violence
Feminism, the Male Gaze, and the Objectification of Violence in Terrifier (2016)
Feminism, the Male Gaze, and the Objectification of Violence